September 30, 2016. Louisville, KY. – Riders up! Registration for the PNC Tour de Lou – the Kentucky Derby Festival’s annual cycling event – opens online October 1st, at KDF.org. Set for Sunday, April 30, 2017, this will be the fourth year for the cycling event. It will feature three different distances and be capped at 1,500 riders.
“The PNC Tour de Lou continues to grow, attracting cyclists from around the country,” said Mike Berry, KDF President & CEO. “It’s a unique way to experience our city at a beautiful time of year and the different distances allow riders at all levels to participate.”
KDF is partnering with Louisville Bicycle Club to produce the 2017 PNC Tour de Lou. The route will again be an open course, which will start and finish at Waterfront Park near Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville. There are separate distances based on experience levels:
- 20 miles – Beginner/New to cycling (Open course, no streets closed.)
- 35 miles – Moderate/Experienced (Open course, no streets closed.)
- 62.1 miles – Metric Century/Experienced (Open course, no streets closed.)
The course includes a scenic Olmsted Parks Tour showcasing Shawnee, Chickasaw, Wayside, Iroquois and Cherokee parks. Cyclists will also travel past historic Churchill Downs, as well as through neighborhoods around the city from Downtown along Main Street and Waterfront Park, to Portland, Algonquin and South Louisville; as well as Old Louisville, NULU, the Highlands and Butchertown.
Early registration is October 1 – December 31, 2016. Registration fees vary by distance: $35 for the 20-mile and 35-mile ride and $45 dollars for the Metric Century. Fees will increase after the first of the year. A portion of the registration fee benefits the Louisville Bicycle Club. For more information, visit KDF.org or call (502) 584-FEST.
PNC returns as the title sponsor. Official Safety Sponsor: Baptist Health Plan. Contributing Sponsors: Baptist Health Sports Medicine, Falls City Beer, Louisville Marriott Downtown, and Scheller’s Fitness & Cycling. Media Sponsors: 102.3 The Max and The Courier-Journal. Supporting Sponsors: Louisville Bicycle Club and Louisville Water Company.
Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
