Seattle Update

Registration/Discount

The Cascade Cycling discount codes are still active but will come down soon so please giddy up and register if you are on the fence.

To get $25 off any ride distance just use "cascade25" upon check out once you register. 

To get $75 off the Super Gran fondo, use "cascadesuper" for a check out code.

Commentary on the Olympic Peninsula

The Echelon team has been busy getting ready for the inaugural Echelon Seattle Gran Fondo. Over the past few months, we have to say the riding on the Olympic Peninsula is some of the best we have encountered. This is truly one of the best kept cycling secrets and it is just a 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle. The ride begins with a police escort out of the charming ferry community of Kingston. Riders will stroll through the Kitsap Peninsula through the historic town of Port Gamble. The 70 mile, 100 mile and Super Gran Fondo riders then take a turn over the Hood Canal Bridge to the Olympic Peninsula. Riders will be rewarded with spectacular views of wooded shorelines, marshy wetlands, historic light houses, stunning snow capped mountains and much more. 

The Weather Facts--Come on over to the sunny side

Perhaps the best news about this ride is that it is protected by the “Rain Shadow.”  Even if rain is in the forecast for Seattle (imagine that), the sun may still be out in from Port Townsend to Port Angeles and all points in between.  Some may call this statement bold or a myth, but our friends at http://www.olympicrainshadow.com/ have collected data that proves the Rain Shadow is real! Our friends at the Bicycle Paper even wrote about this as well

http://bicyclepaper.com/articles/274-Bike-on-Over-to-the-Sunnier-Side

Some News on the Courses

We have tweaked our Super Gran Fondo and 100 mile Gran Fondo to provide even more scenic routes on remote roads that provide access to Discovery Bay, The Straight of Juan De Fuca and Fort Worden.  Gran Fondo Director David Cochran lived his first 28 years in Edmonds and says, “Over the past few months, I have discovered parts of the Olympic Peninsula I never knew existed.  I rarely jumped on the boat to come out to Port Townsend or Sequim and had no idea how beautiful and scenic the area is.  Fort Worden is truly a gem that everyone should experience from the historic military buildings to the lighthouse at Point Wilson; riders will feel that they have been transported to another time.”

Super Gran Fondo news--Riding down the Hurricane

The national park is offering us this treasure of a climb but in year one, they just don't want us riding down the mountain (long story about accidents in national parks elsewhere. The park's council welcomes this event but just wants to be extra cautious in year one. It is not a treacherous descent but it can be cold on the way down and after you have ridden 83 miles to the base then climbed 17 to the top, a nice warm bus and a towel will be welcome. We plan to offer the ability to ride down next year. Bring a pack with a change of clothes so you can have a dry bus ride back to the Kingston festival.

Fred Hutchinson/Livestrong

“TOUR DE FRANCE” STYLE CYCLING EVENT SET FOR HURRICANE RIDGE IN WASHINGTON STATE.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program and LIVESTRONG® named beneficiaries of July 23rd Echelon Gran Fondo.

(Seattle, WA – January 18th, 2011) – The Echelon Gran Fondo, a “Tour de France” style cycling event organized by PlanetZ/Echelon, will become the first organized cycling event of its kind in Washington state’s Olympic National Park this summer.

The July 23rd ride will benefit the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program and LIVESTRONG with four courses, including an exclusive challenge for just 500 cyclists on a course to the 5757-foot summit of Hurricane Ridge. Also available will be three other rides ranging from 30 to 100 miles between the towns of Kingston and Hadlock.

All participants will start the day with breakfast aboard a Washington State ferry departing from Edmonds. The rides then begin in Kingston and proceed through the hills of Kitsap County with the Super Gran Fondo finishing on the summit of Hurricane Ridge. A celebratory after-party will be held in Kingston. “No such ride has ever been produced like this and we wanted to offer something special for our Hutchinson Center and LIVESTRONG supporters,” said Echelon’s Executive Director, Hunter Ziesing. “We could not be more excited about this partnership as we intend to up the game in experience and funds raised for our primary beneficiary, the Hutchinson Center which has a LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence.”

Distinct from the LIVESTRONG Challenge, which will not be returning to Seattle in 2011, the Echelon event will carry the torch outside of the urban environment to stage the event among the stunning scenery of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. LIVESTRONG local chair, Patrick Chatfield commented, “As a Seattle LIVESTRONG supporter and mentor for previous Challenges in the Northwest, I am thrilled to support the Echelon Gran Fondo this year, and excited about Echelon’s partnership and support of both beneficiaris for this event.  I invite previous Challenge participants to join us at this grassroots level in 2011.”

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program offers resources, support and education to survivors in the years after cancer treatment. Supported primarily by LIVESTRONG, the program is located in the outpatient clinic of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which unites the cancer-care services of the Hutchinson Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. For more information visit http://www.fhcrc.org/survivorship.

Echelon, which also produces events in Tucson, Napa, Fort Collins, Palo Alto and Portland, recently became the largest operator of Gran Fondos in the U.S. The Echelon series, intended for cyclists of all levels, combines riding, racing and fundraising. The Gran Fondo events introduce what organizers call “Tour de France-style frivolity” to lighten the serious nature of fundraising. The fundamental difference from other charity rides is the ride itself, or, as Ziesing calls it, “theater on the roads.” Cyclists ride a “grand tour for a day.” At an Echelon event, a rider can expect announcers, balloons, cheerleaders, helicopters, live music, marching bands, epicurean treats, and a cast of characters a la Alpe d’Huez. 

Cyclists will have the opportunity to fundraise or pay full registration. For more information on the Echelon Grand Fondo, or to register, visit http://www.echelongranfondo.org/seattle/register.html

About PlanetZ/Echelon:

PlanetZ, a non-profit global member organization, promotes human affairs including health, environment, and community. PlanetZ, strongly committed to the cycling community, creates events and fitness challenges to raise money for local and national cancer-focused institutions. LIVESTRONG® is Echelon’s national beneficiary. Each event city has its own locally named beneficiary for Echelon’s fundraising program. For more information, please visit http://www.echelongranfondo.org

About Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center:

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. FHCRC researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.

About LIVESTRONG®

LIVESTRONG fights for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. LIVESTRONG™ gives people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on, and finds innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. LIVESTRONG connects people and communities to drive social change, and calls for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. For more information, please visit http://www.livestrong.org.

Media Contact: Rebecca Kotch

Email: Rebecca@rlkpr.com

Phone: 323.806.5900

News Pending in Seattle

Announcement coming soon on one of the most amazing ever gran fondo courses.