Tour de Kentucky 2008 got underway yesterday for the second year, with its mission to raise funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Kentucky Southeast Indiana Chapter.
Organized by Bill Turner, whose wife LeeAnne has been diagnosed with MS, the group of 10 cyclists stopped for a scheduled 15-minute break at the restaurant to record it as the fourth state visited during the eight-day odyssey."I'm the inspiration for him, but he does the work," said LeeAnne Turner of her husband's dedication to the event.
Members of the team traveled from their homes in Louisville Friday night to begin their trip Saturday morning at the Breaks Interstate Park at the Kentucky and Virginia state line. According to the Web site www.whyiride.com, through May 18, the team will pedal 740 miles across the state of Kentucky and the seven bordering states to raise awareness and funds to stop MS in its tracks. As of Sunday evening, the team had completed 166 miles and Monday's trip added 89.4 miles to the three-day total.
This year's team includes one woman, Jan John; the oldest member is Bob Redmon at age 67, while the youngest is 45-year-old Bill Piepmeyer. A part-time member of the team is Bill Piepmeyer's 10-year-old son, Steven. Steven rode with the group Saturday and Sunday, but had to go back to school on Monday; his dad said he'll join the team again on Thursday.
Lee Anne Turner said pit stops are scheduled 15 to 20 miles apart and that's when support personnel traveling in vans or the team box truck provide riders with plenty of water, fruit and power bars. And in the case of Monday's stop, a few enjoyed an ice cream cone during the break.
"The concept is there's thousands of virtual cyclists that follow the ride," said Bill Turner of the event, which raised $83,000 in 2007. Bill Turner said this year's goal is $100,000.
To learn more about Tour de Kentucky and how to sponsor the event, visit http://www.whyiride.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment