February 21/18 18:08 pm - Paris to Ancaster Bicycle Race Celebrates 25 Years!

Posted by Editoress on 02/21/18
 

Organizers of the Paris to Ancaster Bike Race are proud to announce that on April 29th the P2A race will celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

Paris to Ancaster is one of the longest-running, and most popular, bike races in all of North America. It has been Canada's 'Spring Cycling Classic' for 25 years and is popular with all-levels of cyclists, from world-champion elite cyclocross and mountain bike racers, to everyday road and mountain bike enthusiasts. The race is unique because of its mix of terrain; covering 70+km of paved and gravel road, single-track dirt paths, farm lanes, and the infamous mud chutes.

New for this year, race weekend will include a Finish Line Festival and Bike Demo Day at the Ancaster Community Centre. Taking place over Saturday, April 28th, and Sunday, April 29th, this event will feature the biggest names in cycling showing their latest and greatest equipment. Attendees will have the opportunity not just to view the bikes, but to test them out on two different dedicated demo trails. This event will also feature kids' bike areas and test courses, food trucks, and music.

Co-race organizer John Thorpe said of the new weekend-long event:

"We are really excited about adding the Demo Day to this year's program. 25 years ago P2A started as a mountain bike race. In 2006, Michael Simonson rode in from Michigan on a 29'r to win the race, and after that the cross bikes took over. In the past five years, a new breed of bikes have been developed - the gravel racers, specifically designed for events like ours."

"This year at Demo Day our competitors have the chance to try out and compare these machines from some of the major manufacturers, including Cannondale, Trek, Garneau, Giant, Norco and others. Along with this great addition we'll have new course sections, and are working on returning to some of the classic sections that have been used in prior years."

To celebrate the event's 25th Anniversary, race organizers also hope to bring back veteran P2A riders and former winners to race once again. They'll be making some minor adjustments to the course, ensuring that the 25th event will be the most interesting, diverse, and fun 70km covered yet. There will also be exclusive P2A 25th Anniversary merchandise and special medals for podium-finishers.

In 2015, P2A launched a fundraising partnership with Hamilton-based St. Joseph's Healthcare and Foundation. Riders have the opportunity to raise money to support life-saving health research at St. Joseph's. In honour of the race's 25th Anniversary, organizers have set a goal of '25 in 25', hoping to raise a total of $25,000 for the cause, and encouraging riders to each donate $25 in support. Fundraising registration is available at www.stjoesfoundation.ca/p2a.

As in previous years, the 25th Paris to Ancaster will offer three different distances: 20km, 40km, and the full 70km. All ages and abilities of cyclists are encouraged to come out and enjoy the 25th Annual Paris to Ancaster Bike Race - Canada's Spring Cycling Classic!

Limited race registration is still available at www.parisancaster.com.