Emergency Medical Personnel, firefighters, police officers, fire police and other emergency responders are being invited to race their bicycles in a special Emergency Services Bike Race on Sunday, April 26, as part of the Tour de Ephrata. A special celebrity race will also be held for local politicians, VIPs and media personalities.Those races, along with the Kids Races, for children age 4-12, and a bike rodeo, will held between categories of the Ephrata criterium, on a short circuit on the streets of downtown Ephrata. The Sunday afternoon criterium is the last stage of a three-stage race.
The first stage is the Middle Creek Road Race on Saturday, April 25. That road race begins and endsat the Middle Creek Church of the Brethren in Ephrata Township. The race will be done on a 13-mile circuit which also passes through Warwick, Elizabeth and Clay townships. The pro/elite level riders will do six circuits of the course, for a total of 78 miles.
The second stage of the Tour is the 8-mile Pain Mountain Time Trial, which will be held on Sunday morning in West Cocalico Township. That individual time trial starts in a valley, but soon begins one of the longest, toughest climbs in the area at grades of as much as 18 percent.
The criterium begins and ends on the first block of Ephrata’s East Main Street, where bleachers will be placed for spectators. The city circuit is .7-miles. The pros will do 35 laps.
A stage race is based on standings from each stage. Riders earn points based on their placing in each stage. The winner of a stage earns the most points down to 1 point for 20th place. At the end of the three stages, the rider with most points wins the stage race. Consistency is the key.
The race is being organized by Rich Ruoff’s All that is Good promotions company. No registration or flyer has yet been posted. Age categories will be from 13 to 55 and older. More than 500 participants are expected.
