Popular Hendersonville Labor Day cycling event celebrates 10th anniversary
One of Western North Carolina's popular cycling events is hitting a milestone this year and is expecting once again to have hundreds of cyclists navigating the scenic roads of Hendersonville on Labor Day.
The Tour d' Apple turns 10 years old this year and will once again start and finish on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, according to a press release. The event, hosted by iDaph Events, is sponsored by Hunter Subaru and will feature an estimated 650 cyclists.
The event will be taking place on the final day of the Apple Festival, which will be held Sept. 2-5 and will wrap up with the annual Apple Festival Parade on Labor Day.
More: North Carolina Apple Festival announces 2022 Apple Ambassador
Four routes, which go along country roads past apple orchards and with a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, give riders the option of going 25 miles or up to 100 miles. The routes are Honeycrisp Century (100 miles), Gala Metric Challenge (62 miles), Jonagold Jaunt (45 miles) and Green Apple Enthusiast (25 miles).
For the safety of participants and for a better ride experience, the Tour d' Apple has implemented a rolling start from 7-7:30 a.m., meaning riders can start anytime within the 30-minute start window.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the Four Seasons Rotary Club in Hendersonville, according to the release. Proceeds support the Rotary's student scholarships, student emergency funds at Blue Ridge Community College, meals for homeless students and several other Rotary projects, the release said.
Cyclists can make an additional financial contribution when they registerto purchase bicycles for Christmas for children in the community. The funds will also be used to support the construction of the brand-new Ecusta Trail in Hendersonville.
Riders who register before August 14 will receive a free Tour d' Apple T-shirt. After the free T-shirt deadline, shirts can be purchased online while supplies last. The first 250 entrants receive a Tour d' Apple water bottle, donated by Sycamore Cycles in Hendersonville.
More information is available at the event website (http://tourdapple.com/), and volunteers are needed. To learn how to help, email tourdapple@gmail.com. General event questions can be answered by sending an email to support@idaph.net.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Tour d' Apple turns 10 years old and will be held on Labor Day
