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Questions?
Michael Doyle, Event Director
320-266-7579
info@tourofsaints.com

Tour of Saints
PO Box 322
St. Joseph, MN  56374


St. Cloud, MN
(320) 251-2453 (BIKE)
We've got your new bike!

The body, stronger.
The mind, sharper.
The air, cleaner.
The grass, greener.

The pretzels, crisper.
The beer, colder.
The weekday, shorter.
The weekend, longer.

The sun, brighter.
The sky, bluer.
Life is better when you ride bikes.
- Gary Fisher



A resource for people with cancer.

Tour de France logo
That other July Tour

32nd Annual
Tour of Saints
Not a race.  A heavenly little ride.
35 and 50 miles

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Online registration opens soon for 2012!

Check-in times 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.
You may start riding as soon as you are checked in.
For directions to the Tour start, visit the registration page
or click the Directions link on the left of this page.

Each summer from 200 cities across Minnesota,
cyclists gather in St. Joseph to pedal quiet byways,
churn uphill and sail downhill, relish the verdant summer morning
and savor fresh treats along the way.

Become a part of the tradition.
Make this the year you ride Tour of Saints.

Photos by Paul Phillips, Competitive Image

"A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness."
- James E. Starrs, The Noiseless Tenor

About the ride...

Check-in runs from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
After checking in, you may begin riding any time between 6:30 and 8:30.  Our rest stops and finish are geared to this schedule, so please plan to start no later than 8:30 a.m.

Start at the College of Saint Benedict
(Coming far? Stay overnight at the Tour start!  See below)
The tour starts and ends at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota.  The course traces 35 undulating miles of scenic byways, with a 50-mile option you can choose along the way.  Riders enjoy rest stops with food and drink spaced along the scenic course.

Sinful treats at the rest stops
Cold Spring, the first stop at 12 miles, is home to the popular Cold Spring Bakery.  Their crew offers fresh pastries, fruit, cool water and energy drinks.  The second stop at 27 miles is at Collegeville Orchards near Saint John's Abbey and University, set at the edge of woodlands and lakes.  Cyclists enjoy fresh fruit, drinks and sinfully good Cold Spring Bakery cookies.

Help along the way
If you and your bike need a lift during the tour, you'll be able to call the St. Cloud Amateur Radio Club (W0SV), and they'll send one of the Gilleland Chevrolet support trucks roving the course to pick you up. Bike shop mechanics offer help at the food and rest stops.

Stop to smell the flowers
Look for native wildflowers as you pass the Saint John's Arboretum -- oak savanna, wetland and a prairie that hosts 4,800 plants and flowers.  The staff manages 2,500 acres of land stewarded by the Benedictine monks of Saint John's Abbey.

Feeling strong?  Go for 50!
At 31 miles, riders choose the short course to the finish for a 35-mile day or follow the 50-mile course.  At Avon's city park next to the Lake Wobegon Trail, 50-mile cyclists are welcomed with fresh fruit, candy bars and cool drinks at the last rest stop.

Ah!  A fine finish!
Reunite with friends and family at the finish in cool comfort at the College of Saint Benedict, where you can slurp on watermelon and sip lemonade.  Showers are available (bring a towel).

Join us!  Here's how...

Register online or download a brochure with entry form
Click on the Registration link here or at the top of this page to register.

Get the shirt to celebrate your Tour
The Tour of Saints shirt features an all new design for 2011!  Order shirts for $12 in advance and pick them up at the Tour.  On Tour day, shirts sell for $15 as available.  Shirts are printed in advance based on projected demand and may sell out on Tour day. Collector shirts from past years sell as available at the Tour.

You can also order a Tour of Saints sweatshirt for $35 in advance or buy one for $40 on Tour day (2XL add $2)

Driving far?  Come on Saturday!
Avoid that pre-dawn car trip -- stay right at the Tour start!  Each year more riders discover this option to enjoy their Tour experience.  Learn more below.

Book a room or apartment at the Tour
You can be a guest of the College of Saint Benedict, and wake up at the Tour of Saints start on Sunday morning.  The college offers pleasant, private guest rooms for Tour of Saints participants.  Check in Saturday, explore the town and Lake Wobegon Trail (starting in St. Joseph) and pick a restaurant to enjoy a meal in town in the evening.  Breakfast is available Sunday morning before the ride, and you don't need to check out Sunday until after you finish Tour of Saints!

Guest room and apartment rates will open soon
Prices below are reflect 2011 prices - 2012 will be similar

Single rooms (for one)                             $46.17
Double occupancy (two beds)                 $59.06
Apartments for 2-4 people                    $176.10
       (Include kitchens, bathrooms and showers.
Each guest has a private bedroom.)

Online reservations will open soon for 2012.
Questions?  Call CSB Special Events at (320) 363-5868. Be sure to mention that you'll be riding Tour of Saints.

In town for the weekend?
From the Welcome Center in St. Joseph, explore the scenic Lake Wobegon Trail by bicycle on Saturday! Click here to learn more about the Lake Wobegon Trail.

Join Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
Join this 1,500-member strong organization of cyclists now to make Minnesota more bicycle friendly. As a special incentive to join, we'll let you pick your favorite Tour of Saints design from the $10 Collector Shirts sold at the Tour! Learn more about the work of the Bicycle Alliance at BikeMn.org.

Back to top

Questions?  Contact Michael Doyle, Event Director
320-266-7579 or E-mail
info@tourofsaints.com

Watch the Tour of Saints video

Click image to play on YouTube (4 mins.)

Send the link to your friends. Post it on your bike club's website, or share it on your Facebook page!

Cold Spring Bakery treats at Mile 12!
Photo by Dave Simpkins

Lake Wobegon Trailhead Park in Avon.
Minnesota Trails photo

New design for 2011 Tour T-shirt! 


Dream of that perfect ride...

A single room awaits a guest at the College of Saint Benedict, just steps from the Tour start. Rooms for couples and apartments for families or small groups are also available. Click on the photo to view apartments and learn more about guest housing.

"When the spirits are low,
when the day appears dark,
when work becomes monotonous,
when hope hardly seems worth having,
just mount a bicycle
and go out for a spin down the road,
without thought on anything
but the ride you are taking."
         - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1896