Louisville, KY. – Registration for the Kentucky Derby Festival’s annual cycling event is officially open! The PNC Tour de Lou is set for Sunday, April 29, 2018. This will be the fifth year for the cycling event, which features three different distances.
“The PNC Tour de Lou attracts cyclists from around the country each year and continues to grow,” said Mike Berry, KDF President & CEO. “With different distances, riders at all levels can participate and enjoy a unique tour of our city on wheels.”
KDF is partnering with Louisville Bicycle Club to produce the 2018 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 2 – December 31, 2017. 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: AAA East Central. Contributing Sponsors: Baptist Health Sports Medicine, Louisville Marriott Downtown, and Scheller’s Fitness & Cycling. Media Sponsors: 102.3 JACK FM 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.