WATERVILLE, Maine — Maine state officials say an internationally recognized bicycle touring organization is planning a big tour in Maine next year.
The Department of Economic and Community Development says Velo Quebec Evenements is headed to Maine in August 2013 to host a grand tour of about 2,000 participants traveling more than 600 miles by bicycle over a seven-day period.
Every year the group selects a new destination and this will be the first in Maine. Event organizers were in Maine last week to speak with state tourism officials and communities along the proposed route.
Many of the participants will camp in designated areas, but several hundred will stay in local inns and hotels.
Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais says VQE’s tour is a tremendous economic opportunity for the state.
I wonder how much it will cost Maine drivers in gas and fuel to avoid interfering with those 2000 bicycles for 7 days. The “economic opportunity” must be for the fuel companies in Maine.
Actually, if the drivers slow down and share the road as the law requires, the drivers will probably save money in gas. Some residents may be inspired to take up cycling themselves and therefore save money on gas. If you want to get technical about it, futures on energy derived from human fat are at record lows. It seems that storage space is at an all-time low as waistbands are expanding more than ever. It’s all economics, really. Seriously, though, if more people were to commute by walking and biking, it would not only reduce the demand for petroleum products, but it would help control healthcare costs as well. Not to mention that tourism is a major ecomonic player in Maine since the majority of manufacturing has bailed from the state. I think this is really exciting news.
How about a link so the local cyclists can check them out? Pretty please?
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