Thousands Peddle For Charity At The Tour De Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS – Early Saturday morning, nearly 10,000 cyclists took part in the 12th annual Tour De Palm Springs. The cyclists rose before the sun, to begin preparing and fueling up for a long ride.

“I had pancakes, eggs and bananas,” says cyclist Kim Murray. “It’s more food than I’d ever eat this early, but I hope it gets me through the ride.”

All of that food will quickly burn away, as the cyclists peddle a hundred miles at the Tour De Palm Springs.

“I’ll probably burn about 3,000 to 5,000 calories today,” says cyclist, Tony Holden.

There are five different routes to chose from at the event. Routes range from five to 100 miles. The longer the ride, the more preparations.

“I do fifteen to twenty miles on the weekdays, fifty on the weekends,” says cyclist Michael Kastris.

“I do as many miles as I can,” says Holden. “The more miles you do, the stronger you get.”

No matter how much they do before the event, what they do during the ride makes all the difference.

“Once you’re hungry, you are dead,” says Holden. “You need to keep eating and drinking, every five miles.”

All along the routes, there are several stop and go stations where the cyclists can grab water and snacks to keep their energy up. Fluids and carbs are essential, especially for those on the longer routes.

“We like to get Gatorade and snacks to keep us going,” says Helen Reese, a Tour De Palm Springs regular.

However, Kim Murray isn’t relying on food or liquids to pull her through, she’s calling on inspiration from her aunt who has leukemia.

“I think of every chemotherapy treatment she will have to go through, and each ten miles I do is one treatment. That gets me through ten miles at a time,” says Murray.

Although everyone has a different reason for riding and a different goal, they all hope to win individual success.

“It’s personal, you have a time goal,” says Holden. “I’m looking for five hours.”

“My goal is to finish,” says Murray.

Organizers hope to raise about $200,000 through this year’s event. All of the proceeds will go to local charities.

For more information on the Tour De Palm Springs go to www.tourdepalmsprings.com.