Strathcona County … Some of the world’s top professional cyclists will soon be racing close to 900-kilometres across Alberta, from the streets of its capital city, Edmonton, through the province’s heartland, across prairies, badlands and majestic Rocky Mountains to a fast-paced finish circuit in streets of Calgary in the first and largest stage race ever held in Canada — the Tour of Alberta, September 3 to 8, 2013.

The organizers of the Tour of Alberta, the Alberta Peloton Association (APA) unveiled the official stages and route that will connect 11 communities and pass though over a dozen more, for when the eyes of the world of professional cycling focuses on Alberta this fall.

“As a former professional cyclist, I am excited to announce the official route for Canada’s first major stage race, and can’t wait to see some of the pros from the Tour de France racing across Alberta,” said Brian Jolly, Chair of the APA and Tour of Alberta. “Working with our host communities, Alberta Transportation, the RCMP, provincial sheriffs and others, our Technical Director, Jeff Corbett, has done a great job on designing a world class course.”

“The prologue and the five stages for the 2013 Tour of Alberta really showcase some unique and diverse areas of Alberta that many people who have not seen or been to the province will be surprised to see,” said Duane Vienneau, Executive Director of the Tour of Alberta. “Cycling fans will appreciate both the fast sprints across wide open prairies, as well as some challenging climbs in the Rockies, and at the same time, people from around the world will get to see some amazing scenery and embrace Alberta western hospitality.”

“The Alberta Government is pleased and proud to partner with Tour of Alberta organizers to showcase all the best that Alberta has to offer the world, seen by bike along our provincial highways and byways,” said Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation. “We are working closely with Tour organizers to plan a world-class route through our province that will be safe for cyclists, spectators and motorists.”

As the first pro cycling race of its kind to be held in Canada, the Tour of Alberta is expected to attract significant international attention, and include top professional teams from around the world, including Tour de France competitors and world champions.

Highlights of the route for the 2013 Tour of Alberta include:

Prologue – Capital Start
Tuesday, September 3 – Edmonton
Start/Finish Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square (99 Street and 102A Avenue)
Distance: 7.3 kilometres
The Tour of Alberta will begin with a Prologue to showcase the racers with a one at a time individual time trial through Alberta’s capital city, where racers fight for seconds for the right to wear the first ever Tour of Alberta leader’s jersey. Starting and finishing at Sir Winston Churchill Square in the heart of downtown Edmonton, this eight-kilometre course will be covered by the individual cyclists in less than 10 minutes. However, those 10 minutes will be action-packed as spectators will see racers navigate tight neighborhoods, bomb down Grierson Hill at 80-kilometres-an-hour, or fight their way up the climb from the North Saskatchewan river valley through the Alberta Legislature grounds back to downtown. The man who conquers all will be the first to etch his name in Tour of Alberta history.

Stage 1 – Heartland Highways
Wednesday, September 4 –Strathcona County to Camrose
Start Location: Festival Place (100 Festival Way)
Distance: 158 kilometres
Finish Location:  Recreation Centre (5212 53 Street)

The first road stage of the Tour of Alberta will fittingly begin at Festival Place in Sherwood Park, as the event itself is a celebration of all of Alberta. After a neutral parade start, the race blasts north through the Strathcona suburbs to make a quick visit to the City of Fort Saskatchewan. From there racers curl south to Ardrossan and the scenic lake district, where they skirt the edge of beautiful Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. The day’s real challenge will lay in the tight, twisting, and rolling finishing circuits in Camrose. Here the Recreation Centre will play host to three laps of this circuit and while the town will provide the hospitality, the circuit and its uphill finish will provide the worthy victory.

Stage 2 – Country Roads
Thursday, September 5 — Devon to Red Deer
Start Location: Downtown (Athabasca Avenue between Erie and Huron Streets)
Distance: 175 kilometres
Finish Location: 50^th Street, between 47 and 48 Avenue

Stage 2 – Country Roads begins in “Bike Town Alberta” — Devon. This cycling friendly town has seen many races and rides, but this may top them all. That’s just the beginning, and with nearly a half dozen communities along this 175-kilometre stage, this really is a tour of Alberta. Stage 2 brings the race to the people, as the race will pass by homes, business and farms and properties of thousands of Albertans. From Leduc to Millet, Wetaskiwin, Hobbema and Ponoka, following this lighting-speed tour of towns the racing turns serious as it approaches the City of Red Deer. A sharp climb up from the Red Deer River east of town will surely open the hostilities. Then it’s on to another tough finishing circuit. This time each of the three laps includes a 30-metre climb, and an 80-kilometers-per-hour downhill to the finish. It’s going to take legs and nerves to win in Red Deer.

Stage 3 – Dinosaur Trails
Friday, September 6 — Strathmore to Drumheller
Start Location: Downtown, 2^nd Avenue between and 3 Street and Lakeside Boulevard
Distance: 169 kilometres
Finish Location: Riverside Drive and Centre Street

Strathmore is quintessential small town Alberta, from the quaint main street to the park bandshell, but Stage 3 of the Tour of Alberta is anything but small. The flatlands are left behind as the race deepens its hunt for an overall victor. Strathmore’s plains quickly give way to some serious rolling hills as the race heads east then north through the community of Rosebud. Then it’s back to the banks of the Red Deer River in the heart of the Badlands – the Town of Drumheller. The river bluffs will provide more than great views and fossils on this day. These steep grades will be the launch pads to victory for the race’s best climbers. Drumheller fans get a front row seat for this action and a rare treat as the race will pass through town before doing a large loop north and back into town for a fast finish right under the world’s largest dinosaur. Look for this first day of serious hills to really shake up the race standings.

Stage 4 – Racing the Rockies (Queen Stage)
Saturday, September 7 – Black Diamond to Canmore
Start Location: Oilfields High School (3^rd Street between 3^rd and 5^th Avenue)
Distance: 200 kilometres
Finish Location: Canmore Nordic Centre (1988 Olympic Way)

Small town charm meets Olympic glory on the Tour of Alberta’s most challenging stage. Rolling south out of the quiet streets of the Town of Black Diamond the plains hide what this stage is all about — altitude. This won’t be a secret for long though as the race begins the endless climb up Highway 40 to the Highwood Pass. It may not be the steepest climb in bike racing, but it is a climb of attrition, and after 50-kilometres of uphill, this race may be over for some. But what goes up must come down, and another 50-kilometre of downhill may get this party started all over again. Either way, the chase up the valley into Canmore should be exciting, but the real fireworks come in the last few kilometres as the racers fight to the finish above town at the Canmore Nordic Centre.  With 200 kilometers, the Highwood Pass, Nordic Centre, and thin air, all in about five hours, it should be fun … to watch.

Stage 5 – Urban Finish
Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary
Start Location: Seaman Stadium (2111 N. Railway Street)
Distance: 132 kilometres
Finish Location: Downtown Calgary (Centre Street and 4^th Avenue)

Small town or suburb, the Town of Okotoks is both, and Seaman Stadium, Home of the Dawgs, will see the racers off for their final start. At the other end, skyscrapers and skywalks await the grand finale in downtown Calgary. The hill country west of Okotoks gives one final chance for those less affected by gravity, but chances are this day will belong to the daredevil sprinters. Through the community of Bragg Creek and a flat run into the city the speeds will slowly build up. They should reach fever pitch along Memorial Drive before crossing the Bow River and hitting the downtown finish circuit. Four laps await the racers and they will blaze a path around downtown putting on one final show for the crowd. The encore? A 60-kilometre shoulder-to-shoulder sprint in the shadow of Calgary Tower will determine the Tour of Alberta’s first ever champion.

The news conference to announce the Tour of Alberta route was held in the community where the stage race will start on September 4 — Strathcona County.

“Strathcona County looks forward to welcoming the world to our backyard as the starting point for this world-class elite pro-cycling event,” says Strathcona Mayor Linda Osinchuk. “This marks year of celebration in Strathcona County, and this event, which showcases active living, determination and can-do spirit inspires and excites our community. We are thrilled to mark the start of a six day race that highlights the scenic jewels of the province and especially all aspects of the County, including the Alberta Industrial Heartland and Beaver Hills moraine.”

Official Stage maps and more information on the Tour of Alberta can be found at www.tourofalberta.ca. Follow the Tour of Alberta on Twitter @TourofAlberta or on Facebook at TourofAlberta.

About the Tour of Alberta The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling events in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 15 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. The event will be broadcast live daily in Canada on Sportsnet, and broadcast internationally on various networks, as it is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world.

For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Director, Marketing, Communication & Broadcast
Alberta Peloton Association/Tour of Alberta
+1 780 982 7277
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Jeff Corbett
Technical Director
Medalist Sports
+1 803 447 4068
jeff.corbett@medalistsports.com

Edmonton … One Alberta cyclist will have a unique opportunity to race with some of the top cyclists in the world when cycling professionals descend upon the province to compete in the inaugural Tour of Alberta, September 3 – 8, 2013.

The Tour of Alberta organizers, the Alberta Peloton Association (APA), and Banff Lake Louise Tourism, are offering a unique opportunity to the overall Alberta winner, under 22 years of age, at this year’s Banff National Park Bike Fest to join the U.S. Continental cycling team Smart Stop present by Mountain Khakis in the Tour of Alberta this fall.

“At present, there are no Alberta residents who qualify to compete in the Tour of Alberta,” said Chair of the APA and the Tour of Alberta, Brian Jolly. “Through the Making the Tour program, we would like to change that, and at the same time, begin building a legacy of excellence in road racing in the province.”

“Bike Fest is just one of many world-class events that have been established in Banff National Park with proven records of success,” said Stu Back of Banff Lake Louise Tourism. “It stands as a testament to the park’s suitability as a place for both active adventure and low-impact pursuits for everyone to enjoy in a spectacular setting.”

The fact that the Making The Tour qualifier will be decided at the Banff National Park Bike Fest is recognition of the high calibre of this event as one that truly sets the standard for stage racing in Alberta.

The Smart Stop Mountain Khakis Team hails from North Carolina and is owned by Canadian Jamie Bennett, whose mother was born in Donalda, Alberta and raised in Red Deer. Bennett has strong ties to Alberta with extended family in Calgary and Edmonton, and takes annual ski trips to Banff and Lake Louise. He is leveraging the opportunity to compete in Canada to cultivate local Canadian talent as the ultimate tribute to his family’s Alberta roots.

To qualify for the Making the Tour program the individual must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a male with a 2013 racing age of 22 years old or younger, or U23 in the parlance of bike racing.

• Must live in the province of Alberta and have a racing license from the Alberta Bicycle Association (ABA), or an international license with an Alberta address. This license must have been obtained prior to May 3, 2013.

• Must participate in the Banff Bike Fest Stage Race for Category 1 & 2 Men.

• Must complete all stages within the time cut.

• The U23 Albertan with the lowest cumulative time (including time bonuses and penalties) in the Banff Stage Race final General Classification, shall be awarded the spot on team Smart Stop Mountain Khakis for the 2013 Tour of Alberta.

• The winner will officially be added to the UCI roster of Smart Stop Mountain Khakis as a Stagier for the remainder of 2013. The rider will be required to follow all rules and guidelines of Smart Stop Mountain Khakis including using only team authorized equipment and having no conflicting personal sponsors.

• The winner will have media obligations to the Tour of Alberta. These will be outlined prior to receiving the prize.

Should the winner turn down the prize or not be able to participate in the Tour of Alberta for medical or any other reason the prize will transfer to the qualified rider finishing next highest on GC at the Banff Bike Fest Stage Race. This transfer must happen before August 1, 2013, thus allowing time within UCI rules to add the new winner to the Smart Stop Mountain Khakis roster.

The 2013 Banff Lake Louise Bike Fest is schedule to be held June 13 to 16, 2013. More information on the event is available at www.banfflakelouise.com

Information on the Smart Stop Mountain Khakis professional cycling team is available at www.teamsmartstop.com

More information on the Tour of Alberta can be found at www.tourofalberta.ca. Follow the Tour of Alberta on Twitter @TourofAlberta or on Facebook at TourofAlberta.

About the Tour of Alberta The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling events in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 15 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. The event will be broadcast live daily in Canada on Sportsnet, and broadcast internationally on various networks, as it is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world.

About Banff Lake Louise Tourism Banff Lake Louise Tourism is a destination marketing organization for the Town of Banff, Community of Lake Louise and Banff National Park.  Supporting over 800 businesses, our mission is to engage visitors in unrivalled, remarkable experiences with our membership. For additional information, please visit www.banfflakelouise.com

About Banff National Park Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For over 125 years, Banff National Park has provided visitors with a healthy combination of unspoiled wilderness, modern amenities and opportunities for active exploration.  It is an area of unparalleled beauty, protected and cherished by Canadians and visitors from around the world. For more information about Banff National Park, please visit: www.banfflakelouise.com and for images please visit http://photos.banfflakelouise.com   

For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Director, Marketing, Communication & Broadcast
Alberta Peloton Association/Tour of Alberta
+1 780 982 7277
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Jeff Corbett
Technical Director
Medalist Sports
+1 803 447 4068
jeff.corbett@medalistsports.com

For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Alberta Peloton Association
+1 780 982 7277
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Priscilla Visintine
KOM-Sports
+1 314 422 5646
pvisintine@kom-sports.com

Edmonton … Garmin-Sharp, the team of Canadian superstar cyclist and winner of the 2012 Giro D’Italia Ryder Hesjedal is the first professional team confirmed to participate in Canada’s first international professional cycling stage race, the Tour of Alberta, scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.

“While we will be announcing a complete list of the teams in early June, we are pleased to confirm Hesjedal’s team, Garmin-Sharp, one of the top teams on the world pro-tour, will be competing in the first Tour of Alberta this September,” said Duane Vienneau, Executive Director of the Tour of Alberta. “The final team rosters will not be announced till late August.”

The Garmin-Sharp team confirmed Hesjedal plans to compete in his native country’s biggest stage race.

The Garmin-Sharp team begins the Tour of Italy – or Giro D’Italia – on Saturday, May 4 in Naples, Italy, where they will defend Hesjedal’s historic title in 2012. Hesjedal made history when he became the first Canadian to win the event, considered the world’s second biggest professional cycling race next to the Tour de France.

The Garmin-Sharp team is currently ranked fifth in the UCI World Tour rankings, and boasts stars including: Hesjedal; Ireland’s Daniel Martin, the winner of this year’s prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege Belgian classic and Spain’s Tour of Catalunya; Americans Tom Danielson, who recently finished fourth overall in Switzerland’s 2013 Tour of Romandie; and Andrew Talansky, who finished second overall in the Paris-Nice race in March 2013.

In recent years, the Denver-based team has finished on the podium or won in every major event in the United States, including Christian Vande Velde’s overall title at the 2013 USA Pro Challenge and Danielson’s third place overall at the Amgen Tour of California last year.

More information on the Tour of Alberta can be found at www.tourofalberta.ca. Follow the Tour of Alberta on Twitter @TourofAlberta or on Facebook at TourofAlberta.

About the Tour of Alberta The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling event in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 15 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. The events will be broadcast live daily in Canada on Sportsnet, and broadcast internationally on various networks, as it is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world.

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For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Alberta Peloton Association
+1 780 982 7277                                                        
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Marya Pongrace
Garmin-Sharp
+1 347.698.3412
marya.pongrace@slipstreamsports.com

Priscilla Visintine
KOM Sports Marketing
+ 1 314.422.5646
pvisintine@kom-sports.com

Red Deer, Alberta, Canada … Eleven Alberta communities will serve as the official host communities for the inaugural year for the Tour of Alberta Pro Cycling Event over six days at the beginning of September 2013.

While the detailed 850-kilometre route for the Tour of Alberta is still being finalized, on March 5, the event organizers, the Alberta Peloton Association (APA), announced the list of communities that will host the Start and Finish for each stage of the race.

“For its inaugural year, the APA is proposing a route anchored in Alberta communities with a strong reputation for hosting successful cultural and community events,” said Brian Jolly, Chair of the APA and the 2013 Tour of Alberta.  “It speaks well for our province that we had a very long list of communities to choose from, and it was not an easy task. However, we are very pleased to announce 11 communities who have enthusiastically embraced being part of the first year of the Tour, and we are excited to be able to showcase them, along with the entire province, to the world.”

The overall start of the 2013 Tour of Alberta will begin with a prologue on Tuesday, September 3 in Edmonton, followed by five point-to-point stage races. A prologue is a short individual time trial strategically scheduled to determine which rider wears the leader’s jersey on the first stage.  The prologue represents the only day of the event where the start and finish are in the same community. Stage One begins on Wednesday, September 4 in Strathcona County with an exciting racing through Alberta’s industrial heartland down rural roads through central Alberta. Other stages will include a route through several communities in central Alberta, a circle through the Canadian Badlands, a climb the Canadian Rockies through Kananaskis Country, with the final stage winding through the foothills towards an exciting finish circuit in downtown Calgary on Sunday, September 8.

The official Host Communities for the 2013 Tour of Alberta are:

Tuesday, September 3
Prologue:  Edmonton

Wednesday, September 4
Stage 1:  Start – Strathcona County; Finish – Camrose

Thursday, September 5
Stage 2: Start – Devon; Finish – Red Deer

Friday, September 6
Stage 3: Start – Strathmore; Finish – Drumheller

Saturday, September 7
Stage 4: Start – Black Diamond; Finish – Canmore

Sunday, September 8
Stage 5: Start – Okotoks; Overall Race Finish — Calgary

“In addition to serving as either the start of finish of a specific stage, each community will also feature a festival experience with fitness and education displays, food, entertainment, and the chance for fans to meet and mingle with the athletes,” said APA Executive Director Duane Vienneau. “Every festival will also be unique in that it will showcase the character and attractions of the specific county, town or city, so each event will be a different experience.”

A number of other Alberta rural communities, counties and municipal districts will also have the chance to be part of the event as the cyclists pass through in the race to the finish each day. Further details on the full route will be announced in April, and additional details on the festivals and events in each community will be announced as plans are finalized.

“It is extremely exciting that the majority of the host communities for this international professional cycling event are located in rural Alberta,” said Marie Logan, chair of the Rural Alberta Development Fund (RADF), the founding partner for the Tour of Alberta. “It is even more exciting that cycling fans and festival lovers from around the province and around the world will get to experience, or see, the warm hospitality, attractions and spirit in each of these wonderful communities, and along the roads and points in between.”

The estimated 120 professional cyclists from over 20 countries along with their support teams, and race support staff and crews will be based out of Edmonton for up to four nights preceding, and for the first two days of the event. On September 5, the race will overnight in Red Deer before moving to Calgary for the balance of the event.

More information on the Tour of Alberta and the 11 host communities can be found at www.tourofalberta.ca. Follow the Tour of Alberta on Twitter @TourofAlberta or on Facebook at TourofAlberta.

About the Tour of Alberta The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling event in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 15 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. The event will be broadcast live daily in Canada on Sportsnet, and broadcast internationally on various networks, as it is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world.

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For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Alberta Peloton Association
+1 780 982 7277
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Priscilla Visintine
KOM-Sports
+1 314 422 5646
pvisintine@kom-sports.com

For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Alberta Peloton Association
+1 780 982 7277
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Priscilla Visintine
KOM-Sports
+1 314 422 5646
pvisintine@kom-sports.com

Planning well underway for inaugural Tour of Alberta in September 2013

Edmonton/Calgary, Alberta, Canada … The organizers of the six-day 2013 Tour of Alberta Pro Cycling event to be held September 3 to 8, 2013 announced today the appointment of two new members to the board – Lois Appleby and Dan Ouimet.

Brian Jolly, the chair of the Alberta Peloton Association (APA) — the non-profit organization behind the international cycling event — said on behalf of the board that he is extremely pleased and excited to welcome both Appleby and Ouimet to the APA team.

“Lois brings a wealth of global experience and expertise on major international events and  tourism and event marketing that are of immeasurable value to our goal of establishing the Tour of Alberta as an important race on the annual cycling calendar,” Jolly said. “Dan’s strong business and community background, combined with his connections and involvement in provincial and national sports scene are also invaluable assets that I am confident will help ensure our success in 2013 and for years to come.”

Appleby, who lives in Calgary, is the former Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria, Australia (2001-2006), where under her management Tourism Victoria became the number one tourism agency in Australia. Prior to joining Tourism Victoria, Appleby served as the Chief Executive of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games where she was responsible for the overall day-to-day management and marketing of the Games. Through her leadership and collaborative relationship with the organizing committee for the Olympic Games, the delivery of the Paralympic Games was a joint effort of both organizing committees leading to the outstanding success of the Games. Appleby’s professional event and marketing experience also includes serving as Chief Executive of the 1994 World Masters Games in Brisbane, as Chief Executive of the Australian Masters Games in Brisbane and as General Manager Tasmanian Department of Sport and Recreation. She also served as a director on several boards, including: Victoria Major Event Company; Rugby World Cup 2011 New Zealand; Basketball Australia; and the World Masters Games in Melbourne 2002. While living in Australia, in 2003, Appleby was appointed Honorary Consul for Canada, and supported Canadians in Victoria and encouraged Australian Canadian relationships, and participated in the Consul Corp and the Canadian Australian Club. She was also an Adjunct Professor with Victoria University in Melbourne where she sat on a Program Advisory Committee, and mentored a group of women graduates.

Ouimet, who is also based Calgary, is the Director, Government Relations and Special Communications Projects at ConocoPhillips Canada. He is also the current President and Chair of the Calgary Marathon Society, which operates Calgary’s largest road running event. With more than 15 years of experience in both the public and private sector, Ouimet began his career in public affairs as a Special Assistant to the Honourable Anne McLellan in the portfolios of Natural Resources and Justice. Later, he held the role of Senior Policy Advisor to the Honourable John Manley, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and previously Minister of Industry.  In 2002 he joined TransCanada Corporation as the Director of Government Relations where he was primarily focused on the Canadian federal government as well as Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon. He actively represents ConocoPhillips on Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers committees and has served on a variety of Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and Canadian Gas Association Committees. His other community involvement includes serving as the founder and Event Director of the Viterra Ironman 70.3 Calgary triathlon, as Business Director for Athletics Alberta and a member of Right to Play’s Alberta Cabinet. Ouimet has served as the Chair of the Run Canada Committee, a National Advisory Committee on Road Running in Canada and also as a member of the 2001 World Championships in Athletics Bid Committee, the 2005, Edmonton World Half Marathon Championships Board, the Ottawa Marathon (National Capital Marathon) Board.

Appleby and Ouimet join Jolly, Wendy Andrews, Dave Embury, Alyssa Haunholter, Ken Kouri, Jared Smith, and Alex Stieda – on the APA Board for the inaugural year of the Tour of Alberta.

About the Tour of Alberta The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sports’ governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling event in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 16 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. It is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world. 

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For more information, please contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Director, Marketing, Communications and Broadcast
Alberta Peloton Association/2013 Tour of Alberta
(w) + 1 587 523 0283
(c)  + 1 780 235 2536
valm@albertapeloton.ca

Website: www.tourofalberta.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TourofAlberta
Twitter: @TourofAlberta

Edmonton … Sportsnet will be the official broadcast partner for the 2013 Tour of Alberta, broadcasting the six-day race daily next September across Canada, and linking it to television networks and cycling fans around the world.

The agreement to broadcast the Tour of Alberta comes on the heels of a major announcement by Sportsnet around a new six-year agreement for the Canadian multimedia rights to the prestigious Tour de France, beginning in 2014 and continuing through to 2019. This deal, combined with its commitment to the Tour of Alberta, Canada’s first major international stage race in September 2013, Sportsnet firmly establishes itself as a leading global broadcaster for the sport of cycling as it will air more than 100 days of cycling in 2013, including the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a Espana, Tour de Suisse, Tour of California and many more.

“With its commitment to cycling, Sportsnet recognizes that it is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, both at the grass roots and professional level,” said Duane Vienneau, Executive Director of the Alberta Peloton Association and the 2013 Tour of Alberta. “We are thrilled that Sportsnet will be the broadcast partner for the inaugural year of the Tour of Alberta, and hope that it will be the first of many more years and races working together to share Canada’s highest ranking race with fans across Canada and across the globe.”

“We are excited to partner with the Tour of Alberta to broadcast this inaugural event to Canadians,” said NavaidMansuri, Vice-President of Finance & Sports Programming, Rogers Media. “Sportsnet is committed to providing fans with premium cycling content across multiple platforms, and the 2013 Tour of Alberta bolsters Sportsnet’s already robust portfolio of cycling programming for 2013.”

Specific broadcast details will be announced at a later date, however, the agreement with the Tour of Alberta and Sportsnet ensures at least two hours of daily coverage on each day of the race. There is also a potential for additional programming around the Tour of Alberta leading up to the race, along with other specific program and promotions on mobile applications and webcasts related to the race.

Keep posted on what’s happening with the Tour of Alberta and with cycling on Sportsnet:

Website:
www.tourofalberta.ca
www.sportsnet.ca

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TourofAlberta
http://www.facebook.com/sportsnet

Twitter:
@TourofAlberta
@Sportsnet

About the Tour of Alberta
The Tour of Alberta: Canada’s Pro-Cycling Festival is a six-day stage race scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.  The Union CyclisteInternationale (UCI), the sports’ governing body, awarded the inaugural Tour of Alberta with a 2.1 sanctioning in September 2012, making it one of the highest level pro cycling event in Canada, and one of the highest level events in North America. An annual event beginning in 2013, the Tour of Alberta will feature up to 16 professional, international cycling teams, comprised of eight riders per team. It is expected that the event will host riders from over 20 countries around the world.

About Sportsnet
Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level.  The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook.  Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, the Memorial Cup, and soccer programming with UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Sportsnet Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.

For more information, contact:
Val Mellesmoen
Alberta Peloton Association                              
valm@albertapeloton.ca
780-235-2536

Sebastian Gatica
Sportsnet
Sebastian.gatica@sportsnet.rogers.com
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Edmonton/Calgary … The province of Alberta will soon be home to the newest pro-cycling event on the international cycling circuit — The Tour of Alberta: Alberta’s Pro-Cycling Festival – scheduled to be held September 3 to 8, 2013.

The Tour of Alberta will be a six-stage race, starting in Edmonton on Tuesday, September 3 and ending in Calgary on Sunday, September 8, with stage routes traveling throughout rural Alberta, villages, towns and small cities, which rarely, if ever, have had the benefit of seeing, let alone hosting, major international sporting events in their communities.

The Union Internationale Cyclistes (UCI) sanctioned the Tour of Alberta as a 2.1 race in September 2012, making it the highest level pro cycling event to be hosted in Canada. An annual event beginning in 2013, it will feature up to 16 pro cycling teams of up to eight riders per team. With the 2.1 level sanctioning, up to half could include Pro Tour Teams, or the same teams which compete at the Tour de France or Giro d’Italia.

“A cycling event in Alberta, modeled after the classic road races such as the Tour de France and Giro D’Italia, has been a long-time dream of many Albertans, and it is real coup to be the first race sanctioned at this level in Canada,” said Brian Jolly, Chair, Alberta Peloton Association (APA), the not-for-profit association organizing the Tour of Alberta. “The UCI sanctioning recognizes both Alberta’s growing international reputation to host high quality, world class sports events, as well as it’s safe, warm, welcoming western hospitality, breath-taking scenery and varied landscapes.”

Alberta’s Rural Development Fund is providing $3.5 million in seed funding to help establish the event as a major annual cycling event and festival across the province. Additional funding is being secured through industry and corporate sponsorship, and the APA is pursuing a number of core partnerships with provincial and community organizations to ensure the event delivers on its promise of a world-class sporting event that showcases the province, communities and people of Alberta.

The Tour will also include a number of community festivals and events up to and throughout the event at start, finish and pass-through communities that will showcase Alberta’s communities, culture, food products and services, and promote fitness and healthy lifestyles.

“The Tour of Alberta is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our province as Albertans join with cycling fans from around the world in an international celebration of sport and culture,” said Alberta Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk. “Visitors will discover the rich heritage of Alberta and the incredible talent found in our communities as they enjoy the many cultural events held alongside the excitement of competitive cycling.”

Based on similar races at this level, the Tour of Alberta is expected to draw more than 300,000 on-site spectators over the six days of the race, and over 30 million viewers in over 100 countries via national and international television coverage of the race. Daily live coverage of the race will also be available on-line and through mobile applications.

The total economic impact of the event for Alberta is estimated at between $30-35 million each year.

“It is exciting to see this world-class event coming to Alberta with its race route stretching from our rolling foothills and Badlands to our majestic mountains and multiple communities in between,” said Christine Cusanelli, Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. “This event will not only inspire young Albertans to achieve their own athletic excellence, but it also represents a tremendous opportunity for us to attract even more travelers from across the globe to our province.”

The official route and list of host communities for the 2013 Tour of Alberta will be announced in early 2013, and the route will change annually to include different communities and race routes each year.

More information on the 2013 Tour of Alberta can be found at www.tourofalberta.ca

This is the official website of the 2013 Tour of Alberta Pro Cycling event.