Tour de Cure Pre-Ride Report & Effusive Gratitude!

Stop it. Now. Don't make me come down there.

We did it!! Thanks to the nearly forty individuals who gave, the three academic departments who hosted me this Spring, and to folks like Fatty who spread the word about our campaign...we reached our goal!

Sure, it involved some hare-brained stunts. But It is truly inspiring to receive all the support. Here's what this means to me. As I am riding along tomorrow, every mile that goes by counts for $30 dollars raised to help stop diabetes. And I must tell you, that support truly matters out there on the road. I think about that, and I know I have to keep going. I think about all of you who gave, and I want to honor your contribution. So thank you. I'll be saying thank you - sublingually - all day tomorrow too. 

Speaking of tomorrow, here's the Michigan Tour de Cure 100 Mile route:

 

We shove off at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, at which point you can watch my twitter feed for updates. I'll update at the various rest stops along the way. Might be some cool shots because the late breaking news is that we'll have two special guest riders along with us on this ride: Matthew Busche, your 2011 U.S. National Road Road Champion, and Ben King, your 2010 U.S. National Road Race Champion. Both are planning to ride the full century route, so we'll see if the pace they set is manageable for this, uh, Masters 40+ rider. If not, well, I'll try to snap a few photos early. 

And just because I've had a few folks ask, it is not too late to contribute to the campaign. My donation page will remain active throughout the ride tomorrow and all donations made through early July will still count towards this year's campaign. So don't feel like you missed out if you planned to donate but haven't yet had the chance. 

Thanks for the support! I'll have a ride report for you Sunday, and maybe I might see you out on the road tomorrow. If so, grab my wheel or for heaven's sake let me grab yours.