Completing a 30 mile ride is hard, but did you know that people who are blind can achieve that same goal by teaming up with their sighted colleagues? Tuesday Night Tandems consists of eight visually impaired stokers (stokers is the rear seat of the tandem) and a number of captains (the front seat of the tandem) who ride with them. Coming together weekly, members pair up for a 15-30 mile ride on the Northern Virginia bike trail system.
The group was organized last year by Bonnie O’Day and Robert Hartt of Alexandria VA, who are accomplished visually-impaired cross-country skiers who were looking for a second sport for conditioning the rest of the year. The group continues to grow, adding more visually impaired stokers as rapidly as they can recruit and train new sighted cyclists to assist.
The Tuesday Night Tandems will be joining us for the 9th Annual Tour de Talbot on September 21, 2013 on the beautiful Eastern shore of Maryland. Early registration at www.tourdetalbot.org is discounted.
20, 55 and 100 mile routes follow the flat, scenic back roads of Talbot County and multiple rest stops are located on the banks of the Wye and Choptank Rivers.
The ride supports the work of Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy to preserve and protect the Miles, Wye, and Choptank Rivers and Eastern Bay. Once registered, riders can raise funds and sponsors in support of their ride using the event website. Teams and individuals raising the most money receive prizes. Don’t miss it! Visit www.tourdetalbot.org for all the details.
What: Century (100), 60, and 20 mile bike rides, followed by food and celebration
Where: Starts and ends at Calhoon MEBA Engineering School, Easton, MD
When: Saturday, September 21, 2013
Web: www.tourdetalbot.org
Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) will host the 9th Annual Tour de Talbot on September 21, 2013, at an exciting new location: the grounds of the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School on the banks of the beautiful Miles River. And this year the barbeque lunch at the end of the ride will be accompanied by live music.
Come ride for clean rivers! Early registration at www.tourdetalbot.org is discounted. Register as an individual, join a team, or create your own team. Cycling teams, business teams, family teams, and teams of friends join with individual riders for this popular event. Last year’s 300 registrants included pro riders, kids, and all cycling levels in between.
Registration includes lunch and a drink ticket, a tee shirt, rest stops with food and drinks, fully supported and marked routes of 20, 60, or 100 miles, and cheering crowds at the finish line. Kids under 16 ride free. Routes follow the flat, scenic back roads of Talbot County and multiple rest stops are located on the banks of the Wye and Choptank Rivers.
The ride supports the work of MRC to preserve and protect the Miles, Wye, and Choptank Rivers and Eastern Bay. Once registered, riders can raise funds and sponsors in support of their ride using the event website. Teams and individuals raising the most money receive prizes. Don’t miss it! Visit www.tourdetalbot.org for all the details.
Event sponsors for the 9th Annual Tour de Talbot include Easton Utilities, The Talbot Preservation Alliance, and Charm City Run.
Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy and JDRF Maryland (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) are teaming up once again to host the Tour de Talbot of 2012. The Tour de Talbot will feature a century (100 miles), a metric century (60 miles), and a 20 mile ride. All rides are supported, with food and drink at rest stops included in registration. There will be 30 volunteers from Saints Peter and Paul High School spread through-out the course cheering the riders on and manning rest stops. The century and 60 mile ride will kick-off at 7:30 am; the family ride will follow at 9:30 am. All rides will start and finish at the Talbot Country Club, culminating in an outdoor barbeque celebration.
The inspiration for the ride? McKenna Mann, a 16-year-old student at Sts. Peter and Paul High School, and a resident of Easton, who has type 1 (or “juvenile”) diabetes. McKenna was stricken with the disease in May of 2005 and raised more than $10,000 by participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (“JDRF”) Walk to Cure Diabetes in 2006, before her tenth birthday.
“It was so exciting that people I didn’t even know were willing to support me and my cause,” says McKenna. “It made me feel great.”
And so began what has become a family’s quest to help find a cure; inspired by that experience, her father, Ken Mann, wanted to do more. He organized a team of five riders in October of 2007 and participated in JDRF’s Ride To Cure, pedaling 105 miles in Death Valley, California, and raising over $25,000.
In 2008, Mann and a few other local riders took on the mountains of Asheville, NC and raised approximately $40,000 by completing JDRF’s century ride there. Brad Callahan and Jim Campbell were two friends that participated in both rides.
Callahan, a long time friend of the Manns, came up with a new idea in 2010. “I really enjoyed the rides in Asheville and Death Valley, but thought it would be great if we could do something locally and involve our families and more people that can’t commit to the travel time required for the JDRF rides.” Callahan’s company, Travel Advantage Network, is this year’s main sponsor, contributing $5,000 to the Tour de Talbot.
Campbell, a local realtor, was the route planner for the cycling route maps promoted by Talbot County. Campbell says, “In Talbot County, you can offer a relatively easy, flat course, that many more riders can enjoy, and still have a beautiful course.”
Tim Junkin, the Executive Director of Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC), based in Easton, was a participant on one of the rides. As often happens on these rides, a new friendship was born; Junkin and Mann spoke at a post ride party hosted by McKenna’s mother, and Ken’s wife, Leslie Mann. They got to know each other, and in 2011, MRC merged its Tour de Trappe fundraiser into the Tour de Talbot, and together, the group raised about $50,000 to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications, and to support the MRC’s mission of the restoration and protection of the waterways that comprise the Choptank River watershed, Eastern Bay, and the Miles and Wye Rivers.
According to Junkin, “Clean waterways and children’s health are inextricably linked. Putting our two organizations together in this cause just made great sense.”
This year’s Tour de Talbot is shaping up to be our best one ever. Combined with the delightful weather this week, well over 200 riders, and scenic routes, it is a ride not to be missed. ALL ONLINE REGISTRATION WILL END PROMPTLY AT 3 PM ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE CHECK-IN TABLE SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 15, BETWEEN 6:30 AND 10 AM. CASH OR CHECKS ONLY, PLEASE. NO CREDIT CARDS ON THE EVENT DAY.
For any information please email or call Natalie Costanzo: natalie@midshoreriverkeeper.org or 443-385-0511.
What: Century (100), 65, and 20 mile bike rides, followed by food and celebration
Where: Starts and ends at Talbot Country Club, Easton, MD
When: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Web: www.tourdetalbot.org
The Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy and JDRF Maryland (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) are teaming up once again to host the Tour de Talbot of 2012. Last year, over 150 riders took to the beautiful streets of Talbot County in support of the two organizations. Register now and save the date to experience the spectacular scenery and rich history of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The Tour de Talbot will feature a century ride (100 miles), a 65 mile ride, and a 20 mile ride. All rides are supported, with food and drink at rest stops included in registration. The Century and 65 mile ride will kickoff at 7:30 am; the family ride will follow at 9:30 am. All rides will start and finish at the Talbot Country Club, culminating in an outdoor barbeque celebration. Watch for news of professional riders to join the Century! To register, go to www.tourdetalbot.org. Those who register before August 31st will receive free lunch and drink coupons and a t-shirt!
All registration fees will be split equally between Midshore RIVERKEEPER Conservancy and JDRF. If you would like to make additional donations to either or both organizations, you may do so on the event website. Participants also have the option to fundraise for either organization on the event webpage- so consider seeking sponsors for your ride! We thank you for your generosity and support!
The Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of the waterways that comprise the Choptank River watershed, Eastern Bay, and the Miles and Wye Rivers. The organization serves as an advocate for the health of these tributaries and the living resources they support. www.midshoreriverkeeper.org
The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with T1D, JDRF has awarded more than $1.6 billion to diabetes research, including $116 million last year. www.jdrfmd.org
Travel Advantage Network (TAN), founded in 1992, is a Maryland-based wholesale vacation program developed to provide the average family affordable, quality travel to popular destinations throughout the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean. www.planwithtan.com
What: Century (100), 65, and 20 mile bike rides, followed by food and celebration
Where: Starts and ends at Talbot Country Club, Easton, MD
When: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Web: www.tourdetalbot.org
Completing a 30 mile ride is hard, but did you know that people who are blind can achieve that same goal by teaming up with their sighted colleagues? Tuesday Night Tandems consists of eight visually impaired stokers (stokers is the rear seat of the tandem) and a number of captains (the front seat of the tandem) who ride with them. Coming together weekly, members pair up for a 15-30 mile ride on the Northern Virginia bike trail system.
