Photo courtesy of Tour d’Apple
By Emma Castleberry
Hunter Subaru presents the 10th annual Tour d’Apple cycling event on Labor Day, Monday, September 5. Four routes are available, ranging from 25 to 100 miles in length, with all routes beginning and ending at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. This charity event benefits the Four Seasons Rotary Club—Hendersonville. “Four Seasons Rotary Club— Hendersonville uses Tour d’Apple proceeds principally for local charitable needs like special needs sports, scholarships and emergency funds for students at Blue Ridge Community College, and books for school libraries,” says club president Dick Miley. This year, any additional donations from cyclists will assist with purchasing Christmas bicycles for area children and support the development of the Ecusta Trail.
The event begins at 7 a.m with rolling starts through 7:30 a.m. Each of the fully-supported, well-marked routes travels through the apple orchards and mountain roads of Henderson County. The Honeycrisp Unbelievable Century is a 100-mile ride with 8,000 feet of ascent over Sugarloaf Mountain, Bearwallow Mountain, Terry’s Gap, Pinnacle Mountain and Jump Off Rock. The Gala Metric Challenge travels 62 miles with 5,000 feet of ascent and the Jonagold Lite is a 45-mile course with 2,300 feet of ascent. For novice cyclists and young riders, there is the Green Apple Enthusiast: a 25-mile ride with 1,000 feet of ascent.
More than 500 riders are expected to participate. “Our post-event surveys have revealed that about 20 percent of our cyclists live more than one hundred miles from Hendersonville,” says Miley. “We expect cyclists from at least ten states. These out-of-the-area cyclists patronize local businesses, restaurants and hotels, boosting our economy. Moreover, we help put Henderson County’s ‘best foot’ forward and show how great our area is for living and vacationing.” There will also be a post-ride lunch beginning at 11 a.m. that non-cyclists can enjoy for $10.
Blue Ridge Community College is located at 180 West Campus Drive, Flat Rock. Registration for all distances is $75 and can be found at TourdApple.com. There is also a virtual event registration for $55.
