Nature Valley Grand Prix
Menomonie hosts stop on huge, two-day bike ride
History will be made on June 20th in Menomonie, as a nationally-sponsored, highly-anticipated annual bike race enters the borders of Wisconsin for the very first time. The spectator-worthy event taking place from June 16-20 is the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, which started in 1998 when (name drop) the Lance Armstrong Foundation wanted to create a Twin Cities two-day bike ride. Now, with its popularity reaching an all-time high, the event has been stretched out to a six-stage race over a five-day period. The race starts in St. Paul on June 16 and ends in Stillwater on June 20, but Menomonie hosts the penultimate stage on June 19.
Mark Lewis, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, said a great core of the Menomonie community has created this opportunity for the town, bikers, and all families. Lewis said bikers had been looking for a place to make the race more difficult. “The first stages are mostly flat rides and Menomonie has a lot of climbs and hills and is a tough road stage,” Lewis said. “Menomonie will help create a tougher race tactically.”
The men, women, and kids racing divisions have created so much buzz that in 2007 the Nature Valley Grand Prix became the top-level stage race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. (Read: It’s a pretty big deal.) The circuits will go throughout the city and the course will cover rural county roads. The men will race for 95 miles and the women will conquer 76.
Menomonie’s stop features a bike and fitness expo where gadgets, gear, information on clubs, and the festival will be available. Also, fans are able to stop by the Athlete Village, where teams participating in the race will greet them. The festival also named Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota its sole charitable beneficiary of the event’s proceeds.
For more details at www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.
