Wednesday July 25, 2007

Any event that brings people to Delhi for the day is a huge achievement.
But when that event brings in 300 cyclists who tour the area and spend their hard earned cash in town, then that’s a reason to celebrate.
There is no doubt the organizers of Le Tour De Norfolk were celebrating after the first annual event (of what will hopefully be many events) wrapped up with rave reviews from cyclists.
They deserve to be the ones shaking up a bottle of champagne and drinking some bubbly, just like the top cyclists do in the Tour de France, because this idea is a winner.
The cycling event held July 21 saw people arriving and raring to go before 7 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. start time. The parking lot at the Belgian Hall and the high school were jammed as people came from all over Ontario, from Michigan, even a couple of cyclists from Sweden.

When the idea of creating cycling routes around Delhi to attract tourists was first raised, some criticized it, saying it was a weak idea. Why, they asked, would cyclists ever want to visit Delhi to go for a bike ride.
Le Tour de Norfolk proved those critics wrong -- cyclists are looking for new and interesting places to discover and Norfolk has plenty of flat roads and gorgeous scenery to go around. With four route lengths, cyclists could head all the way down to the lake on their bikes and discover everything this area has to offer.
The best part, of course, is that they started and ended in Delhi and this town was showcased to the more than 300 people who were on their bikes. These people, who may have never been to the area before, discovered the “Tobacco Belt” is about more than just one crop. Along their way, yes they got to see tobacco plants (which is a unique sight for many who are not used to driving past them every day), but they also saw other crops grown locally, the small towns and hamlets, the wind turbines and the beauty this area has to offer.
Of course, they topped all this off with some amazing local food with Belgian waffles, chicken and cabbage roles.
BIA coordinator Yvette Mahieu said they had a great response from cyclists and that the event was “above and beyond” what she was expecting.
Everyone who put in long volunteer hours to make this event a success deserve a huge pat on the back. Thank you.
And hopefully Mahieu’s other comment will also ring true in the years to come: “It can only get bigger and better from here.”