Presented by
SATURDAY MAY 26, 2012
Bike Swap and Expo 9am-4pm
SUNDAY MAY 27, 2012
Frankenmuth, MI. The 2011 Tour de Frankenmuth, a two day- three event cycling weekend, has come and gone. Close to 600 bicycling enthusiasts participated in the Saturday road race and the Sunday Gran Fondo di Thumb, a bicycle tour of Michigan’s Thumb. The light drizzle at the start of the day did not deter many more from enjoying the bike exposition held at Zehnder Park.
The Tri City Cyclists’ event title sponsor is Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth. With a purse of $3600 on offer, participants travelled from across Michigan, the Midwest and Canada to compete in the fifth annual road race. In addition to the feature event, youngsters between the ages of 4-12 raced for medals cheered on by fans, family and the Zehnder’s mascot –Drumstick.
Participants rated the weekend a great success.
“Great Race! We traveled from Missouri, and will be back next year. It is a really well run race! Thanks”
“Thanks to you and everyone involved for putting together this race. Truly an enjoyable event.”
“Thanks for another great race. TDF was my first race ever last year, and I was glad to return this year.”
“This race has had the most participants of any Michigan Road Race in the last 10 years!”
Local businesses supporting this event included; Zehnders, Bronners, Midland Brewing Company, Uncle Bobs Hot Sauce, Shaw Construction, Meijers of Birch run, Bavarian Specialties, St. Julian, Frankenmuth Farmers Market, Willi's Sausage. In addition, national businesses Louis Garneau and Hammer nutrition products provided support for the events.
On Sunday riders took part in the GRAN FONDO DI THUMB. Gran Fondos are long distance, mass-participation cycling events. Our Gran Fondo features a tour of Michigan’s Thumb with routes for beginners and expert riders, the Gran Fondo covering 40-mile, 65-mile and the extreme 130-mile long distance. Participants enjoyed refreshments and encouragement from volunteer rest stops along the route. Special thanks go to Gilford Township hall, and Ubly wind farm for allowing us to set up rest stops at their facilities.
Race Director Steve Weckle noted “ this event is a great success because of all the support we receive from the community, the volunteers and of course the participants. I hope everyone tells their friends and marks their calendar for the 2012 Memorial Day weekend.”
If you are interested in being a volunteer for this event, email race coordinator Steve Weckle at srweckle@chartermi.net. Race volunteers get to ride the Gran Fondo for free! For more information on the Tour de Frankenmuth cycling events, and to see the results of this years race, go to www.tourdefrankenmuth.com. For pictures visit facebook page- tour de Frankenmuth.
Tri City Cyclists is a bicycling club comprised of bicycling enthusiasts from the cities and surrounding areas of Bay City, Midland and Saginaw, Michigan. Our purpose is to promote bike racing and recreational cycling. We hold rides that provide an opportunity for bicyclists of all ages and abilities to ride together and to enjoy a wide range of cycling experiences. We welcome new club members.
Frequently asked race Questions: http://www.mbra.org/indexx.php?module=faq.inc.php
