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2019 Tour de Bonnechere deemed a success by organizers
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Eganville — The 2019 Tour de Bonnechere Pedal for Mental Health cycling ride went off without a hitch on Sunday and organizers are calling the ninth annual event another success.
The tour consists of 100, 65, 50 and 20 kilometre ride options for participants. This year funds were allocated to two worthy causes, to reduce the stigma and create awareness of mental health issues, and the Eganville and District Food Bank.
Suzy Wells, who co-chaired the organizing committee along with Ericka Mullins, described the day as “amazing”.
She said 123 cyclists participated, which was down from last year’s total which exceeded 170 riders. While the numbers of actual riders were down, the ride was still very successful.
“The numbers are up in other areas,” she said.
“It was a great event,” Ms. Wells added. “One of the new things we did this year was to invite the Moving on Mental Health agencies to come and have a booth there.”
Ride participants had nothing but good to say about the experience.
“Lots of people had said the Monarch of the Mountain (the 100-km route) was challenging but it was very good,” she noted.
Two riders crossed the finish line essentially tied in first place, finishing that route in three hours and eight minutes.
“So we crowned them both winners,” she said.
Ms. Wells said the conditions for the start of that ride at 7 a.m. were not ideal as there was a heavy fog prevailing over much of the area.
“It was foggy, you could just see the riders,” she said.
However, at no time did they consider delaying the start of the ride, adding Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance member Bob Peltzer of Lake Clear gave a detailed safety briefing before the ride began.
“He just let everybody know to be safe and we had no injuries or no negative things, which was good.”
This year’s event included a new option, a 50-kilometre ride dubbed the Gravel Crushers that highlighted many of the unpaved cycling routes in the Eganville area.
“We had nothing but good comments,” she said of that ride. “There were two ladies that had actual gravel bikes and they enjoyed it immensely.
“There are some cyclists who like off-road stuff and they enjoyed it,” she added.
The tour also included a 20-km Family Ride to the Bonnechere Caves where the participants were given a free tour of the Caves courtesy of owners Chris and Val Hinsperger.
Ms. Wells thanked the Hinspergers and their staff for their participation in the event, noting they are on site first thing in the morning to assist with the parking at the Legion Field in Eganville where the ride starts and ends and where the post-ride pot luck and awards ceremony is held.
“They are an integral part of the Tour de Bonnechere. They volunteer their time first thing in the morning, get everybody parked, then head to the Caves to help with the tour.”
She thanked the County of Renfrew paramedics for being on site all day. She added all three of the longer rides were supported by vehicle following the riders.
Ms. Wells acknowledged the support of the tour’s many sponsors, including VC Athletics and Gearheads, from Petawawa, who were both set up at the ride to assist.
As a special attraction, Naomi Fong, a silver medalist for Canada at the Invictus Games, was the keynote speaker at the wrap-up.