(ALTOONA, PA – July 10, 2006): International Tour de Toona organizers have announced that this year’s 20th anniversary event will kick off at 6 p.m. July 24 with a time trial that will start and finish at downtown Altoona’s (PA) Heritage Plaza. America’s premier stage race will continue from July 24 through Sunday, July 30, with road races through Blair, Bedford, Cambria and Somerset counties in central Pennsylvania.
The all-downtown start-finish is the major change in this year, according to Rick Geist, race promoter, who thanked the community owners of the race for two decades of support as he announced the route adjustments.
“We started on the other side of the Norfolk Southern mainline last year because of the reconstruction of Altoona’s 7th Street Bridge,” Geist explained. “Starting and finishing downtown would have meant a huge inconvenience to many Altoona residents because of the traffic detours. This year, with a brand new 7th Street bridge open and carrying traffic across the railroad mainline, we can start and finish at the same place – in the traditional heart of the city, downtown.”
The other change from previous years’ courses will be a minor change in the longest race of the seven-day trial, the Wednesday July 26 Johnstown to Altoona road race. The course will use a back road from northwest of the small town of Newry to cross to near Duncansville to avoid a heavily-traveled intersection in Newry.
After the Monday evening time trials, the event moves to Johnstown on Tuesday, July 25 with the Zamias Johnstown Road Race. Following the Wednesday return to Altoona, the world’s top men and women cyclists will challenge course in the Hollidaysburg area on Thursday. Amateurs will join the professionals on Friday in the countryside around Martinsburg on Friday. Saturday, July 29 will bring another tough test for professionals and amateurs with the Blair County Road Race that starts and finishes at Altoona’s Jaffa Shrine facility. The week’s racing concludes in downtown Altoona on Sunday with the criterium circling major arteries in the business center in a test of speed.
“Once again hundreds of individuals and businesses are stepping up to support Blair County’s most widely known and recognized tourism attraction,” Geist noted. “For 20 years, tens of thousands of businesses and individuals have donated everything from a few hours of time to major gifts of cash and goods to keep the Tour de Toona alive and growing while hundreds of other cycling events have fallen.”
“On behalf of the cycling community and the steering committee, I am humbled to see the level of support our community continues to show this world-class event,” Geist added.
Sponsors back events for each of seven days of racing
A mix of businesses will back the seven days of the 2006 International Tour de Toona’s 20th anniversary edition, race organizers announced today.
“These businesses have made significant commitments to back this year’s race, enabling the community owners to continue a race that this year is the only one ranked No. 1 in the United States for men and women,” noted race promoter Rick Geist. “Their support has helped us keep the purse at well over $100,000 and attract even more of the finest riders in the world,” he added.
This year’s stages are:
Monday, July 24: Altoona-Beasley Time Trials.
Tuesday, July 25: George D. Zamias Developer/Galleria Johnstown Circuit Race,
Wednesday, July 26: PREIT/Logan Valley Mall Men’s Johnstown-Altoona Road Race.
Cambria Co. Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Women’s Johnstown-Altoona Road Race.
Thursday, July 27: General Motors’ Women’s Hollidaysburg Circuit Race.
Excelon/PECO Men’s Hollidaysburg Circuit Race
Friday, July 28: Hoss’s Steak and Sea House Women’s Morrison’s Cove Circuit Race.
Parson’s Men’s Morrison’s Cove Circuit Race
Saturday, July 29: Verizon Women’s Blair County Road Race.
Boscov’s Department Store Men’s Blair County Road Race
Sunday, July 30: Waste Management Women’s Criterium.
Atlantic Broadband Men’s Criterium.
The International Tour de Toona continues to be the nation’s premier stage race in its 20th anniversary year. It offers seven days of racing to participants from across the nation and around the world. Owned by the participating communities in central Pennsylvania, the event draws tens of thousands of racers, support personnel and spectators and is one of the region’s consistently largest tourism magnets. With a local economic impact estimated at more than $4 million annually, The International Tour de Toona offers cycling enthusiasts – a group with higher than average income, educational and professional attainment levels – top-notch racing through some of the nation’s most beautiful rural countryside.
Teams and individuals in this year’s International Tour de Toona will be competing for a variety of prizes in addition to those for daily stages and overall competition. Race officials today announced sponsors of those awards that will be offered each day during the 20th anniversary of the race, July 24 -30.
“We are very pleased that our generous sponsors enable us to offer a variety of prizes for specific efforts,” said race promoter Rick Geist. “Their contributions enhance the racing experience for cyclists and help to encourage greater numbers of entries. These types of recognitions and the support they carry with them make a big difference in our ability to attract the cream of the cycling crop.”
“The overwhelming backing of this community-owned event by these businesses and organizations demonstrates the kind of broad-based support that enables The International Tour de Toona to grow year after year,” race communications director Dave Rice said. “On behalf of the thousands of central Pennsylvania volunteers who work all year long to make this event happen, I want to express my gratitude to these businesses and organizations for helping to continue to grow the International Tour de Toona and our area.”
The International Tour de Toona continues to be the nation’s premier stage race in its 20th anniversary year. It offers seven days of racing to participants from across the nation and around the world.
