March 2/12 8:16 am - Tour of Bronte Returns in 2012 - Ontario

Posted by Editoress on 03/2/12
 

The organizers of the Tour of Bronte (Ontario's Strade Bianche) are pleased to announce that the third edition of the race will be held on the weekend of April 28th and 29th, in Oakville, Ontario, just 20 minutes from downtown Toronto.

The two day festival of cycling kicks off on Saturday morning with two instructional clinics.  “Group Riding 101” will focus on the skills, strategies and etiquette of road riding in large or small groups, and “Sprockids” will teach the skills of mountainbike riding to 8-12 year olds.  Saturday afternoon will feature the Mountain Bike Dirt Dash, a 30 kilometre race with categories for kids, High School students and adults of all ages.

“We listened closely to feedback from participants in 2010 and 2011," says Race Director Chris Kiriakopoulos, "so we moved the MTB portion of the race to Saturday, to allow a 100% dedicated race course with no conflicting races, and no time limit on the participants completing the course.”

The road races will be held on Sunday on an 8 kilometre closed road circuit (no centre line rule, ever!).  Unique in Ontario, the road circuit is a mix of narrow paved roads and smooth gravel, punctuated by two short “pothole pave” sectors on each lap, providing an unusual and challenging test of riders skills and early season fitness.

“The most popular stages of races like the Giro Ditalia, and the Tour of Colorado feature gravel roads,” said Technical Director Tim Farrar, “and the biggest one day race in North America, the Tour of Battenkill, is also on unpaved roads.  It’s different, but any standard road bike with robust tires will work just fine.”

The Tour of Bronte would not be possible without the support of a dedicated group of cycling supporters.  A significant cash prize list is available due the ongoing commitment from the presenting sponsor, Frischkorn Audiovisual, a long time supporter of Ontario racing.  Supporting sponsors Ancaster Cycle, Brant Cycle, GEARS and Main Cycle continue to provide expertise in race support and prizing.

Full race details are available at www.tourofbronte.com