Long Distance Aided by Tailwind, Low Temperatures

Aug. 7, 2008—A good night’s sleep, cooler temperatures and a tailwind was the right mixture to boost the morale of the Sea to Sea cycling troupe yesterday.

Facing the longest single-day distance of the tour Wednesday, Sea to Sea riders were greeted with favorable weather conditions: cloudy with a light rain, temperatures in the low 80’s, and most importantly, a 15 mile-per-hour tailwind.

“Everybody loved it,” says Dave Geerlings, of Holland, Mich, concerning the 113-mile ride from Sioux Center to Algona, Iowa. “I think there will be a lot of positive comments at our meeting tonight.”

Wednesday’s ride was preceded by an evening of celebration at Dordt College in Sioux Center that Geerlings described as “fantastic.”

“[The Dordt staff] served the evening meal and many locals joined us for a celebration service and our ‘peloton’ meeting, which gave them an idea of what happens on tour,” he says. “And then we had some more snacks. The ladies made fresh fruit pies and that went over real well.”

Tour participants also appreciated the opportunity to sleep in real beds as Dordt, one of the Sea to Sea’s sponsors, opened its dorms to the cyclists and support crew members.

Chilliwack, BC’s Randy DeWolde, a graduate of Dordt, was excited to visit his alma mater. “Dordt looks great,” he writes in his blog. “There are many new facilities since I was a student here 30 years ago. I don't know how anyone would have time to study now. I found my old room (North Hall 305), the lecture auditorium, etc… It's really neat to be here.”

Today, riders face the same 113-mile, 182-km distance on their way from Algona to New Hampton, followed immediately by a 100-mile, 161-km ride on Friday into Fennimore, Wis. The direction of the wind will likely continue to have a significant effect on the overall mood of the group.

—Sea to Sea Communications

www.SeatoSea.org