(1)

Completing Your Registration

(a) Pay remaining fees and/or contributions on/or before Friday, April 1, if you haven't already done so.

(b) Pick up your rider numbers, packet, T-shirt and
poster at Bike, Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, April 1 at:

Mesa Convention Center

Building B
201 N Center Street
Mesa, AZ
Expo hours: 10 am - 8 pm

New for 2011: each cyclist is now required to pick up his own packet. Photo I.D. required. No pick-up option by friends/family. This helps assure all cyclists attend our Safety & Orientation Meeting and receive all important handouts and most current event information. Thank you for your cooperation.

Packet Pick-Up instructions upon entering Bike Expo:

Plan to attend an Orientation Meeting prior or after your pick up.

Step 1: Receive route card and Expo map from Station #1.
Step 2: Find your name on number boards next to Station #1.
           (Cyclists not yet registered skip to Step 5).
Step 3: Find your number.
Step 4: Write name and number on route card.
Step 5: Proceed to Station #2.
Step 6: Proceed to Station 3: Go to packet pick up table
            corresponding to your rider number.
            (New cyclists: Go to NEW REGISTRATION table.)
Step 7: Proceed to chip pick up table.
Step 8: Attend a FREE Orientation meeting.

El Tour is unable to accept credit cards for fee payments except for online registration. Cash or check only.

For Expo exhibit information, contact Kristi Wagner at 520-745-2033 or email development@perimeterbicycling.com.

(1.1)

Registration Confirmation

Online registrations are immediately sent a welcome letter via email; to insure your receipt of this confirmation. Please add to your address book “onlineregistration@perimeterbicycling.com”.

Registrations completed with a hardcopy application are snail mailed a welcome letter. Allow two weeks for processing.  If you have not received a welcome letter by this time, please contact us to assure receipt of your application and that you are registered in this year's event. info@perimeterbicycling.com

You may confirm your entry and correct information by checking your name on Registered Cyclists. This list is updated each Friday. If you do not see your name within two weeks of mailing, contact us at: 520-745-2033 or by e-mailing: info@perimeterbicycling.com

(2.0)

Information & Rules Booklet

Complete information regarding the Tour will be given to you at the time of Packet Pick-up/Bike Expo in the Information & Rules Booklet. All rules, activities, directions to start lines and Tour tips are presented in this booklet. Due to many last minute changes, the booklet will not be available until Packet Pick-up. In the meantime, please read all updates here and visit our Rules page.

(3.0)

Packet & Chip Pick Up

All registered cyclists must pick up his/her packet, rider number, T-shirt at Tour Bike Expo on Friday, April 1, at Bike Expo:

Mesa Convention Center
Building B
201 N Center Street
Mesa, AZ
10 am - 8 pm
Free parking outside building. See map below.

Mesa Convention Center diagram – Building B
Directions from Windemere Hotel to Mesa Convention Center

New for 2011: each cyclist is now required to pick up his own packet. Photo I.D. required. No pick-up option by friends/family. This helps assure all cyclists attend our Safety & Orientation Meeting and receive all important handouts and most current event information. Thank you for your cooperation.

There is NO packet pick-up on ride day except for Fun Ride.

For Expo exhibit information, contact Kristi Wagner at 520-745-2033 or email development@perimeterbicycling.com.

(3.1)

Safety & Orientation Meetings Attendance Highly Encouraged !

2011 Information Orientation Points

FREE Orientation meetings are held for Tour cyclists. Meetings will take place each half hour at the Tour Bike Expo/Packet Pick-Up and present important information about route conditions, updated cautions as well as offer safe cycling tips.

Attendance is highly encouraged for all cyclists regardless of how many times you may have participated in the event. Route conditions are subject to change each year. We encourage every cyclist to attend one of these meetings, which last approximately 15 minutes, starting at 9:30 am and continue every half hour through 7:30 pm, when the last meeting occurs.

 (3.2)

Platinum

Two Platinum meetings for pre-qualified cyclists will be held at Bike Expo/Packet Pick Up at 12:00pm & 6:00pm.

All pre-qualified Platinum cyclists MUST attend one meeting for line up on Ride Day. Passes will be distributed upon completion of meeting and cannot be issued in the case of non-attendance. There are no other meetings. There is NO platinum meeting on Ride Day. If you do not have a platinum pass issued at one of the above meetings, you will be unable to line up in the Platinum section on Ride Day.

Platinum information

(4.0)

Dedication
Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. has selected Scottsdale resident Rich Pierson, a long-time supporter El Tour de Phoenix and Perimeter lifetime member, as its official 2011 dedication recipient for the 21st El Tour de Mesa (formerly Phoenix). Rich is the owner and founder of Tempe-based Pierson Construction Corporation, the event’s title sponsor for 2003 and 2005 and its presenting sponsor since 2006. Rich offers additional support throughout the community. In 2007, he underwrote the efforts of world handcycling champion Greg Hockensmith’s successful summit of Japan’s Mt Fuji and he has provided funding for assistance devices designed for the physically challenged. Rich's dedication and support makes him the ideal choice as this year's recipient.

Rich will be officially honored at a dedication dinner on Thursday, March 31 at the Mesa Convention Center. The dinner is open to the public but seating is limited. For those wishing to attend, click here to register. Please R.S.V.P. by Monday, March 28.

(5.0)

Hotel Information
The following are “Official Hotels” for El Tour de Mesa. Please make your reservations early to insure a room and request the special Tour rates.

Windemere Resort & Conference Center
5750 E. Main Street
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 985-3600 or (800) 888-3561. 
Special room rate of $75.00/night.  Participants must call the hotel and ask for the special El Tour de Mesa (formerly El Tour de Phoenix) room rate.  (special rate will not work when booking on website.)  This hotel is approximately 2.5 miles from the start/finish line.

Phoenix Marriott Mesa Hotel & Conference Center
200 N. Centennial Way
Mesa, AZ 85201
(800) 835-9873
Request the “El Tour de Mesa” group rate of $109.00/night.  Guests can call the hotel directly or register on their website using the following link and code:  www.marriott.com/phxmm and enter the group code perpera.  Hotel is within walking distance of the Expo/Packet Pick-up site at the Mesa Convention Center and about 9 miles from the start/finish line.

(6.0)

Medallion Times for 72-Mile Cyclists  

All medallions will be given out at the medallion tent at
Red Mountain Park in Mesa, AZ

Platinum qualification information

(6.1)

Medallions for 26-Mile Cyclists

All 26-mile finishers will receive a Gold Medallion regardless of time finished.

Medallions will be given out at the medallion tent at
Red Mountain Park in Mesa, AZ

(7.0)

Event Starting Times, Locations & Parking
Start time for the 26-mile event has changed for 2011

ALL Events start and finish at Red Mountain Park, Mesa, AZ
FREE event parking will be in the Red Mountain High School parking lot. Red Mountain High School parking entrance is located at the corner of 70th Street and Brown, adjacent to Start/Finish Line. There is NO overnight parking at Red Mountain High School.

Directions from Windemere Hotel to Red Mountain High School parking area for all cyclists.

There is NO event parking at Red Mountain Park.
BOTH EVENTS START EXACTLY ON TIME! PLAN TO GET TO THE START AREA EARLY SO YOU DON’T MISS YOUR EVENT START!
NO RIDERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO START AFTER THEIR EVENT HAS ALREADY LEFT THE START AREA because of the ride’s permits with the various municipalities and the numerous intersections and the traffic issues throughout the route!!

(8.0)

Route Closure Time

All cyclists will be taken off the course at 1:30 pm. No exceptions. All course support including traffic control and aid stations will be discontinued at 1:30 pm. Cyclists riding after 1:30 pm can be disqualified by Tour officials. Those stopped by the 1:30 pm closing time will be SAGGED back to El Tour's finish line.
Each aid station along the route closes based on the distance from the finish line and the time needed to complete the route by 1:30 pm from that location. Route closure includes dismissal of police officers at each of the traffic light intersections along the entire route. 

View route map for aid station locations, including individual closure times.

(9.0)

Route Map

BOTH EVENTS PLEASE NOTE: ALL cyclists will continue south on Usery Pass (which becomes Ellsworth Rd after crossing McKellips Rd). Right turn at University Ave. This is the same as 2010.

Route Map/Cue Sheets

 (9.1)

Route: Aid Stations, Food & Water

There are 7 aid stations total along event routes serving bananas, oranges and water. At selected stations, we will also be serving cookies and/or pretzels.

Gatorade or other types of nutritional/electrolyte  drinks are not served. If you have a special dietary and/or nutritional needs, please come prepared.

To help reduce cramps and muscle spasms, drink plenty of water and eat bananas along the route and you should be fine.

We strongly recommend you carry with you one or two spare tubes, tire levers, tire patch kit and other basic bicycle gear. Carry at least one water bottle, a cell phone, change ($$) and wear a CPSC approved bicycle helmet (required).  Earbuds in BOTH ears violate event rules.  We strongly discourage use of earbuds.

(9.2)

Route: Bike Patrol

There will be approximately 20 trained Bike Patrol members out on event routes to help with mechanical problems, minor medical needs and encouragement. If you have a problem just flag down a Bike Patrol member and you will be given assistance. Bike Patrol cyclists are event officials. They are out there to help you; however, if necessary, they will disqualify cyclists for not following event rules.

Bike Patrol certification and sign-up information

(10.0)

DOUBLE LINE RULE TO BE ENFORCED!

Violators will be disqualified! Due to concerns for the safety of all El Tour Cyclists, the rule that states cyclists shall not cross a double line WILL be enforced this year. Police, Bike Patrol and other Course officials will take rider numbers of violators, who will be disqualified, and who will, as a result of their violation, not receive a finishing time, ranking or a medallion.
Please do not become a DQ statistic! Help us keep El Tour a safe, challenging and fun event.

PLEASE OBEY ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT DIRECTIVES AS WELL AS THOSE FROM BIKE PATROL AND OTHER EVENT OFFICIALS.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

(11.0)

Results

Unofficial results will be posted at the Tour Results Board within 20 to 30 minutes of crossing the Finish Line and will be continuously reposted approx. every 30 minutes.  We will also be posting those same results every 30 minutes on our website (baring internet/computer glitches) so you can tell your friends and family to check your results on their computer or cell phone.

Please look at the posted results BEFORE leaving the venue and contact us immediately with any corrections. We will publish official results in the May/June issue of Tail Winds newspaper, which will be mailed to all participants.

(11.1)

Timing Chip

A Chip Timing System for results is used. A computer chip will automatically record your time as you cross the Finish Line.
(Note: Your start time is "gun time" at your event Start Line and NOT the time you cross the Start Line.)

Our chip timing system is the same one as is used in the Tour de France and the Olympics and has a 99.99% read rate, but sometimes things happen (or don’t happen as the case may be).
THEREFORE - Please make sure you have placed your helmet number sticker (from your registration packet envelope) on your helmet and your bib number on your shirt as our backup system this year will be from video cameras located at the finish line!
Please be sure not to mix up your chip with your husband/wife/child, etc. - they are impossible to tell apart once they are taken out of their envelope!
If you decide to change your event mileage on event morning, you MUST inform an event official at your new start location, as this affects event results!  Please make your event mileage change prior to ride day if possible.
Attach chip to your ankle, preferably your LEFT, to avoid chain grease and drivetrain interference. Upon crossing the finish line, volunteers will collect your chip at the END OF THE FINISH LINE. It is your responsibility to make sure your chip is removed!!!! No Chip, No Results, No Time!!!! Chute volunteers will also be marking cyclists' bibs for proper medallion.

For safety purposes, please DO NOT REMAIN in the chute area once your chip is removed due to the continued flow of approaching finishers.

If you are unable to ride the event, please make sure you return your timing chip to Perimeter Bicycling as soon as possible.  This will avoid being charged the $85 replacement fee, referred to in your application's RIDER WAIVER FORM.

(12.0)

The Grand Cycling Awards Ceremony

The Tour's Performance Bicycle Grand Cycling Award Ceremony will be held at the Start/Finish Line at Red Mountain Park in Mesa beginning at 11:00am. All cyclists, volunteers and friends are invited to attend and celebrate everyone's accomplishments and cheer on the recipients.

Awards presented include 1st thru 3rd Place in the 72-mile & 26-mile events, Distinguished Male & Female awards, Outstanding Volunteer, Highest Money Raiser awards, Outstanding Bike Patrol plus many many more! Come join and celebrate with us!

 (13.0)

 Post Event: Compliments, Concerns & Issues

Upon completion of the Tour, if you have any issues, compliments or concerns, please e-mail us at: info@perimeterbicycling.com, call us at: 520-745-2033 or post a message on our message board and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

We hope you have a great ride and thank you for your participation and your support of Perimeter Bicycling events!

(14.0)

Additional Information

(a) Check back here every 3-4 days for new postings
(b) Leave a question on our message board and it will be answered
(c) Call El Tour Headquarters: 1-520-745-2033
(d) E-mail us at: info@perimeterbicycling.com