Press Releases
Article from I Love NY - The Beat
Rochester, NY: A national (USA Cycling) & international (Union Cycliste Internationale) sanctioned bicycle race is to take place in seven New York State counties (Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Allegany) for 6 days, August 8-13, 2009.
The “Tour de New York” attracts over 40,000 spectators at its “Rochester Twilight Criterium.” “Tour de New York” anticipates spectators will come from all over the USA & the world to view this major bicycle race, just as they go to view the “Tour de France.”
Tour de New York
Rochester Twilight Criterium, 2 hrs./58 mi./93.34 km., Saturday, August 8, 2009
Individual Time Trial, 10 mi./16.09 km., Sunday, August 9, 2009 Genesee Valley Park Road Race, 108 mi./173.81 km., Monday, August 10, 2009 Ellicottville Circuit Race, 89 mi./143.23 km., Tuesday, August 11, 2009 Warsaw Road Race, 97 mi./156.11 km., Wednesday August 12, 2009 Pittsford Road Race, 116 mi./186.68 km., Thursday, August 13, 2009
Think: “If you are in New York State during a major bicycle race then you are in for a real treat. Sipping locally made wine; nibbling on locally made cheese; savoring the taste of fresh picked fruit as you wait for and watch the cyclists pass your view is the essence of New York State’s ambiance.” Harvey Botzman, author, ‘New York Bicycling Coalition Calendar of Events, Regional Editions (emailed to media) March, 2007.
Web site: www.tourdenewyork.com
Email: To be placed on the “Tour de New York” email list to receive (periodic & a limited number of update emails) contact:
Scott Page
Executive Director
www.tourdenewyork.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
585 456 4030 Office
585 520 1166 Cell
Full Moon Vista Productions
180 Saint Paul Street
Rochester NY 14604
Tour de New York set for six days of racing
VeloNews.com - March 05, 2010
Over the years, New York State has hosted a fair share of top-tier cycling events, from six-day races at Madison Square Garden in the 1890s to the Tour de Trump, raced in the Catskill Mountains 100 years later. This year, the newly-elevated Tour de New York, (a UCI 2.2 event), will open a new chapter in the state’s racing history, bringing high-level competition to the western part of the state, centering a six-day event in the City of Rochester.
The Tour de New York, which was first held as the one-day Saturn Rochester Criterium in 2004, became a UCI event in 2007 – the only such event in North America that season. The following year, the race turned into a three-day omnium including a crit’, time trial and road race, and drawing about 60,000 spectators, say organizers.
The global economic climate in 2009 forced organizers to delay plans to expand the event to six days, but Race Director Todd Scheske says the race is back on track for 2010.
This year’s Tour de New York (August 7 to 12) will begin with a twilight criterium in Rochester. A 20k time trial along Lake Ontario will serve as the second stage on the following day. The race then continues with a series of four road stages, with courses between 80 and 115 miles. The precise routes for those stages are still being determined, said Scheske, but each is slated to begin and end in western New York towns proximate to Rochester, allowing teams base their operations out of one hotel for the race’s duration.
Scheske noted that the city of Rochester, which understands the power of a high-profile race to draw tourists to a rebounding city such as theirs, is providing significant funding for the event. He added that Mayor Robert Duffy, who assumed office in 2006, has recognized the value in the race, and has been very supportive.
“He’s interested in doing things that are good for the city and the region,” said Scheske. “It’s good to have world-class athletes come here, because usually we’re a B-league town, we have B-league hockey and baseball, but we can be an A-league town.”
Duffy’s press office did not return calls requesting comment.
Previous incarnations of the Rochester race have drawn A-league talent, including world and national champions in various disciplines, Scheske said, recalling a conversation with race announcer Alan Cote, in which the two had to decide who among the national standouts would receive call-ups, and who wouldn’t.
“We had to stop calling people to the line unless they were a world or Olympic champion, because we were out of time, there were so many good riders, but we couldn’t take 30 minutes calling people to the line,” he said, “It’s pretty gratifying to see people wanting to come here.”
The promoter’s overall goal, Scheske said, is to design a race that riders and teams want to attend. Despite dubbing the event “Tour de New York,” the event is centered around Rochester and western New York to avoid reliance on a Tour de France-style mobile city, and to ease strain on the athletes and teams.
“We’re not trying to be the Tour de France or the Tour of California, and part of that is having riders start in a central location, and then come back to it,” he said. “That frees up the teams from logistical things as well. It’s not that we don’t want to move across the state, it’s that we don’t want to mimic everyone, we want to have our own identity.”
So far, Scheske said that he didn’t have many solid commitments from teams looking to participate, but is working hard to recruit numerous domestic Division II and III teams. In addition, he noted that Pro Tour team Fuji-Servetto had shown some interest, as well as other European teams.
“You see some of the top-level riders saying that maybe they can’t make it, but recommending it to friends on lower-level teams, who might be able to come,” said Scheske. “It’s all about growing the sport and taking it to a new level, creating a race that people want to watch and want to participate.”
That type of interest, Scheske said, bodes well for the prospect of the race elevating to a UCI 2.1 in the future, which is the organizers’ goal.
In addition to the city of Rochester, Scheske noted that promoters are working to negotiate additional sponsorship, and would likely be in a position to announce sponsors later this spring.
For more information, visit www.tourdenewyork.com.
Tour de New York Invites Cyclists for 2010 Race
New York is no stranger when it comes to hosting cycling events. From the 1890s to present, it has seen its share of unforgettable races. This year’s Tour
de New York aims to be a benchmark for the future tours of the city.
The Tour de New York began in 2004 as a one-day criterium. In 2007, it progressed to become a UCI event. 2008 saw the Tour blossom into a three-day race with nearly 60,000 people witnessing the occasion. However, due to the global economic crisis, the organizers had to suspend the Tour until now.
2010 Tour de New York will start on August 7 in Rochester then a time trial at Lake Ontario on August 8. August 9-12 will be for the four road stages with an 80 mile to 115 mile course. The routes are still being finalized but will most likely end in New York’s west side.
Todd Scheske, race director, points out that they want the Tour de New York to be different from the Tour of California or the Tour de France
. Having the riders begin in one central location and go back to it at the end of the race is one of the event’s goals to avoid mimicry of other tours.
With Mayor Robert Duffy’s support as well as the rest of the city of Rochester, Scheske added that this UCI 2.2 race is another step to change the city’s profile as being a B-league town into an A-league town.
With the cycling calendar full of activities, not all top riders can join the Tour, however, recommendations and invitations have been sent to other low level teams. Pro Tour team Fuji-Servetto already showed their interest and other teams abroad as well.
The organizers are hard at work in the promotion of the event and hopes that elevating it to UCI 2.1 can become a reality. For more details on the Tour de New York 2010, visit Tourdenewyork.com.
The Evening Tribune
Grove town Supervisor Mike Johnsen had some good news for officials Wednesday night, announcing the “Tour de New York” professional cycling stage race asked for permission to pass through the center of the town.
The town board agreed to be a host site for the August event and Johnsen said officials are excited about its possibility to attract people to the area.
“A promoter contacted me and said the organization wanted a route that shows the beauty of the western New York area. The road they chose to take runs right through the center of Grove and it is a very scenic route,” said Johnsen.
He said on the afternoon of Aug. 9 a flurry of professional bicycle racers will travel from Canaseraga down County Route 70A and turn onto County Route 24, passing through Grove until they reach Dalton, then Letchworth, and end in Warsaw.
Tour De New York is a six-day professional cycling event (Aug. 7-12) with courses between 80 and 115 miles that stretch across portions of Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. It is a national USA Cycling and international Union Cycliste Internationale sanctioned bicycle race that organizers say draws as many as 60,000 spectators. It started in 2004 in Rochester.
“They are doing it right. They want permission from the towns before they bring in hundreds and thousands of spectators into the area,” said Johnsen who notified the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce by letter Monday. “This is a a good thing for our community,” he said.
For more information about the event, visit www.tourdenewyork.com.
Tour de New York cycling event will return this summer
Leo Roth • Staff writer • April 9, 2010
The wheels are rolling again on the Tour de New York.
Race founder Scott Page said today that the five-stage professional road cycling event, which was proposed for last year but canceled by the downward global economy, would take place Aug. 7-11. An official announcement is expected next week.
It means the return of the wildly popular Rochester criterium on Aug. 7. That event, where riders whip around a one-mile loop course downtown, drew crowds of 30,000 plus from 2004-08.
Podium Insight
Posted on 09. Apr, 2010 by lyne in news
Tour of New York. According to the Daily News Online, the race is not completely solidified but the organizers hope that “within 30 to 45 days we’ll have some pretty good news. We have some companies that are interested.”
The Tour de New York is a 6-day professional cycling stage race in Upstate New York on August 2010. Originally planned for last year, it was canceled due to the bad economy.
The race would start with the Rochester Twilight Criterium on Saturday, August 7 followed by a 10-mile Individual Time Trial on August 8 at the Port of Rochester in Charlotte. According to the website, the third stage would start at Bristol Mountain Ski Resortm, make its way through Letchworth State Park to finish in the village of Warsaw,
The remaining stages include a circuit race in the Bloomfield area, and a race from Honeoye to Rochester.
