TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As we head into Day 2 of the El Tour de Tucson Expo & Fiesta ahead of Race Day, join KGUN 9's Good Morning Tucson team for continuing coverage of this weekend's activities.
WATCH LIVE:
El Tour de Tucson, now in its 41st year, serves the community in a number of ways, from raising more than $121 million toward charitable causes, to bringing in millions of dollars to the local economy.
John Cole, on the board of Directors for El Tour, spoke with KGUN 9's Claire Graham:
"Coming off the 40th year, we thought we'd have a down year, but we're actually up," said Cole. "We're probably up to 10,000 cyclists this year, so really excited...probably about 40% of the people are coming are from outside the state of Arizona, so we have a lot of visitors here that are just going to enjoy our town."
Riding for Courtney's Courage
Year after year, El Tour produces a huge sum of money for nonprofits. Last year, the event raised more than $5.8 million for charitable causes, and has raised more that $121 million since it began in 1983.
Among the organizations riders are raising funds for is Courtney's Courage, a Tucson nonprofit that supports childhood cancer research. The group has organized its fourth annual ride for this weekend, El Tour for Tots. Claire Graham will have more this morning on their story.
Tasting Tucson: Celebrating Bikes and Beverages
Riders know hydration is key, and if you need to make a pit stop off the Loop in Midtown, you can grab a refreshing drink at Hello Bicycle & Café off Fort Lowell and Dodge.
Good Morning Tucson's José Zozaya caught up with co-owner Sam Lettes during a moment of calm inside the bike shop. Lettes said he knows there's usually a rush to get repairs in the week leading up to El Tour.
Team Access takes on El Tour de Tucson
On Thursday night, KGUN 9's Ryan Fish and Eddie Celaya told us about this year's huge turnout for Team Access, the riders hitting the El Tour de Tucson routes with nonprofit Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports. With 136 riders on this year's team, it's the group's biggest year yet.
- Biggest El Tour turnout yet for adaptive cycling team
- El Tour For All: Transfer boards make rides easier for adaptive athletes
This morning, Bri Pacelli will introduce a pair of riders, one of whom is blind, training for El Tour on their tandem bike. Take a look at the full story here:
MORE STORIES TO COME ON GOOD MORNING TUCSON:
- We introduce you to one of KGUN 9's own who's back in El Tour de Tucson after a hiatus from the race
Above you can see the El Tour mural commissioned by Tucson Medical Center. As you can see, this was created by muralist Joe Pagac. It's located on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 26th, right across from the library.
