2000+ Bikers Descend on Verona

Aug 11, 2011

Photo: Roger Savage and Denis Warnett of St. Jerome, QC in Verona, two of 2000 cyclists in Verona

Price Charles Public School in Verona was transformed into a cyclists’ rest stop as over 2000 bikers filled the school grounds during their seven-day scenic bike tour of the Rideau Canal and 1000 Islands. The stop was one of many for the bikers participating in Vélo Québec’s 2011 Grand Tour Desjardins, a 1000 km plus scenic tour that began in Brockville, and which will end there on August 12. This summer’s tour was the first time in the tour’s 18-year history that organizers chose Ontario for their 2011 tour destination. Chantal Gagno, the summer event coordinator for Vélo Québec said, “We are here because it is beautiful and also because veteran cyclists who return year after year are always looking to explore new settings that offer new challenges.”

Chantal explained the logistics of providing a mid-day stop for the 2000 participants who had departed from Perth the same morning. “We have to have a place that can house the cyclists in case of bad weather and also a place that is traffic friendly, and safe for the bikers to get to.” Chantal's team contacted local OPP, who managed traffic at the intersection of the Westport Road and Road 38 in Godfrey, where a steady stream of bikers continued through for most of Sunday morning and early afternoon. The lunch time stop in Verona included a catered lunch, a first aid and bike mechanic’s tent, as well as a water tent where bikers could refill their stores before heading on to Napanee, where they would spend the second night of the tour. Participants are given the option of camping as a group along the way or staying in nearby hotels. At the final stop of the day cyclists are provided with a delicious hot catered meal and can enjoy an evening of local entertainment, all prearranged in advance by the tour organizers. While in Verona I spoke to Denis Warnett, a 62-year-old cyclist from St. Jerome, QC who is participating in his 14th tour. Denis works in building supplies and manufacturing in Quebec and sees the trip as relaxing way to unwind from work and a great way to meet people. “When you get on your bike and ride, that is the only thing that you are thinking about - that and where to get your first beer at the end of the day.”

The tour included cyclists from ages 13-75 and Chantal said that numbers were up this year for the first ever Ontario tour. So it may not be the last time that we experience 2000 cyclists passing through Frontenac County. For more information about Vélo Québec, a non-profit organization that works hard to promote cycling, you can visit their website at www.velo.qc.ca/en/Home