Great River Energy bicycle festival
Encyclopedia
The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a ten-day series of events that take place at sites around central Minnesota
and now Wisconsin
. Previous name for this series of events were the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival (2000 - 2008) and the Minnesota Bicycle Festival (2009). In 2010, the Festival took place on June 11 - 20.
In 2010, the Festival began with the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic, June 11 - 13. The event consisted of velodrome
racing at the National Sports Center
in Blaine, Minnesota
.
The marque event of the Festival is the Nature Valley Grand Prix
, a professional bicycle stage race. In 2010, races took place from June 16 - 20 in the downtowns of Saint Paul
, Cannon Falls
, Minneapolis, Menomonie
and Stillwater
.
The Nature Valley Grand Prix is ranked at 2.1 the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, the highest ranking for stage races. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is also part of the Women's Prestige Cycling Series, a national, four-race, women-only series
The primary sponsor is Nature Valley granola bars
. All proceeds from the Festival are donated to the pediatric hospice
at Children's.
approached David LaPorte and asked for help to create a Twin Cities replica of the popular Austin, Texas-based Ride for the Roses. LaPorte launched the Tour de Wings in 1999. The two-day event featured a criterium in Saint Paul, around the grounds of the state Capitol, and a track race at the National Sports Center Velodrome.
In 2000, Great River Energy
became a major sponsor and the event was named the Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival. Track racing at the NSC Velodrome featured a four-day EDS Cup and the criterium moved from the state Capitol to downtown Saint Paul.
Nature Valley Granola Bars joined as a sponsor in 2001 and a new road race stage was added. Great River Energy sponsored the U.S. Track National Championships during the festival at the NSC Velodrome and the festival made its first charitable donation to Camp Heartland.
From 2002 to 2006, the festival grew into a major annual Minnesota sporting event. Renamed The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival and Nature Valley Grand Prix, new venues and communities got involved, ultimately making the festival a six-stage race over a five-day period. Stillwater, Minn., became the marquis criterium of the event featuring an 18% climb up Chilkoot Hill. In 2003, a stage was added in Minneapolis, which made the Friday Night Minneapolis Downtown Classic the most widely attended stage of the five-day Nature Valley Grand Prix.
The Nature Valley Grand Prix attempts to be as equal as possible between men’s and women’s racing and has become an important women’s stage race in North America. The festival also named Children’s Hospital its sole charitable beneficiary of the proceeds created by the event.
In 2007, the Nature Valley Grand Prix became the top level stage race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
. Organizers also launched a Women’s Collegiate All-Stars team, the first of its kind in the nation. Most recently, both the men’s and women’s races became invitation only events, topping out at 140 female and 140 male riders. Nature Valley also added a national talent identification program, the Nature Valley Pro Ride, which selects two teams of six men and six women at qualifier races held in the U.S. attend and compete as part of the Nature Valley Cycling Team.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and now Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Previous name for this series of events were the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival (2000 - 2008) and the Minnesota Bicycle Festival (2009). In 2010, the Festival took place on June 11 - 20.
In 2010, the Festival began with the Minnesota Fixed Gear Classic, June 11 - 13. The event consisted of velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
racing at the National Sports Center
National Sports Center
The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is...
in Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
.
The marque event of the Festival is the Nature Valley Grand Prix
Nature Valley Grand Prix
Nature Valley Grand Prix is a men's and women's road bicycle racing stage race held each June in Minnesota, United States, as part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival. An event was added in Menomonie, Wisconsin in 2010...
, a professional bicycle stage race. In 2010, races took place from June 16 - 20 in the downtowns of Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Cannon Falls
Cannon Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile . There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile...
, Minneapolis, Menomonie
Menomonie, Wisconsin
Two other spellings of the name appear elsewhere, see Menomonee and Menominee. For the town, see Menomonie .Menomonie is a city in and the county seat of Dunn County in the western part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city's population was 16,264 as of the 2010 census...
and Stillwater
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
.
The Nature Valley Grand Prix is ranked at 2.1 the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, the highest ranking for stage races. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is also part of the Women's Prestige Cycling Series, a national, four-race, women-only series
The primary sponsor is Nature Valley granola bars
Charitable mission
The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) charity whose missions are bicycle education and to support Children's Hospitals and Clinics of MinnesotaChildren's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is one of the largest children’s health care organization in the U.S.A, with 326 staffed beds at its two hospital campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis...
. All proceeds from the Festival are donated to the pediatric hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
at Children's.
History
The Nature Valley Bicycle Festival got its start in 1998, when the Lance Armstrong FoundationLance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a United States 501 nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer, founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. The LAF states that its mission is 'to inspire and empower' cancer sufferers and their families...
approached David LaPorte and asked for help to create a Twin Cities replica of the popular Austin, Texas-based Ride for the Roses. LaPorte launched the Tour de Wings in 1999. The two-day event featured a criterium in Saint Paul, around the grounds of the state Capitol, and a track race at the National Sports Center Velodrome.
In 2000, Great River Energy
Great River Energy
Great River Energy is an electric transmission and generation cooperative in the U.S. state of Minnesota; it is the state's second largest electric utility, based on generating capacity, and the fifth largest generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. in terms of assets...
became a major sponsor and the event was named the Touchstone Energy Bicycle Festival. Track racing at the NSC Velodrome featured a four-day EDS Cup and the criterium moved from the state Capitol to downtown Saint Paul.
Nature Valley Granola Bars joined as a sponsor in 2001 and a new road race stage was added. Great River Energy sponsored the U.S. Track National Championships during the festival at the NSC Velodrome and the festival made its first charitable donation to Camp Heartland.
From 2002 to 2006, the festival grew into a major annual Minnesota sporting event. Renamed The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival and Nature Valley Grand Prix, new venues and communities got involved, ultimately making the festival a six-stage race over a five-day period. Stillwater, Minn., became the marquis criterium of the event featuring an 18% climb up Chilkoot Hill. In 2003, a stage was added in Minneapolis, which made the Friday Night Minneapolis Downtown Classic the most widely attended stage of the five-day Nature Valley Grand Prix.
The Nature Valley Grand Prix attempts to be as equal as possible between men’s and women’s racing and has become an important women’s stage race in North America. The festival also named Children’s Hospital its sole charitable beneficiary of the proceeds created by the event.
In 2007, the Nature Valley Grand Prix became the top level stage race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
The USA Cycling National Racing Calendar is an annual competition of road bicycle racing events held in the United States and sponsored by USA Cycling. The NRC includes a men's and women's individual and team rankings based on points awarded at the events...
. Organizers also launched a Women’s Collegiate All-Stars team, the first of its kind in the nation. Most recently, both the men’s and women’s races became invitation only events, topping out at 140 female and 140 male riders. Nature Valley also added a national talent identification program, the Nature Valley Pro Ride, which selects two teams of six men and six women at qualifier races held in the U.S. attend and compete as part of the Nature Valley Cycling Team.