By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor
The Tour of Prince Edward Island, a women's stage race event first run in 2007, earned the Road Event Organizer of the Year award from the Canadian Cycling Association.
The event's lead promoter, Daniel Manibal, who also organizes the Montreal world cup and the Tour of Montreal, said that the fact that the race won this award in its inaugural year is due to the hard work of the volunteers. "Islanders welcomed our event, and all of the volunteers worked very hard to make it shine on a global stage. In just one year, Tour de PEI has already become known as an event that is not to be missed by elite women cyclists."
One of the key elements to the event was the use of the Confederation Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland. The event's time trial was run on this bridge thanks to the help of Michel Le Chasseur, the general manager of the bridge. "The Confederation Bridge initiated this venture, but the award belongs to everyone on Prince Edward Island who helped make it successful," said Le Chasseur. "Daniel introduced me to the excitement of world cycling competitions, and I returned the favour by introducing him to Prince Edward Island."
Organizers told Cyclingnews that the event is planned for July 8 to 12, just after the Tour of Montreal.
