more teams and riders have been announced for the 13th annual Tour de Nez, June 16-18 in Reno, Nevada and Truckee, California. Previously a relatively minor stop in the US National Racing Calendar series, Nez has added races and prize money over the last couple of years and this year has signed up teams including Health Net-Maxxis, Sierra Nevada/Kodak Gallery, Webcor, SeaSilver and Subway to compete for its total $35,000 purse.
Health Net-Maxxis, the number one ranked NRC team, is bringing Wachovia Trenton winner and Canadian national champion Gord Fraser and Scott Moninger. Sierra Nevada/Kodak Gallery's five rider team will include Ben Jacques-Maynes, winner of the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2004 and Tour of the Gila winner Bourke Swindlehurst will lead the Seasilver team.
The race kicks off with a five mile time trial at 10am June 16 in Verdi, and resumes later that day with a 60-minute criterium in historic downtown Truckee. The following day sees the 108 mile Tahoe/Truckee Road Race on a 36-mile circuit that starts on Donner Pass Road in Truckee, CA and heads up toward Tahoe City and then East to Kings Beach. The race then proceeds over Highway 267 to Brockway Pass and West River Street in Truckee.
Finally, the Mighty Tour de Nez Criterium starts at 6pm on June 18 in downtown Reno's Wingfield Park, and uses a tough 0.8 mile loop with 10 turns and steep climbs. The pros follow the course for one and a half hours and the master race for one hour.
As well as three days of racing, other attractions at the Tour de Nez include live music, belly dancing, unique food, mint juleps, bike decorating contests, face painting and - in the words of the organisers "a world full of bike madness and mayhem." There will also be an bike, outdoors and adventure sports expo at Wingfield Park on June 17 and 18.
For more information see www.tourdenez.com.
Stages
- Stage 1 - June 16: Verdi time trial, 5 miles
- Stage 2 - June 16: Downtown Truckee Criterium, 60 minutes
- Stage 3 - June 17: Tahoe/Truckee Road Race, 108 miles
- Stage 4 - June 18: Mighty Tour de Nez Criterium, 90 minutes
