El Tour de Tucson: On Demarchi's double duty, riding for a cause, more cowbell
- Updated
Seen and heard at El Tour de Tucson.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Riding 106 miles in 4 hours 22 minutes 18.75 seconds is enough to tire anyone out. But, competing in the Arizona Ironman in Tempe tomorrow right after riding 106 miles—are you kidding?
Nope. Chris Demarchi, who is from Los Angeles and rides for Monster Media Racing is doing just that.
Oh, and by the way, he finished sixth in El Tour.
Not bad for a typical day of work for him.
Demarchi, who has raced professionally for 18 years, has a plan to get ready for tomorrow.
“I’m leaving in an hour,” he said. “After my drive (to Tempe), I’ll eat, get my protein in, shower and get off my legs—do some compression.”
What kept him just out of the leaders pack in El Tour this year?
“I dropped a chain coming out of the wash and once that happened, I was out of it,” he said. Those guys (the top four finishers, all from the Mexican National team) just had it today.”
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Demarchi, a veteran of eight rides, said the wind really impacted this year’s event.
“It’s funny as it is normally cold, but the winds were brutal,” he said. “The last 20 miles were right into the headwind and it was really hard. We (2 on team Monster Media and 2 on Stone House) shared the workload and it was difficult. You’ll see groups of two or three, or four-or five coming in (and finishing) now—no huge packs of finishers.”
How did the winner, Hector Rangel, who races with P&S Group and is a member of the Mexican National Team, deal with the wind?
“The wind was an important factor,” he said, while rehydrating after his 4:10:47.12 finish. “I had to use double the effort to finish—it was a main concern.”
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Rotarians riding in El Tour raised nearly $800,000 towards their challenge to End Polio Now, #RidetoEndPolio. As of Saturday, internationally Rotarians have raised $8.3 million of their $10 million goal.
Since 1988, cases of epidemic polio have decreased 99% and is now found in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twilight Wish Foundation’s team rode in the 55 mile event. A beneficiary of El Tour, the charity focuses on making wishes come true for low-income seniors and veterans. Wishes are granted using a pink wand with music and are always a surprise.
“We’ve been in Tucson almost 11 years,” said Rose Muzzy, who heads the Doylestown, Pennsylvania-based Foundation here in Tucson. “We send some veterans for the Honor Flight and pay for wishes here during the year. We’ve granted teeth (to a woman who was using her sister’s teeth!), and reunited families.”
Muzzy’s daughter, Lisa Mach, was the leader of the El Tour riding team.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) team consisted of more than 2,000 riders from all over the country. Those who participated in JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes, raised more than $8,000.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Yes, cowbells were out and used loudly and proudly for fans lining the start/finish line.
One of those using the cowbells supplied by Encantada Living, luxury apartments in Tucson and Phoenix, was Roberta Frey. She parked herself near the starting line at 5:30 a.m. to support her husband, James, and other riders. James was riding his seventh El Tour, and Roberta was prepared for the day.
“I did this last year,” she said. “I have my drinks, food, IPad with me—everything to keep me busy.”
As the temperature started to rise, she took off another layer, her flannel jacket. She started cheering and ringing her cowbell for yet another child finishing the Fun Ride.
“I love it,” she continued. “I really like how the kids light up when they come by here.”
Another woman, who was waiting for her husband, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, well, you get it—basically most of her family—was sitting in a chair doing homework.
“There are not many times when I have time without my six year old,” said Angela Tenace, who is studying to be a medical assistant to give her more time to spend with her daughter, Adalynne.
After crossing the finish line in a tandem bike with her dad, Adalynne ran into Angela’s open arms to celebrate her finish.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
One of the most important roles in the operation of the El Tour happens behind the scenes.
In fact, it is so out of the way in the Armory Senior Center, it shared a room with the folded up Tucson Table Tennis Club’s ping-pong tables.
Communications director Cary Fishman sat at a small table barely big enough to hold the ham radio, the maps and spreadsheets with all his information on the ham radio operators at the aid stations, his thermos of coffee.
It’s not easy to keep up: The 17 aid stations are broken into four sectors. One or two ham radio operators sat at each station.
“It’s a complicated operation,” said Fishman. “So far everything is good. No injuries, but later in the afternoon we get the bikers who bit off more than they could chew—whether it is 106 miles or 75 miles. They ask for the SAG wagon for a ride back.”
And, exactly what is QRT?
“This came from morse code,” he said. “It is the shorthand that ham operators use. QRT means shutting radio off.”
The ham operators working the El Tour were volunteering because that’s what they do…public service.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
These are the guys you want waiting for you when you cross the finish line: the Arizona Disaster Medical Assistance Team 1.
“We’re the first line of defense,” said John Gorski, one of the leads at the tent at the finish line at 12th and 6th streets in TEP’s parking lot. “When it’s something major we call the Fire Department. Usually it’s someone fell and skinned their knee or they need rehydration. A few years ago when it rained riders had hypothermia.”
One of Gorski’s teammates, Lance Zaaks, who has been volunteering for El Tour for three years, has a strategy on how to help riders.
“Once the riders come in, I watch them as they get off their bikes,” he said. “If they are really stiff, I can see it and go over to assist them.”
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
Riding 106 miles in 4 hours 22 minutes 18.75 seconds is enough to tire anyone out. But, competing in the Arizona Ironman in Tempe tomorrow right after riding 106 miles—are you kidding?
Nope. Chris Demarchi, who is from Los Angeles and rides for Monster Media Racing is doing just that.
Oh, and by the way, he finished sixth in El Tour.
Not bad for a typical day of work for him.
Demarchi, who has raced professionally for 18 years, has a plan to get ready for tomorrow.
“I’m leaving in an hour,” he said. “After my drive (to Tempe), I’ll eat, get my protein in, shower and get off my legs—do some compression.”
What kept him just out of the leaders pack in El Tour this year?
“I dropped a chain coming out of the wash and once that happened, I was out of it,” he said. Those guys (the top four finishers, all from the Mexican National team) just had it today.”
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
Demarchi, a veteran of eight rides, said the wind really impacted this year’s event.
“It’s funny as it is normally cold, but the winds were brutal,” he said. “The last 20 miles were right into the headwind and it was really hard. We (2 on team Monster Media and 2 on Stone House) shared the workload and it was difficult. You’ll see groups of two or three, or four-or five coming in (and finishing) now—no huge packs of finishers.”
How did the winner, Hector Rangel, who races with P&S Group and is a member of the Mexican National Team, deal with the wind?
“The wind was an important factor,” he said, while rehydrating after his 4:10:47.12 finish. “I had to use double the effort to finish—it was a main concern.”
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
Rotarians riding in El Tour raised nearly $800,000 towards their challenge to End Polio Now, #RidetoEndPolio. As of Saturday, internationally Rotarians have raised $8.3 million of their $10 million goal.
Since 1988, cases of epidemic polio have decreased 99% and is now found in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twilight Wish Foundation’s team rode in the 55 mile event. A beneficiary of El Tour, the charity focuses on making wishes come true for low-income seniors and veterans. Wishes are granted using a pink wand with music and are always a surprise.
“We’ve been in Tucson almost 11 years,” said Rose Muzzy, who heads the Doylestown, Pennsylvania-based Foundation here in Tucson. “We send some veterans for the Honor Flight and pay for wishes here during the year. We’ve granted teeth (to a woman who was using her sister’s teeth!), and reunited families.”
Muzzy’s daughter, Lisa Mach, was the leader of the El Tour riding team.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) team consisted of more than 2,000 riders from all over the country. Those who participated in JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes, raised more than $8,000.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
Yes, cowbells were out and used loudly and proudly for fans lining the start/finish line.
One of those using the cowbells supplied by Encantada Living, luxury apartments in Tucson and Phoenix, was Roberta Frey. She parked herself near the starting line at 5:30 a.m. to support her husband, James, and other riders. James was riding his seventh El Tour, and Roberta was prepared for the day.
“I did this last year,” she said. “I have my drinks, food, IPad with me—everything to keep me busy.”
As the temperature started to rise, she took off another layer, her flannel jacket. She started cheering and ringing her cowbell for yet another child finishing the Fun Ride.
“I love it,” she continued. “I really like how the kids light up when they come by here.”
Another woman, who was waiting for her husband, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, well, you get it—basically most of her family—was sitting in a chair doing homework.
“There are not many times when I have time without my six year old,” said Angela Tenace, who is studying to be a medical assistant to give her more time to spend with her daughter, Adalynne.
After crossing the finish line in a tandem bike with her dad, Adalynne ran into Angela’s open arms to celebrate her finish.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
One of the most important roles in the operation of the El Tour happens behind the scenes.
In fact, it is so out of the way in the Armory Senior Center, it shared a room with the folded up Tucson Table Tennis Club’s ping-pong tables.
Communications director Cary Fishman sat at a small table barely big enough to hold the ham radio, the maps and spreadsheets with all his information on the ham radio operators at the aid stations, his thermos of coffee.
It’s not easy to keep up: The 17 aid stations are broken into four sectors. One or two ham radio operators sat at each station.
“It’s a complicated operation,” said Fishman. “So far everything is good. No injuries, but later in the afternoon we get the bikers who bit off more than they could chew—whether it is 106 miles or 75 miles. They ask for the SAG wagon for a ride back.”
And, exactly what is QRT?
“This came from morse code,” he said. “It is the shorthand that ham operators use. QRT means shutting radio off.”
The ham operators working the El Tour were volunteering because that’s what they do…public service.
- PJ Brown Arizona Daily Star
These are the guys you want waiting for you when you cross the finish line: the Arizona Disaster Medical Assistance Team 1.
“We’re the first line of defense,” said John Gorski, one of the leads at the tent at the finish line at 12th and 6th streets in TEP’s parking lot. “When it’s something major we call the Fire Department. Usually it’s someone fell and skinned their knee or they need rehydration. A few years ago when it rained riders had hypothermia.”
One of Gorski’s teammates, Lance Zaaks, who has been volunteering for El Tour for three years, has a strategy on how to help riders.
“Once the riders come in, I watch them as they get off their bikes,” he said. “If they are really stiff, I can see it and go over to assist them.”
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