SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — More than 700 bicyclists are making their way to Sierra Vista for the El Tour de Zona. The tour stars on Friday and concludes Sunday with the riders traveling to Tombstone.
The first ride is Friday and will take the cyclists around Sierra Vista. Saturday's ride goes to Bisbee, with the whole city embracing the ride.
Stu Carter, co-organizer for the event, said the reasoning for bringing this event to Cochsie County is the areas weather is warmer than most other parts of the county — which means people are more likely to come for the tour.
“It lets people know that we have a great cycling community here," he said. "So they’ll come back even when there’s not the El Tour de Zona to enjoy riding here.”
In its second year, the event is bringing more than 700 riders from more than 35 different states. With the large amount of visitors to the area, the city is anticipating a large amount of money to be spent locally, which will benefit the area.
“We want them to enjoy the sky islands we have here," Carter said. "Which is nothing more than a bunch of mountains surrounded by desert instead of ocean.”
With the influx of bicycle riders on the road the Sierra Vista Police Department is reminding the community to share the roads and be cautious this weekends. Cpl. Scott Borgstadt of SVPD says divers should give cyclists 3 feet of space from them.
“We really need people to pay extra special attention this weekend," Borgstadt said. "If you see cyclists move over to the other lane to be extra safe. If not, slow down and give them that three-foot space.”
Roads around the city will be closed or reduced to one lane. SVPD is recommending divers give themselves extra time in case they come across closed streets or cyclists. The tour is not designed to be a race, so participants will be traveling at their own pace and encourage to take in the sights they encounter.
Veterans Memorial Park will be the central hub for the event. There will also be music and events taking place for anyone to participate in.
