July 13/07 5:08 am - Mud Creek Days Bicycle Festival

Posted by Editoress on 07/13/07
 

Mud Creek Days Bicycle Festival Wolfville NS, July 28/29th

Atlantic Canada's largest one-day gathering of cyclists coming to Wolfville

The Town of Wolfville and the Annapolis Valley Cycling Club are proud to announce the the new additions to the Mud Creek Days festivities that will showcase fun and exciting cycling events for bicycle enthusiasts of all ages. The events are expected to draw over 1000 riders to the town over the July 28/29 weekend.

For Saturday's events, the town square including Main and Front streets will be completely closed to cars to make a downtown pedestrian mall which will host the events. The themes for the day will be: active transportation, bike safety, and bicycle sport.

The Events

Michelin Junior Bike
10am-1pm, Town Square

A huge success across Europe, Michelin Junior Bike is a fun event designed to promote safety to young cyclists. Michelin Waterville is proud to bring the event to the Annapolis Valley for the first time as part of the Mud Creek Festival. An inflatable "tent city" offers free snacks and bicycle tune-ups (courtesy of the Annapolis Valley Cycling Club).

Registered children also receive a free bicycle helmet and a goody bag prior to departing on their ride around downtown. The event concludes with several prize draws, including two new bicycles.

Downtown Merchants' Slow Race
Saturday, 4pm- 5pm, Main Street

The Slow Race is a different kind of bike race where the slowest person wins, and believe us, it is harder than most people think! One of the great things about this race is that everybody can participate and it allows people to remember just how much fun bikes can be. The rules for the race are simple - keep moving forward, no feet on the ground, and the last person to cross the finish line wins.

There will be heats followed by a grand championship event.

Bikercise
Saturday, 3pm- 5pm, Front Street

Bikercise is for riders, ages 10 to 17, males and females, of all skills, abilities, and fitness. The goals are having fun, learning trail-riding skills, learning basic bike maintenance, riding safely and in control, fostering an appreciation of nature, and celebrating the non-competitive aspects of sport and leisure.

Over the last three years Bikercise has been delivered in six different schools. Three PE Teachers have been trained to deliver the program in their schools and other neighboring schools. Bikercise has been featured at Sport Fair for the last three years. Bikercise has also been delivered at the YM/YWCA.

Last summer, in partnership with Pictou County Recreation and Sport Futures, two university students delivered Bikercise throughout the towns and communities of Pictou County. Bikercise was also highlighted at last year's TAPHE (Teachers Association of Physical & Health Education) conference in Windsor.

Mud Creek Days Downtown Criterium
Saturday, 5pm- 8pm, Main St.- Front St. Circuit

Top amateur and professional cyclists from the Atlantic region are looking forward to this exciting event. It is a chance for them to shine in front of close to 5000 spectators lining the crowded Wolfville streets.

What is a criterium? A criterium is a bicycle race, but it isn't just a bicycle race. A criterium is a really exciting kind of race that features relentlessly high paced racing on a short closed loop course that gives spectators plenty of access to the action.

What makes criteriums so exciting is the feedback loop between the spectators and the riders. Imagine the rush of adrenaline that the riders feel as they speed around a course that is lined with cheering spectators on both sides. You can literally watch the riders absorb the energy the crowd gives them and put it directly into their pedals. The faster they go the more people will want to cheer them on, and the more they cheer them on the faster they'll go!
Find out more at: www.valleycycling.ca/Race_Home.html

Rona MS Bike Tour
Arriving Saturday between 11am and 3pm

The MS Bike Tour will arrive in Town bringing 500+ cyclists from all parts of Atlantic Canada to our community. We are working with the MS Bike Tour to organize events for this group in downtown Wolfville.

Hundreds of Atlantic Canadians use pedal power to directly impact the lives of people with MS. In 2006 the RONA MS Bike Tours across Canada raised a record $7.1 million with over $420,000 coming from Atlantic Canada alone!
Each RONA MS Bike Tour is fully supported with frequent, well-stocked rest stops, mechanical support, and even someone to give the riders a lift if they need a rest.

On the Ride the Vineyards and Valleys Tour, riders will experience the Windsor to Wolfville route with their choice of a 78km or 48km distance.
Find out more at: www.mssociety.ca/atlantic/biketourNS.htm

Gaspereau Valley Challenge
Sunday, 10am to 3pm

The Gaspereau Valley Challenge is a true classic event modeled after European style road racing. This mini "Tour de France" takes place on a 31km circuit in the beautiful Gaspereau Valley, including a special 3km section closed to traffic for the start/finish/feeding areas. This area creates a fun "festival like" atmosphere for racers, support personnel and spectators alike. It begins at the bottom of the "ridge climb", and continues 1km past the Start/Finish area.

The course is challenging! 400m/1300' of climbing per 31km lap. For those that know the area, it's Melanson Mountain (700'@5.9%), East Davison Hill (180' @ 7%), the Canal (220' @ 12-22%!) and the Wolfville Ridge (220' @ 6.5%). The Elite field will be facing 3 laps of the difficult circuit for a total of 93 kms. Last years winner was well known professional cyclist and current Nova Scotia champion Dustin MacBurnie.

102 racers took part in last year's event making the biggest attendance for a road race in Atlantic Canada. Find out more at: www.valleycycling.ca

About the Annapolis Valley Cycling Club
The Annapolis Valley Cycling Club supports cyclists. Our aim is to promote cycling as a fun activity and a healthy lifestyle.

We are interested in many aspects of the sport such as: road and track racing, mountain bike racing, cyclo-cross, club riding, or just getting safely across town.

Find out more at: www.valleycycling.ca