WHAT:Tour de Nez handcyclists will visit with Renown Rehabilitation Hospital patients as part of a partnership with the City of Reno’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. Athletes will spend time with patients sharing how they got into the sport and demonstrating some of the handcycles that are available through the City of Reno’s Adaptive Equipment Rental Program. Spinal cord injury patients from the Veteran’s Hospital and children from Vacation Station, the City of Reno’s day camp, will also be present.

WHEN:

Thursday, June 17, 2010 from 12-1 p.m.

DETAILS:

Since 2006, some of the strongest athletes at the Tour de Nez have cycled on three wheels, and pedaled their bikes with race-hardened arms. As the Tour de Nez has grown popular for its time trials and fast-paced circuit races, some of the top handcyclists in the nation have been in the thick of the competition. As a stop on the U.S. Handcycling Federation’s national racing series, the three races from June 17-19 in Sparks, Reno and Northstar-at-Tahoe have integrated handcyclists into contests that include pro men, pro women and masters.

April Wolfe, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at the City of Reno, hopes the Tour’s visit to Renown Rehabilitation Hospital will help inspire patients who may have incurred an injury.

“Handcycling is a great option for people to get active again and become a part of a larger community of athletes who enjoy the sport,” said Wolfe.

WHERE:

Renown Rehabilitation Hospital, 1495 Mill Street.

VISUALS:

Tour de Nez athletes demonstrating the City of Reno’s handcycles to patients. April Wolfe and Renown Rehabilitation Hospital patients and therapists will be available for interviews.

CONTACT:

All media must be escorted on hospital property. To ensure uninterrupted access to the event, contact Nicole Shearer, Public Relations Business Partner at (775) 772-5191.

Tour de Nez’s ‘Tour de N’Alley Cat’ brings bike messenger-style race to Reno

RENO, NV (May 12, 2010) — Just like recreational surfers fantasize about living in a VW van on Oahu’s North Shore, or skiers imagine a season of ski bumming — cyclists daydream about ditching their desk jobs to become bike messengers.
On June 18, the 18th annual Tour de Nez bike festival gives participants the opportunity to fulfill that fantasy in Reno’s Tour de N’Alley Cat — an event inspired by the urban bicycle couriers who have attracted the following of an entire subculture of hard-core bike geeks.
The one-hour event is sure to bring out a wacky group of single-speeders, mustachioed competitors and the skinny-jeans style that has become synonymous with the traffic-dodging job of the big city bike page. But organizers also expect an equal share of fun-loving entrants on cruisers and clunkers.
“It’s more of an urban event than just a lap on a race course,” said Tim Healion, founder and race director of the Tour de Nez.
Each two-person team will complete a circuit in and around downtown Reno, stopping along the way to amass points by photographing their locked-up bikes in front of Reno landmarks or holding their bikes over their heads while standing in the Truckee River. Bonus points will be awarded for a team with a competitor under 15 years of age, and points may be subtracted for unusually expert track stands, said Healion.
“It’s going to be one of those events that if you are real competitive then there is something for you, but if you just want to show up and look stupid and ride your bike around town and have some fun, you’ll be recognized as such,” said Healion.
Winners will be decided on a combination of time and points. Prizes will be awarded to the winners.
Tour de N’Alley Cat follows the downtown Reno circuit race, and is part of the Tour de Nez’s four-day “celebration of cycling,” including pro races, festival-style cycling parties, group rides and live music in Sparks, Reno and Northstar-at-Tahoe.
“The overall vibe is a celebration of cycling, and this is one of the pieces of cycling that is a big deal,” said Healion, a former bike messenger himself, of the Tour de N’Alley Cat.

Tour de N’Alley Cat
The Tour de N’Alley Cat will begin in downtown Reno at the intersection of West St. and 1st St. at 5:15 p.m. on June 18 and end at the West Street Plaza, alongside the Truckee River. A party at West Street Plaza will immediately follow the event.
The entry fee is $40 per two-person team. Bonus points are awarded for a team including a member under 15 years of age. Prizes will be awarded to the winners.
Visit www.tourdenez.org for registration information and additional information on the Tour de Nez.

Handcyclists to hold national series races at Tour de Nez presented by Northstar-at-Tahoe
Competitors will race in all three events at Reno-Tahoe’s four-day cycling festival

RENO, NV (May 18, 2010) — Since 2006, some of the strongest athletes at the Tour de Nez have cycled on three wheels, and pedaled their bikes with race-hardened arms.
As the Tour de Nez has grown popular for its time trials and fast-paced circuit races, some of the top handcyclists in the nation have been in the thick of the competition. As a stop on the U.S. Handcycling Federation’s national racing series, the three races from June 17-19 in Sparks, Reno and Northstar-at-Tahoe have integrated handcyclists into contests that include pro men, pro women and masters.
“It’s one of our staple events,” said Ian Lawless, U.S. Handcycling Federation’s executive director. “The Tour de Nez has been a good ally. They represent what we do, and that is about integration — we put able-bodied cyclists and disabled cyclists in front of the same crowds.”
The athletes, most of whom have either spinal chord injuries or are double amputees, are top-level cyclists who compete across the country in a series of events, including the Tour de Nez, for a chance to be crowned national series champion.
“Most of the handcyclists on the paralympic team are training 13 to 20 hours a week just like pro cyclists,” said Lawless.
The sport requires enormous arm and core body strength, as the seated competitor cranks the pedals of the handcycle with his or her upper body.
“From a kinesiology perspective and a science perspective, they shouldn’t be going as fast as they are,” said Lawless.
The handcycling competitions have grown into a fan favorite, and handcyclists will compete in all three venues — the Sparks time trial, downtown Reno race, and the Northstar-at-Tahoe circuit.
“We do a lot of criteriums [short, circuit races], because it is a great way to showcase the athleticism of the participants,” said Lawless. “I think the spectators are genuinely impressed and they let the athletes know.”
Tour de Nez Founder and Race Director Tim Healion said he is pleased to once again have handcyclists featured in the Tour de Nez races.
“It’s an important aspect of bike racing,” said Healion. “Many times it is either/or — it’s a disabled sports event or an able-bodied sports event. I think it is important to integrate the two.”
The Tour de Nez begins June 17 in Sparks with a downtown time trial and continues through June 20 with events in downtown Reno and the Northstar-at-Tahoe village. Live music, festival-style competitions like the bike messenger-inspired Tour de N’Alley Cat and the Clunker Classic, an expo and parties are all part of the Tour de Nez’s four-day “celebration of cycling.”

For more information on the Tour de Nez visit www.tourdenez.org.

Tour of California cyclists’ next stop — the Tour de Nez presented by Northstar-at-Tahoe
Bissell, Kelly Benefit Strategies among Tour of California teams expected at Reno-Tahoe’s Tour de Nez

RENO, NV (May 17, 2010) — As Amgen Tour of California cyclists reel off 100-mile stages across the Golden State this week, many of the same competitors are looking forward to racing in Reno-Tahoe’s Tour de Nez, a three-day cycling race with events in Sparks, Reno and Tahoe from June 17 to 19.
As in years past, some of the heavyweights of pro cycling — teams like Kelly Benefit Strategies, Bissell, Jelly Belly and Fly V Australia — will send cyclists to the 18th annual Tour de Nez. But unlike previous years, a change in the race schedule that moved the Tour of California from February to May gives Northern California back-to-back, prestigious pro cycling races — the Tour of California in May and the Tour de Nez in June.
Cyclists and spectators who attend each event will be treated to the two sides of professional cycling. The Tour of California’s grueling stages feature team tactics and cover large distances. The Tour de Nez’s short, fast, circuit courses — kicking off with a 1.5-mile time trail in Sparks, Nev. and continuing with two circuit races in downtown Reno and at Northstar-at-Tahoe’s village — immerse spectators in non-stop cycling action. Tour de Nez spectators can view races from start to finish, as cyclists compete against the clock or fight to the finish in multi-lap races.
“You can watch the race develop in person,” said Tim Healion, founder and race director for the Tour de Nez. “It’s the Nascar phenomenon — people in the U.S. are used to continuous stimulation entertainment.”
What the Tour of California’s record crowds have shown, as the race has grown into the country’s top cycling event and one of the top races on the international calendar, is that the Western U.S. has a dedicated and fast-growing cycling fan base.
The Tour de Nez will give cycling fans another chance to view some of the top teams in the country compete in short, fast races in an intimate setting. And the Tour de Nez is not only a cycling race; live music, parties, an expo, and events like the bike messenger-inspired Tour de N’Alley Cat and the Clunker Classic will keep attendees entertained throughout the weekend.

For more information on the Tour de Nez visit www.tourdenez.org.

18th annual Tour de Nez brings four days of professional bicycle racing to Reno and Lake Tahoe, June 17-20

Spectator-friendly event includes races, festival-style bike events, after-parties and plenty of recreational road and mountain biking opportunities.

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CA — The Tour de Nez has a way of turning spectators into participants.
Over the four days that the event’s cycling races and festivities move from Sparks to Reno to Tahoe, Tour de Nez attendees will see a lightning quick time trial, cycling team tactics and a furious circuit race through the narrow streets of the Village at Northstar.
But what is more unique about the Tour de Nez, is what attendees can do: race bike messenger-style through the streets of Reno, straddle a clunker for some low-speed laps and a chance at prizes, or saddle up and soak in the Tahoe scenery with a group of pros.
Even after cyclists climb off the bike, the party goes on with live music, an expo and food and drink sprinkled in between cycling events.
“The festivals include live music, and big parties every day,” said Tim Healion, founder and race director of the Tour de Nez. “You can ride your bike all day in the Sierra, then watch a killer bike race and party all night.”
The festival feel keeps the event true to its roots as a party that over time grew into a prestigious domestic cycling race.
“Every race I know started as a bike race, and then they had to figure out what to add to get people to come,” said Healion. “We did it backwards – we started out as a party for the first seven years, and then we added the bike race to make it more interesting.”
Today, the Tour de Nez is an important stop on the professional cycling circuit, attracting many of the top U.S. professional cycling teams including UnitedHealthcare (formerly Health Net), Kelly Benefit Strategies, Bissell, Jelly Belly and Fly V Australia.
Pros, masters, women and handcyclists will compete over three days — at a time trial in Sparks and circuit races in downtown Reno and at Lake Tahoe’s Village at Northstar — to be crowned Tour de Nez champion.
The venues — Sparks’ intimate Victorian Square, the Village-at-Northstar’s skinny streets and Reno’s on-the-river downtown — makes Tour de Nez spectating an exciting, front-row experience. And the circuit races allow viewers to see start-to-finish action as racers battle each other through each looping course.
After catching the race action, road cyclists can tour through Lake Tahoe’s breathtaking scenery on one of the supported recreational rides, and mountain bikers can tackle some of Northstar’s 100-plus miles of cross-country and downhill mountain bike trails.
And while cycling takes center stage during the Tour de Nez weekend, there is also world-class shopping, dining and entertainment right in the heart of the Village at Northstar, as well as fun options for kids and families all weekend long.
Lodging packages catering to Tour de Nez spectators are available at Northstar Resort, as well as in Reno, and cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to register early for the Ride With the Pros breakfast/ride on Sunday following the weekend of racing.
About Northstar Resort
Located just six miles from the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and downtown Truckee, Calif., and featuring a beautiful new mountain village with year-round activities and amenities, Northstar Resort is an ideal location not only for the Tour de Nez, but for downhill and cross-country mountain bikers and road cyclists alike. There are several great road bike ride near Northstar Resort that provide great views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains. Additionally, Northstar Resort offers more than 100 miles of trails for downhill and cross-country mountain bikers looking for a challenging ride.

For lodging packages and more information:
Northstar events calendar

Check out our trailer of the 2009 TV show that was broadcast right in the middle of the last week of the Tour de France on Versus Network.