Press Release 07.15.2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 15, 2005
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
info@pedrosfest.com
781.871.9824.
Mavic Charity Marathon, Tyler Hamilton Foundation, Return to Pedrosfest
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. (July 15, 2005) Riders can take the high road or the low road to Mount Greylock at Pedrosfest. And both ways raise funds for great causes at the 11th Annual Pedro's Mountain Bike Festival, being held Aug. 5-7 in Western Massachusetts.
Within the three days of fun there will be one morning devoted to fundraising with the Mavic Charity Marathons on Saturday, Aug. 6.
One can ride the fat-tire event, the Mavic Lymphoma Research Foundation Marathon, or the skinny-tire event, the Tyler Hamilton Foundation Metric Century, Both rides start Saturday at 9 a.m. Both rides will bring riders up nearby Mount Greylock. And riders in both events will receive the world famous support of the Mavic Service Course, the same yellow-clad mechanics that service the riders in the Tour de France.
"At Mavic we have a strong affinity with both of these organizations," said Chris Zigmont, director of sales and marketing at Mavic USA. "We had started the off-road marathon two years ago. When Tyler Hamilton's group wanted to hold a road event, we simply raised the umbrella a bit higher to help them out."
"The Pedrosfest is such a great treasure - three days of nothing but riding and hanging with friends. It is a celebration of the bike and THF is very excited that it will help play a role in the PedrosFest this year and in years to come," said Tyler Hamilton, the only American to win a stage in all three "Grand Tours."
The Mavic Lymphoma Research Foundation Marathon offers a shorter ride of 12 miles or the longer 30-mile ride. This fat tire ride will raise funds in support of the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF), the nation's largest lymphoma-focused voluntary health organization devoted exclusively to funding research to cure all lymphomas and providing patients and healthcare professionals with critical information on the disease.
The Mavic Charity Marathon/THF Skinny Tire Ride will benefit the Tyler Hamilton Foundation dedicated to providing opportunity and access to individuals with multiple sclerosis and aspiring youth cyclists.
"The Berkshires has a special place in my heart as well as the heart of everyone at THF. Haven and I were married in the Berkshires, Joe Tonon, THF president, grew up in the Berkshires and Deirdre Moynihan, Executive Director lived and worked in Williamstown," said Tyler Hamilton. "It is definitely like coming home. And the riding is great, long stretches of road that go forever and Massachusetts' highest peak, Mt. Greylock. It was good training ground for me when I was in the East."
Hamilton himself hopes to attend the festival, provided his schedule allows.
The largest mountain bike festival in America, "Pedrosfest" is a rendezvous for cyclists of all ages, types, and abilities. Although the festival retains its muddy mountain bike heritage, this three-day extravaganza is also about music, great food, camping, and family oriented activities.
The musical acts have always been highlights of the festival, with bands playing Saturday night. A favorite event for families looking for a quieter evening has been the outdoor "ride-in" movie theater held Friday night. Increasingly road cycling events have been included in the schedule to complement the fat tire offerings.
One of the great features of the festival is the large selection of demo bikes offered by leading manufacturers. There is also a huge selection of components, clothing, and accessories in the expo area.
The 11th Annual Pedro's Mountain Bike Festival will be held Aug. 5-7 at Lanesborough, Mass. For more information visit www.pedrosfest.com , send e-mail to info@pedrosfest.com, or call 781.871.9824.
