We are taking everyone’s safety very seriously at this year’s Tour d’ Apple regarding COVID-19
Welcome to the 2020 Tour d’Apple! We know things look different this year, but we can still have a great ride and maintain a safe environment for our riders, volunteers, and staff. Please note: A week prior to the event, we will be emailing all of our participants an Event Guide and Cue Sheets with important information about the event including social distancing communications, guidelines on face coverings, parking, course maps, start waves, registration, packet pickup, and more.
1. Mandatory: Wear a mask or a free Tour buff at the College and at Rest Stops.
2. Mandatory: Remove cycling gloves at the Rest Stops and at the College.
3. Please practice social distancing in addition to wearing a mask or a Tour buff at rest stops and at the College. It is a courtesy for others who may be high risk.
4. Follow direction arrows at rest stops and at the College Hub.
5. Use hand sanitizer before and after using portable toilets.
6. STOP at all stop signs unless directed by Officers.
7. Leave rest stops as soon as possible so others can come and go quickly.
8. Please bring your own food items. Due to Covid-19, refreshments and snacks will be very limited. There will not be any peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cut up fruit, however all four rest stops will have Gatorade and water for cyclists in individual cups, which cyclists can drink or pour into their water bottles. We will have snacks like packaged peanut-butter crackers, pretzels, etc. Clif Bar is providing a Clif Bar for each cyclist in the goody bags. We will not provide you water or fuel unless you are wearing a mask or buff.
9. Re-fill water bottles at rest stops with cups of water or Gatorade, and put used cups in trash cans before leaving the rest stops. Please do not litter.
10. At rest stops, please remove your gloves, cover your face with mask or Tour buff, and use sanitizer. Practice 6-foot social distancing, and leave as quickly as possible.
11. Please wash your gloves before Labor Day.
12. Unfortunately, with social distancing measures in place, we will not have a finish line ‘experience’ of music and hanging out after the ride. After you are finished with your ride, we ask that you grab your food bag and drink and head out of the venue area. Bagged food and drink will be available for pickup between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Do you have a friend or family member that wants to come to cheer you on? They can!
There will be designated Social-Distanced Cheer Stations along the bike course! Come out and cheer on your friend/family member at one of these designated cheer spots along the course! More information can be found in the Event Guide that will be emailed to you one week prior to the event. You must wear a mask if you are cheering and maintain a 6-foot space between you and others.
New this year for Tour d’Apple to routes and start
• There will be no mass roll-up at the start of this event. Please only come to the start line when you are ready to ride between the hours of 7 am and 10 am.
• No right turn onto Oleta Road at the Dana stop light – all routes continue straight until a right turn at Mile 5.8 onto Piney Mountain Road.
• At the roundabout traffic circle on Greenville Highway at Erkwood Drive, please yield the right-of-way to cars coming from your left.
• 100-mile cyclists make a right turn at Mile 88.2 onto Orchard Circle with a great 270˚ view and at Mile 89.4 turn right back onto Laurel Park Highway on the way up to U-turn at Jump Off Rock (Mile 90.7).
Important times for Labor Day Weekend
Packet Pick-up: Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 pm
— Drive-up for your numbered bib, tee-shirt & Tour buff. Please stay in your car!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PACKET PICK-UP PLEASE CLICK HERE
Ride Day: Monday, Labor Day, 7:30 am – 10:00 am
— Begin your ride on your own (no mass start)
• 10:30 am – 3:00 pm Pick-up post-ride meal – leave & eat at your car
• 4:00 pm Event ends
Rest Stop Times
Rest Stop #1 & 2:
OPENS: 7:45 AM
CLOSES: 11:00 AM
Rest Stop #3:
OPENS: 9:30 AM
CLOSES: 12:30 PM
Rest Stop #4:
OPENS:11:00 AM
CLOSES: 2:00 PM
Rest Stop #5:
OPENS: 12:00 PM
CLOSES: 3:00 PM
Support And Gear (SAG) and Other Help
True Emergency: Call 911
Need Help: Call for SAG 828-243-2170 or 828-551-6988
SAG staff cannot do repairs, but they will take you to the closest rest stop or, if closer, to the College Hub.
You must wear a mask while in the support vehicles and take off gloves!
Thanks to Hunter Subaru for providing Subaru Outbacks to assist cyclists!
There will be additional Rest Rooms and Food Vendors on the Tour d’Apple Routes, but please keep in mind that some food vendors will be closed on Labor Day.
Cheer Zones for Spectators
Spectators are allowed at the Tour d’Apple in designated areas. These areas will be socially distanced and face coverings are required.
• We highly discourage spectators in the ride hub – start/finish area. Instead, we have designated cheer zones on the course. Cheer zone locations are:
• On 65 & 100 routes at Mile 10: Fire station at 2324 Gilliam Mtn Rd in Edneyville as cyclists come up Lamb Mtn Rd.
• 1/2 mile further there is parking as cyclists turn onto Summer Rd (Mile 10.5)
Here’s what to expect on your route regarding food and refreshments
On All Routes
— Five Points Grocery – snacks
— Corner of Ridge Rd and Sugarloaf Road
— Dollar General – snacks
— 1825 Dana Rd – 200 yards west of the Dana stop light
— Dana Park – restrooms and water available
— 2879 Upward Road – 1/4 mile after the Dana stop light
Also On 45, 65 and 100 Mile Routes
— Dollar Plus – snacks
— 3930 Chimney Rock Rd – corner of US-64 and Gilliam Mountain Rd
— Flat Rock Village Bakery – sandwiches & rest rooms for customers
— 2710 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock – corner of W. Blue Ridge Rd and Greenville Hwy
Only on 100-Mile Route
— Tuxedo Park – rest rooms and water
— 1299 Old US 25 Hwy in Tuxedo (approx. Mile 57 on cyclists’ left)
— Marathon Gas – snacks and rest rooms (approx. Mile 58)
— 94 Green River Rd – 100 yards after turn off Old US 25 Hwy
We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable ride on Monday, September 7th! We can’t wait to cheer you on from a safe 6-feet away, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation and support at this year’s ride.
2020 HUB MAP
View the 2020 HUB Map for parking information and to understand the flow for packet pick-up.
Know your Route Color Before you Ride!
If you remember one thing on ride day and nothing else, remember this: Your route color! Once you are riding, the 4 different ride distances/routes will ONLY be marked by a particular color. You must follow your color to stay on your route!
Yellow 100: Honeycrisp Unbelievable Century
Orange 65: Gala Metric Challenge
Blue 45: Jonagold Lite
Green 25: Green Apple Enthusiast
Red/Pink X wrong way
Please bring a canned good to Packet Pick-up or Ride Day! All canned goods will be collected for the Interfaith Assistance Ministry.