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PrintWHAT -- A Tour de France-style event and the first race of its kind in Pennsylvania, the bicycle race is called an "espoir," which is French for hope because racers are future Olympians and professional riders. The stage race covers 450 miles and offers $150,000 in prize money. Sanctioned by USA Cycling, the tour will be televised on the Versus cable network. All events are free to the public.
WHEN -- June 24 to June 29.
WHERE -- 1. Philadelphia; 2. Downingtown to Carlisle; 3. Camp Hill to Bedford; 4. Bedford to Latrobe; 5. Ligonier to Pittsburgh's South Side; 6. Downtown Pittsburgh, ending at the intersection of Stanwix Street and the Boulevard of the Allies.
WHY -- The race roughly parallels the Forbes Road, the first route to cross the Allegheny Mountains, which was blazed by the British Empire in 1758. The race is a highlight of the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the naming of Pittsburgh and the founding of Bedford, Ligonier and other communities.
PROLOGUE -- a closed, short-circuit race in a city setting.
ROAD RACES -- Stages in the open countryside, with the cyclist having the lowest time given the yellow jersey as the race leader. At the end of the six-day race, the racer with the overall lowest cumulative time is the winner.
SPRINT LINE -- A race within a race that allows the fastest riders to showcase their talents. The first three riders to cross the sprint line are awarded bonus points or special prizes, and the rider with the most sprint points wears the green sprint jersey.
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN -- The first cyclists to reach a mountaintop line will win points toward the polka dot jersey, signifying the king of the mountain.
Riders conserve energy by drafting behind a teammate or another cyclist. It's called racing in the slipstream, or the area of least wind resistance. In a headwind, riders from a long straight formation called a paceline. In a crosswinder, the most energy-efficient formation is a diagonal line called an echelon.
ARRIVE EARLY -- Roads may be closed or traffic diverted because of the race route. And before the start of a stage, riders are most accessible for the taking of pictures or getting autographs.
PLACES TO WATCH -- There is no bad place, but seasoned fans tend to seek out certain spots such as the start or finish lines, sprint points, king of the mountain points and feed zones. At dangerous or congested points, hay bales are placed along the route for safety purposes. It's a good place to set up a folding chair and watch and cheer the riders as they negotiate these challenges.
As part of the event, Highmark Healthy High 5 Finish Line Festivals are planned in five of the six stage stops. Free and open to the public, the festivals are set up as a fun way to approach a healthy lifestyle through exercise and proper diet.
Each festival will include performances by five-time national BMX stunt bike champ Mike Steidley; the Minutes in Motion School Challenge, which encourages students to spend time participating in their favorite physical activity; and Passport for Prizes. which offers American Eagle Outfitters gift cards, Tour of Pennsylvania memorabilia, a VIP photo opportunity with the best young rider in the tour, and more.
Designed to provide fun activities for kids to promote health and wellness, the Finish Line Festivals will also offer such attractions as an introduction to Zumba, a dance/aerobics workout set to Latin muisc; rotating climbing walls; and the Dance Dance Revolution, a game that pits players against computer-directed dance steps.
Other attractions include singing and dancing groups, jump rope demonstrations, games, bike repair, dental and vision screenings, face painting, artists and clowns.
CARLISLE -- High and West Streets on Dickinson College Campus, Wednesday, June 25, 1 to 6 p.m.
BEDFORD -- Penn and Juliana Streets,Thursday, June 26, 1 to 6 p.m.
LATROBE -- Ligonier and Main Streets, Friday, June 27, 1 to 6 p.m.
PITTSBURGH SOUTHSIDE WORKS -- 28th Street between Sydney and East Carson streets, Saturday, June 28, 2 to 9 p.m.
DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH -- Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street, Sunday, June 29, 2 to 9 p.m.
Highmark Healthy High 5 is an initiative of the Highmark Foundation, a $100 million effort launched in 2006 to promote children's health through physical activity and nutrition.
Some key dates in 1758 as 6,000 British soldiers and colonial troops build a primitive road for horse-drawn wagons to haul seige artillery, ammunition and tons of supplies to evict from the French from Fort Duquesne at the Forks of the Ohio:
April 22 -- Arrival of the first of His Majesty's Highlanders at the docks in Philadelphia from Scotland via Ireland.
May 24 -- Lt. Col. Henry Bouquet, a Swiss-born professional soldier, arrives at the Carlise base camp as General John Forbes' deputy commander and advance man. He assembles the men, equipment and supplies for the campaign through the untamed mountains.
June 24 -- With manpower hacking out a road with axes, mattacks and shovels, Bouquet arrives at Raystown, a base camp that later becomes the community of Bedford.
July 23 -- Pennsylvania Colonel John Armstrong sets out to mark a road to Loyalhanna, later named Ligonier.
Oct. 23 -- Colonel George Washington and his Virginia troops arrive from the south at Loyalhanna and begin to cut a road west across the Chestnut Ridge.
Nov. 24 -- Fearing defeat at the hands of an overwhelming force advancing from the west, the French blow up Fort Duquesne and escape on the rivers.
Nov. 25 -- With Washington in the lead, the Forbes column reaches its objective and raises the Union Jack over what is now Point State Park. It is Pittsburgh's birthday because Forbes named the spot for William Pitt, the British secretary of state, and declared a day of public thanksgiving.
The umbrella organization for the Tour of Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh 250, composed of business, government and civic leaders to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the naming of Pittsburgh. Its mission is to improve awareness of southwestern Pennsylvania as a global leader in arts, science and quality of life; connect the region's past to its future; and enhance the region's competitiveness for future generations by encouraging participation in community improvements.
More information can be found at the following web sites:
http://www.tour ofpa.com
www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/festivals/index.shtml
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