Home Sweet Home

We have arrived back in Louisville after a 271 mile car ride from Union City, Tn. Our GPS software as set to calculate travel times in bicycle speeds, and when I told everyone it would take 17 hours to bicycle back, no one offered to ride and verify that! We pulled back into the MS Society office in Louisville at 8:45PM, after what was a 4:30 ride instead.

After finishing the ride at Union City High School, the city of Union City showed their generosity to us for the second straight year. The school opened their athletic shower facilities to us so everyone could freshen up after the ride, and then we were treated to lunch at Ryan's by the Baptist Hospital. We can't thank Lorraine Gossett and the Baptist Hospital enough for their generosity. Lorraine is instrumental in planning and executing a fundraising walk in Union City that will likely pass the $1 million mark this year in funds raised. She joined us for lunch, and gave Bill a t-shirt from this year's walk.

Once we arrived at the high school, the SAG team wanted everyoneto get together for a Team Photo. We took one at the beginning at the Breaks, and it only seemed right to take one at the end as well. Well, they had a plot up their sleeve. Some of you may recall that last year after we finished the ride, Todd Malone and I gave Bill Turner the "Gatorade Bath" that football coaches get after winning a big game. Well this year, the SAG Team waited for us to get together and pose, at which time, they pulled out cans of silly string and sprayed the entire team from head to toe. It was a well planned and executed idea, and brought out some laughs from everyone.

Now we all head home to decompress, rest, catch up with our families and friends, return to work, and reflect on the week that was. Several team members have already started the process of analyzing the 2008 TdK in prepartion for planning 2009!

For most of us, we will look forward to the MS Bike the Bluegrass ride coming up JUne 7-8. For Team TdK, this ride will be an opportunity to ride together again, and to celebrate what was accomplished this week. If you want to join us on the MS ride, check out www.bikethebluegrass.com for details. A new route from Churchill Downs to Keeneland should make this a great ride!

Keep checking back this week as we get more pictures and video from this week together and ready to share.

Day 8 Montage

Here is a compilation of video shot on Day 8. This includes some of the lead up to the ride, as well as the morning prayer said before each ride day. On this day, the prayer was led by Lee Anne Turner. The quote she references about the ship is from a sign in the restroom of the gas station we started at today. When Bill and Lee Anne were scouting potential routes in preparation for the inaugural TdK, Lee Anne was unsure that Bill was doing the right thing. When she saw the sign, she knew everything was OK, and that TdK was the way to go.

One of the coolest traditions of day 8 of the TdK is the paceline leaving the Day 8 rest stop. The team lines up in age order, from oldest to youngest, and each person takes a mile or so leading the pace line. As each rider ends their mile, they pull off the front and start drifting back towards the rear of the line. As they pass each rider, they exchange high fives or fist bumps and congratulate each other on the successes of the trip. This is captured in this video as Jan John finishes her turn in front.

The finish line

Everyone has reached the finish line of the 2008 Tour de Kentucky.
We were greeted at the finish line by Dick Eudaley (2007 TdK SAG Team member and 80 something year old uncle of Lee Anne Turner), who drove up from Texas to greet everyone at the finish.

Well, I guess it may be the finish line for this part of Tour de Kentucky. The team still intends to ride the postponed recovery ride in the near future to bring the total ride to 715 miles.

Most everyone will also be riding June 7 and 8 in the MS Bike the Bluegrass event from Churchill Downs to Keeneland, where we will celebrate the TdK team.

Here are a few photos from the celebratory champagne toast at the rest stop today.

Celebrate good times

Team TdK has reached the final rest stop of Tour de Kentucky 2008. Waiting for them was a table filled with champagne glasses.
Everyone has toasted to the successes of the last week, and to the friendships we have forged both together, and with our MS Champions.
The riders are looking forward to these last 20 miles together.

Heading towards the end

The riders got started today from Wickliffe on time this morning under beautiful sunny skies and light winds. 

The first leg today of 23 miles is over gentle rolling hills with some long flat stretches, and all the riders are in the saddle this morning for the final ride.

Day 8 Preview

With the changes to the plan due to the closure of the Dorena ferry, we are starting today's ride in Wickliffe, Ky. instead of Sikeston, Mo. Since we actually added Missouri to our list of states yesterday, we lose only some miles off the planned 740. This plan does require a 45 min shuttle ride to the new start point, so everyone will be ready to go so we can finish timely and start making the trip back home.
The ride itself is now planned at 43.9 miles, and runs down US51 south from Wickliffe. This section of the route follows part of the MRT- Mississippi River Trail- a 3,000 mile series of bicycle friendly roads that follow both sides of the Mississippi River from Minnesota south to New Orleans.
Once off of US 51 in Clinton, Ky, we turn onto KY 239, which is designated as a Kentucky Scenic Byway. This road leads us into Tennessee and to Union City- our final destination.
Once we arive in Union City, we lunch at Ryan's Steak House, compliments of the Baptist Hospital there, and then head for home.
Weather looks very similar to Day 7- sunny, high of 76, winds 7-14 mph but from the West-Northwest. This will be more of a crosswind, with a little wind at the rider's backs.
Should be a fun 44 mile ride with a few surprises in store.