WHITEWTER REGION (Westmeath) — Saturday was a special day for Mike Wendorf. Not only was his daughter Alyson getting married at his Greenway Drive home, but it was the second annual Tour de Whitewater, of which he is chair of the organizing committee.
“This is such a great community event,” he said a few days after the event.
TdW (Tour de Whitewater) is a cycling event, which consisted of various routes – paved routes of 10, 30, 50, 100 and 150 kilometres and a 60 kilometre gravel road venture.
The TDW first occurred as a Canada 150 event for Whitewater Region organized by himself, other volunteers and supported by the Westmeath District Recreation Association (WDRA) last year
This year’s event drew 381 participants, which is almost 100 more than last year, he said.
While anyone can participate in the event, Mr. Wendorf said that’s not the only reason why it’s a community event.
There are varying degrees of help from various organizations, including the WDRA, 4H and the Township of Whitewater Region, as well as various volunteers. Township roads crew were instrumental in ensuring the roads were ready, including cold patching where necessary and trimming the roadsides, he said.
Farmers Andrew Bromley and son Tanner received a very early-morning call about a downed tree blocking Bromley Line.
“They didn’t hesitate,” Mr. Wendorf said. “They grabbed their chainsaws and removed the blocked tree so the 150-kilometre cyclists could get through.” The cyclists were departing at 7 a.m. and heading up the Bromley Line.
With close to 400 people riding, and the WDRA hosting a Big Breakfast and the 4H hosting a barbecue lunch, there was also parking needed for the event, and that’s where the Desjardins family came in, he said. Local farmer Doug Dejardins gave up half a day to cut the field where parking was going to be, when he should have been getting hay off his own fields.
Individual help not only included the committee members, such as Sheila Perras, Anne Villenueve, Jackie McGregor and Tammy McCarthy, but Reuben Marini, who jumped in to help with early-morning set-up because his wife was a participant. Then there was elite rider Mark Kulas who remained at the event following his 150 kilometre ride to help with take-down.
“These are the kind of stories that are important and show what great people are participating and doing things behind-the-scenes that make it such a great, successful community event,” Mr. Wendorf said.
He also received an email from a couple who participated.
It read, “I want to thank you and your organizing group who organized today’s Tour de Whitewater, for such a fine event. Helen & I really appreciated such an event that allows older cyclists, such as us, to participate. We found it very stimulating to be able to join the group and enjoy the ride. Helen & Bill Holtslander, Deep River.”
While he doesn’t know all their names, Mr. Wendorf noted there were participants aged two to those in their 90s in the event. Ninety-year-old Nellie Bromley was the oldest, while there were a few two-year-olds cycling with relatives.
Early Saturday morning, several members of the Riverview Seniors Social Club were busy checking in the participants who had pre-registered. There was also a table for those who had not yet registered.
At 7 o’clock Saturday morning, the elite riders, those participating in the 150 kilometre ride, departed from the Westmeath Arena amidst shouts of encouragement and much clapping of hands. They were lead out by the Westmeath fire truck.
An hour later, it was the 100-kilometre cyclists, followed in half-hour increments by the 60, 50 and 30 and finally the 10 kilometre participants, who, by the way, were not all cyclists. Ms. Bromley was pushed in her wheelchair throughout the 10 kilometre trek by relatives and friends.
During the lull when riders were leaving, there was opportunity to have your biked checked over by GearHeads or Yantha Cycle; a quick athletic therapy treatment by Victoria Cleary from VC Athletic Therapy of Petawawa or the chance to win money by purchasing a draw ticket from the Beachburg Lions Club. And of course, the Big Breakfast, which included eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and the trimmings.
At 12:30 p.m., when most of the riders had returned and were socializing, getting an athletic therapy treatment from Ms. Cleary or enjoying a barbecued lunch, Mr. Wendorf took to the podium.
“I want to thank all of you people, the riders,” he said. “Today was phenomenal – we had 381 riders.”
He noted next year the event will be held July 6.
“We’ve already picked up on things we can improve on and will be incorporating those,” he said, adding, “Next year will be bigger and better.”
He noted the physical services department of the Township of Whitewater Region did a “phenomenal job on the roads. They put things into place. We really appreciated it.”
Whitewater Region Mayor Hal Johnson, who cycled the 10 kilometre route with wife Wendy, also said a few words.
“It is so nice to see all you people from far and wide,” he said.
While he recognized a few people who participated last year, Mayor Johnson spoke about two people who participated in the 60 kilometre gravel road ride – all the way from St. Kitts, in the West Indies.
“We have two people from St. Kitts here,” he said. “Lucy, who’s going to spend some time in our area going to Algonquin College and her father Barry.
“That’s quite a long trip to bike in Westmeath. They biked with the all-season bikes.”
Mayor Johnson said Mike and his group are “phenomenal organizers.”
However, he added, “This function would be nothing if it wasn’t for the participants.”
He also thanked township staff for doing a great job on the roads.
Whitewater Region Councillor Chris Olmstead, who is also chair of the township’s recreation committee said, “I did the 30K. I was flying, there was nobody around me at all and I thought I was doing really, really good until I got to the turn-around and everybody started passing me the other way. So, I wasn’t really flying,” he added with a laugh.
This is a great turnout for a second-year event, he said.
There’s many community events happening now and with the number of participants, it shows the township is moving in the right direction of where it should be spending its money, such as the active transportation lanes, Coun. Olmstead said.
Mr. Wendorf said there were about 25 volunteers.
“It’s one thing to be the person who puts stuff together on paper, but it’s something else to get the stuff done,” he said.
There are so many behind-the-scenes people, including those who create the maps, do the printing, set out the markers, do the sweeping to ensure no one gets left behind and those at the rest stops.
“Everything is 100 percent volunteer,” he said. “All money raised in the community, stays here, the 4H gets it, the recreation association gets it.”
Mr. Wendorf thanked the many individuals and businesses that donated “Thousands of dollars in prizes.”
He thanked GearHeads and Wilderness Tours for their major sponsorship of the event. GearHeads provides free service to the cyclists in terms of checking their bikes prior to and following the ride, as well as donating prizes. Wilderness Tours donated about $4,000 worth of rafting vouchers.
Mr. Wendorf reminded everyone to mark their calendars for July 6, 2019 – the third annual Tour de Whitewater.
