Excitement is mounting in downtown Red Deer.
While it is still several hours before the stage 2 Tour of Alberta cycling finishes in Red Deer, crowds are gathering near the finish line at Ross (50th) Street, between 47th and 48th Avenues.
“This is going to be absolutely fabulous,” said cycling enthusiast Dave Hill. “I am going to be on the hill watching the hill climb three times. That’s where all the action is going to be.”
Hill said this type of event is a huge boost to the cycling community and the economy in Central Alberta. Hill said this professional event gets more people thinking about cycling.
The Tour of Alberta festival is already in full swing with music, food trucks and vendors.
Dorothy and Fred Charchuk are not well versed in cycling but they came out to enjoy Emerson Drive. The award-winning Canadian country music band plays at 1 p.m. The couple said this world-class event is a huge boost to Red Deer’s economy and is raising the city’s profile on an international scale.
Cyclists are currently making the 175-km trek to Red Deer from Devon. Riders will enter Red Deer from the east on Hwy 11, then turn south on 30th Avenue to Ross Street. Heading west on Ross Street, they will enter the downtown loop at the corner of Ross Street and 40th Avenue. The cyclists go west down Ross Street, north down 51st Avenue, east down 55th Street, and south on 40th Avenue, back to Ross Street. Riders complete the downtown loop three times.
The anticipated finish time is sometime between 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Parking is limited and there are road closures in effect. For detailed information on road closures, visit www.reddeer.ca.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com