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at Tour of Saints!

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

Look for our booth at the Tour Chance to win Rudy eyewear!

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

28th Annual
Tour of Saints
Not a race.  A heavenly little ride.
35 and 50 miles

Sunday, July 13, 2008
NEW!  Register online with a credit card right at the Tour!

Online registration opens later this week for 2008.
Check back soon!

Check-in times 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.
You may start riding as soon as you are checked in.
Directions to the Tour start are below on this page.

Each summer from 200 cities across Minnesota,
cyclists gather in St. Joseph to pedal quiet byways,
sweat over challenging hills, relish the summer-rich morning
and savor fresh treats along the way.

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

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 28 miles is at Saint John's Parish Center, set at the edge of woodlands and lakes next to Saint John's University.  Cyclists enjoy fresh fruit, drinks and sinfully good Cold Spring Bakery cookies.

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.

Help along the way
If you and your bike need a lift, flag down one of the Gilleland Chevrolet support trucks roving the course.  Bike shop mechanics offer help at the food and rest stops.  Sheriff's deputies control traffic as needed.

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).  Pamper your muscles with a chair massage.  Or indulge in a full sports massage! 

Join us!  Here's how...

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

Get the shirt to celebrate your Tour
The Tour of Saints shirt again features a "cycling saints" image that has been popular with riders.  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.

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 exclusively for Tour of Saints participants.  Check in Saturday, explore the town and Lake Wobegon Trail (starting in St. Joseph) and enjoy a pasta dinner on Saturday 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!

To reserve a guest room or apartment online, click below.

Tour of Saints - Room Reservations

Pasta Dinner prices
Adult to age 13       $8.03
Child 4-12              $5.08
Child 3 & under       Free  Please make your dinner reservations in advance.  You can reserve Saturday dinner whether or not you reserve a room.
(A limited number of meals can be purchased on site.  All are welcome to enjoy the cash bar.)

To make your pasta dinner reservations, click below.

Saturday - Pasta Dinner Reservations

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

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  NEW - Tour of Saints 2007 in the news
  St. Cloud Times, July 9, 2007:  "Tour of Saints
  reflects popularity of biking," By Jami Marquardt

Dream of that perfect ride...

"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