I’d be willing to bet that almost every cyclist in Sequim — even if they only ride occasionally when the sun’s shining, there’s only a slight breeze, the temperature is perfect and they have the road or trail practically to themselves — is well aware that “the Tour” is coming soon.
The Tour de France, a.k.a. “Le Tour,” is the big kahuna of professional road bike racing. It’s the one that started it all back in 1903. It has a storied history complete with drama, scandal, heroes and villains, joys and sorrows, success and failure of monumental proportion at both the individual and organizational levels.
It is three weeks long, covers thousands of miles in distance and usually more than 15,000 feet of climbing. The average — average! — speed is 25-30 miles per hour, which means the top riders are often climbing 10-20 percent inclines for several miles at 10-15 miles per hour, and in 2016 one clocked 85 miles per hour on his descent!
Cyclists in “Le Tour” can encounter nearly every kind of weather from extreme heat and humidity to snow, sleet, hail, rain, and lightening — sometimes on the same day.
As many have said, “Le Tour” is simply the greatest athletic test in the world. And for a professional road bike racer, riding in “Le Tour” is the ultimate.
But exciting as it is, the Tour de France is not the one Sequim cyclists are looking forward to the most this summer.
That honor goes to our own local “Tour” … the Tour de Lavender.
This cycling event is not, I repeat, not, a race. And while some will insist that anytime you put two cyclists or more out on a course at the same time it invariably turns into a race, the Tour de Lavender is a proud and consistent exception.
To the fields we ride
In fact, the Tour de Lavender is, and always has been, a one-of-a-kind cycling event geared toward all cyclists — regardless of experience — and especially to families. As the name suggests, it is a tour of the iconic lavender farms in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley and it is, by design, imbued with the relaxing and calming properties of the lavender plant, which is to say that it’s meant to be a laid-back, casual ride from one lavender farm to the next.
And that’s true whether you opt for the longest ride — a “Metric Century” that’s 62.5 miles long and hits 10 lavender farms, the shorter “Fun Ride” that’s only 34 miles long and takes you to nine farms, or your own tailored route where you cycle to just the closer farms you want to visit.
The 2018 Tour de Lavender will be the sixth edition. Five years ago, it started out as a very informal event when Dan and Janet Abbott, the owners of Washington Lavender Estate in Agnew, came up with the idea. Partnering with the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association, the very first “TdL” was pulled together on an almost ad hoc basis by a group of local cyclists Dan had recruited to make the dream a reality.
Now that’s not to imply there wasn’t one heck of a lot of planning and work that went into pulling it off that first year. Indeed, the inaugural Tour de Lavender was a two-day affair and the Metric Century ride on day one, started in Kingston. The logistics of that day alone were daunting, and the “Family Fun Farm Ride” the next day, added another set of challenges.
Things went off without a hitch, however, and the few minor problems encountered were handled quickly and efficiently thanks to the extended crew of volunteer staff who signed on to help out, as well as to the incredible assistance of the participating lavender farm owners and staff.
About 100 riders showed up that first year and word started to spread about this great ride in early August out on the Olympic Peninsula.
Each year, comments and suggestions for improving the event have factored into planning for the next one. And each year, the Tour’s reputation has grown along with the number of cyclists who ride.
A growing event
In 2017, more than 400 cyclists visited our fair community to ride the Tour de Lavender. More than 50 percent came from out of the area and stayed at least one night in local lodging accommodations. Based on the yearly growth in the number of riders since its inception, this year’s tour is gearing up to host 500-600 visiting cyclists.
As a result, TdL has evolved to what it is today: an exceptional one-day cycling event that starts and ends in Sequim, and draws hundreds of cyclists from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Each year, as the number of registered riders has increased by 30 per cent or more, so, too, has the number of those who return — lured back by the unique scenery, character, and camaraderie of the ride, as well as the warmth and hospitality of our community.
The Tour de Lavender has become, as its new slogan says, “More than just a ride … it’s an experience!”
(Full disclosure: I’ve been a volunteer on every Tour de Lavender and currently serve as the overall event director, so I’m rather favorably inclined toward the event, shall we say.)
Over the years the Tour de Lavender “experience” has been enhanced and enriched by the enthusiastic support of the broader Sequim-Dungeness Valley community — it’s not just a “cyclists’ thing.”In addition to the support of each participating lavender farm and the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association, grants from the City of Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, donations from more than two dozen local businesses, and the dedication of extraordinary volunteers, have helped secure the Tour’s reputation as an outstanding event.
But why not find out for yourself just how much fun it is? Just go to www.tourdelavender for additional information and details. You can save a bundle by pre-registering online, or sign up on the day of the event — Saturday, Aug. 4. Hope to see you there!
Ken Stringer is President of the Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance. For more information on cycling in the area, go to www.olympicpeninsulacycling.com or contact the author at opcycling@gmail.com.
