On Sunday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 a.m., thousands of cyclists will strap on their helmets and line up their bikes for the fourth annual Tour de Scottsdale – Building Trails, Building Families, a 70-mile bicycling event staged on Market Street at DC Ranch that winds through five Valley cities including Scottsdale, Phoenix, Cave Creek, Carefree, and Fountain Hills.

The Tour de Scottsdale has earned widespread popularity and has become a tradition among cycling enthusiasts, who enjoy the challenging course and scenic vistas. But it is the event extras that set it apart from other cycling tours.

\"Each year DC Ranch aims to provide every cyclist, from the pros to the children on training wheels, with a unique experience,” said Mike Woltz, DC Ranch Parks and Recreation Assistant Manager. “From the Tour’s picturesque course, to the activities at the Expo and the Family Fun Ride, we make it a point to provide something for everyone.”

The Tour de Scottsdale includes:

• A 70-mile challenging scenic ride

• A 2.5-mile Family Fun Ride, beginning at 8:30 a.m., is free and allows moms, dads and children to enjoy a taste of the Tour.

• Five support stations along the course keep cyclists and their bikes in good shape, with food, bike support from Bicycle Showcase, and medical care provided by Southwest Ambulance.

4TH ANNUAL TOUR DE SCOTTSDALE

“The Tour is an opportunity for DC Ranch to showcase our deeply felt community values, including healthy lifestyles and a relationship with the larger community,” said DC Ranch Town Manager Melinda Gulick. “And we are especially proud that the Tour supports our mission of environmental stewardship.”

Proceeds from the Tour benefit the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, a non-profit organization committed to preserving the McDowell Mountains and the Sonoran Desert, and Rebuilding Together, the nation’s largest volunteer home rehabilitation organization. Additional sponsors include DC Ranch Community Foundation; the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau; the City of Scottsdale; Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge; Bicycle Showcase; Circle West Architects; Market Street; Chipotle; and San Felipe’s Cantina.

The Tour is sanctioned by USA Cycling, an organization that promotes and governs different disciplines of the sport, and works to build the sport of bicycle racing, assist with athlete development and sustain international competitive excellence.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT: Tour de Scottsdale – Building Trails, Building Families cycling event

WHO: Competitive and non-competitive cyclists and families

DATE: Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007

TIME: 70-mile race to begin at 7:30 a.m.; Family Fun Ride to begin at 8:30 a.m.; Awards ceremony to begin at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Market Street at DC Ranch, Southeast corner of Pima Rd. and Thompson Peak Pkwy.

HOW: Register online at dcbadventures.com

CONTACT: DCB Extreme Adventures at 480-460-5052