I was writing at Truckee Book and Bean, my office away from home, enjoying a comfortable spot on the leather sofa, when a woman sat down next to me with a coffee and a cell phone. She dialed a number and spent the next half hour chitchatting loudly about someone else’s financial situation. I mention this scenario for two reasons. First of all, nobody wants to be bothered by your one-sided conversations. This is basic café etiquette. Please take your call outside, or tell the caller you’ll get back to them when you can speak freely. Secondly, I am giving you fair warning. My mission, as Java Jabber journalist, or ‘roving reporter’ as I’ve recently been titled, is to find the stories in local cafes. Your phone call just may end up in the pages of the coolest, most insightful, investigative paper in the Tahoe area. The woman left before I lost it or figured out whom the poor guy was who’s been making the unwise investments.
Into her place strode a slim, cheerful man in protective motorcycle clothing. He was decidedly windblown and wore a faded orange bandana around his neck. He unzipped the legs of his motorcycle over pants, set his helmet down with a clunk and deposited his messenger bag in a heap with his jacket, next to the table. I noticed the Tour de Nez (pronounced nay for those of us who have forgotten our high school French) logo on his bag and on his T-shirt. I’d found my story.
The man had a meeting to discuss the upcoming bicycle event, which runs from June 17 through June 22, in Reno, Truckee and Lake Tahoe. I butted in, introduced myself and asked if I could jabber about his venture. The business card he handed me has a sepia-toned photograph of a little boy standing next to a huge cruiser. A cartoon balloon says, ‘Some day I’ll be the greatest bike promoter of all time!! – Little Timmy.’
Well, little Timmy has grown into Tim Healion, ‘Chief’ of the Tour de Nez. When I asked what the title meant he said, ‘Well, the Chief runs the newsroom. I’m the promoter, creator, boss, the C something/everything O.’
The chief’s story, like most good stories, started out in a café – the Deux Gros Nez, a funky, bicycling-themed joint in Reno. Tim and his partner, the other ‘Big Nose,’ threw an anniversary bash every year to thank the public for their support. In 1991, ‘being bike geeks,’ said Tim, they decided to throw a bicycle race into the middle of the festivities. Since then it has evolved into the Tour de Nez, a multi-state, multi-day event, which includes everyone from kids to goofy guys to professionals. It is still a big party. California Cyclist Magazine called it, ‘The Coolest Bike Race in America,’ and it’s right here! Tim added Truckee as a venue in 2005 with the Tahoe Road Race. He said it was a ‘no brainer,’ that he had to include the Sierra scenery and ‘downtown Truckee is so beautiful.’ He especially likes the tight courses and the big crowds in downtown Truckee as cyclists take on fast-paced criterions, Clunker Races and the kids’ races. The Truckee Triangle – Tahoe City, to Kings Beach to Truckee – is another great race course and the 110-mile century road course around Lake Tahoe and into Truckee is an unsurpasingly beautiful ride for the domestic pro teams.
This year the growing Tour has a new home – Northstar-at-Tahoe. It is what Tim called, ‘the heart of the party,’ and an ideal setting for the cycling festival on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday with over 100 miles of downhill and cross-country mountain biking trails for both avid cyclists and beginning riders. The time trial, 3 miles uphill and 1 mile down, will be a bona fide test of endurance and strength. The Women’s Pro Race will make its debut here and a two-day expo in the Village will be fun and educational for the whole family. A $5 per-day entry fee ($8 for two days) goes directly to the non-profit organization Tour de Nez Outreach.
‘From the very first time we held the event, we could see that the whole cycling thing was bigger than the Tour de Nez. It’s good for our bodies. Good for the planet. Good for creating community. Good for the soul,’ Tim said. ‘So we created the Tour de Nez Outreach, a non-profit organization committed to promoting cycling as the ultimate environmentally sound, healthy, family-oriented, fun-for-all-ages, accessible, community minded activity in the known universe. Go cycling. To infinity and beyond!’
Hop on your bikes and bring your family and friends to the world-class cycling festival Little Timmy created. Tourdenez.com, 775-287-3599.
Tour de Nez 2008 Schedule
See Tourdenez.com for details of each day
Tuesday June 17: Downtown Reno
Wednesday, June 18: Wingfield Park, Reno
Thursday, June 19: Northstar-at-Tahoe
Friday June 20: Northstar-at-Tahoe
Saturday, June 21: Northstar-at-Tahoe
Sunday, June 22: Northstar-at-Tahoe
Tell The World Why the Tour de Nez is Your Tour de Nez
Create a one minute commercial/memoir highlighting your experiences and passion for the 16th Annual Northstar-at-Tahoe Tour de Nez — a true grassroots celebration of cycling — and win the chance to have it air on national television
Wanna be famous? See you name up on the big screen? The 16th Annual Tour de Nez at Northstar-at-Tahoe is sending out a casting call and asking all those passionate Tour de Nez followers to document that fire inside in a one minute commercial style presentation touting WHY the Tour de Nez at Northstar-at-Tahoe is the world’s greatest festival of cycling. Participants will submit their videos online at the Tour de Nez youtube.com site. The public will then be invited to a special screening of the videos and the winner be chosen by panel of well qualified professionals including locally based cycling superstar Alex Canderlario, national design guru and marketing expert Ronnie Parker of Boost Creative Services and the Tour de Nez Supreme Commander Tim Healion.
The videos will be judged on a variety of different attributes including creativity, emotion and of course true Tour de Nez style madness and mayhem. The winner will receive an all access VIP Pass including motorcycle and chase car rides, as well as the chance for their creative genius to make it’s debut on national television during airing of the 2008 Northstar-at-Tahoe Tour de Nez Documentary on WCSN. For information on how to submit your video please contact Abbi Holtom Whitaker at 775-851-7492
For more information on how to participate please visit Tourdenez.com or call 775-851-7492.
