Tour of Walla Walla Comes to Waitsburg in April
Professional cyclists from throughout the Northwest and the U.S. will compete in three road races around Waitsburg on April 18 and 19, and in a criterium in downtown Walla Walla April 20.
By Ken Graham
The Banner Bank Tour of Walla Walla cycling stage race is coming to Walla Walla and Columbia Counties on the weekend of April 18, 19 and 20. The tour is a three-day, four-stage race for professional and amateur men and women cyclists, and is sanctioned by the United States Cycling Federation.
Race Coordinator Steve Rapp, of Walla Walla, says that at least 500 racers are expected to compete in the tour. Several race categories, based on skill level, are included for men and women. "Most of the riders are from the northwest," says Rapp, "but we get a few from California and Canada, as well as even back east. The elite men and women are among the top riders in the country." The overall race winner in each category will be the rider with the best combined finishes in the four stages.
The first three stages, on Friday and Saturday, will start and finish in or near Waitsburg and cover courses in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. The Tour will wrap up with Sunday's criterium in Downtown Walla Walla. The courses and times are as follows:
Kellogg Hollow Road Race:
Friday, April 18th at 4 p.m. Course begins
in Waitsburg and follows a loop around Alto
Road, Kellog Hollow Road and Whetstone
Hollow Road, mostly in Columbia County.
Category 1 and 2 men will ride the loop twice
for a distance of 62 miles. All other categories
will ride the loop once for a distance of 35
miles.
Wilson Hollow Individual Time Trial:
Saturday morning, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Each rider will start individually and be timed
on a course along Wilson Hollow Road south
of Waitsburg, with an out-and-back distance
of 7.5 miles.
Waitsburg Road Race:
Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. This longdistance
race starts and finishes at the top of
the Middle Waitsburg hill. Riders will follow
a loop along the Middle Waitsburg road into
Walla Walla and the Lower Waitsburg Road
and Bolles Road back to Waitsburg, before
ending with a long climb and hill-top finish.
Category 1 and 2 men will ride 95 miles. Other
categories will ride shorter distances with the
same start and finish.
Tourism Walla Walla Criterium:
Sunday,
April 20th at 8:00 a.m. Riders follow a six-turn
criterium course on bumpy roads through
downtown Walla Walla on a half-mile loop.
The top racers will ride for 60 minutes plus
one lap with the goal of finishing with the
most laps. Each stage for the men and women
is a mass start.
Roads will remain open during the road stages, but groups of riders will be accompanied by team and escort vehicles. Many Tour of Walla Walla competitors will stay in local homes in Waitsburg and Walla Walla. Host housing in Waitsburg is being coordinated by Deanne Johnson, who can be reached at 337-6145 or 540-0615. On Saturday, an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner will be held at Ye Towne Hall in Waitsburg from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Cost is $12, and proceeds will benefit the Whitman Cycling Club.
Rapp says that the Tour of Walla Walla has gained a reputation for hospitality and superb race organization that he hopes to carry forward. "Our dedicated volunteers are working to ensure we continue to be a destination race known for hospitality, great courses and excellent organization."
More information about the Tour of Walla Walla can be found at www.tofww.org.
Copyright (c) 2008, Blue Mountain News