Fun and Fellowship: Tour de Dirt Marks 15th Annual Ride
-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on October 21, 2021. A gallery of photos can be found HERE.
Referencing Saturday’s sunny weather and Floyd’s colorful fall foliage, Tour de Dirt organizer and founder Paul Sullivan reminded cyclists participating in the 15th annual event that the ride is not a race, but a tour of the most scenic backroads of Floyd County.
More than 200 cyclists participated in the Oct. 16 event that kicked off from the Floyd Family Campground, formerly Chantilly Farms, to benefit Plenty! Farm and Food Bank in Floyd.
With four different route distances to choose from – the Full Pull (76+), the Fiddy (57 miles), the Lite (37 miles) and a Funn Ride (15 miles) – the ride began at Floyd Family Campground (formerly Chantilly Farm) and was supported with SAG (support and gear) vehicles and aid stations, where riders took breaks and fueled up on protein bars, donuts, sandwiches, fruit, meat sticks, electrolyte drinks and more.
“It’s a family affair,” said Caroline Tesauro, whose family of six did the Fun Ride together. Sons Joseph, Silas and Charlie cruised alongside their mother, while their two-year-old sister Jet was pulled in a trailer behind their father, Joe Tesauro.
The event was made possible by sponsors, volunteers and donations. Two-hundred-and-twenty-three bicyclists preregistered, paying a registration that went to benefit PLENTY! PLENTY! executive director Nancy Tome registered last minute cyclists on site. Some cyclists won raffle prizes and all registered cyclists received gift bags filled with gear and treats.
“Fantastic!” Roanoke biker Jennifer Bell described the country road scenery while at an aid station off Penn Road. Her friend Mona Raza, a long-time cyclist who has participated since the early days when the tour was a Moonstomper bike club training ride, said, “The views are amazing.
I’m going to be slow finishing because of all the pictures I’ve been stopping to take.”
Riders passed a scrawling pumpkin patch, briefly rode through downtown, and crossed a footbridge at the west fork crossing of the Little River.
Everyone made it back by dark for a chili feast that was prepared and served in take-home donated pottery bowls by PLENTY! volunteers. Some stayed after dark for stories around a fire pit.
This year’s Tour de Dirt Vision Quest winner for the most epic ride went to Robert Barrow of Richmond. Barrow, whose grandfather was from Floyd, rode the Full Pull on a 1988 old-school bicycle. It was his birthday and his winning prize was a set of bowls made by local potter Deb Tome. Barrow and two friends were the last group to come in. __________Colleen Redman
