When renowned American race announcer Dave Towle called for cyclists to line up their bikes to start Stage 2 of the second annual Tour of Alberta, official race starter Stuart Little was only too happy to fire the pistol.
A field of 113 of the best professional cyclists in the world was off. And more than 1,000 Innisfailians and out-of-towners waved town flags, clapped and cheered.
The cyclists, tasked with doing a double loop through the town's downtown core, only rode in town for six minutes before heading west out of town to Highway 54, and then to Sylvan Lake and Blackfalds, and ultimately to Red Deer to cross the finish line of their 145-kilometre journey. When it was over at the Ross Street finish line in downtown Red Deer, Swedish cyclist Jonas Ahlstrand claimed the stage victory in a time of just over three hours and two minutes. The five-stage race wrapped up Sept.7 in Edmonton.
Innisfailians had waited more than five months for this moment, one that was broadcast to tens of millions of cycling fans all over the world.
Lead officials from Tour of Alberta, which ran the race on a $6-million budget, depended on its stage hosts, such as Innisfail, for its overall success. The Town of Innisfail committed $20,000 last April for its part, and was also able to secure a pair of $2,000 service club (Lions and Kinsmen) donations and $2,500 from Telus.
“I think there was a lot of interest generated in the town, and we were able to showcase ourselves locally, provincially, nationally and internationally,” said Mayor Brian Spiller of the event's huge benefits. “And what the actual economic benefits will be, time will tell. It is so hard to judge and measure something like this of what it will actually be.”
What is known now is that the Innisfail event was one that had a true festival atmosphere, one enthusiastically embraced and praised by top professional cycling officials in Alberta and beyond.
“I think Innisfail did great. I would give them a 10 out of 10,” said Towle, a Boulder, Colo. native who for more than a decade has been the voice of North American cycling. “It's the little things like having the kids up on the stage doing their dance routines to start the day. I saw a lot of riders looking at that and smiling. There was the free breakfast over here and having the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on stage with us was really unique. It gives a lot of flavour.”
For Little, a cycling enthusiast whose grandson races with the best in the world, it was his thrilling moment to make a contribution to the community doing its best to shine on the world stage.
“I accepted this with pleasure. I am delighted. It's nice to see so much enthusiasm,” said the 80-year-old retired high school vice-principal and former town councillor. “I think cycling is a great pastime and I am seeing a tremendous increase in interest throughout the community and all around with people biking now.”
Organizers for last Thursday's (Sept. 4) event began blocking off traffic for part of the downtown core the evening before to allow tour officials, town staff and volunteers to prepare the streets for the cyclists and the expected huge crowd of local and out-of-town spectators. They arrived to experience a unique spectacle, teeming with the kind of warm generosity and hospitality that only a classic Alberta small town could deliver.
Rotary Club of Innisfail members came early to prepare a free morning pancake breakfast while A Better Panel put on a free lunch barbecue, with volunteer help from the Innisfail Lions Club. Businesses and non-profit agencies set up information booths. There were jugglers, balloonists and stilt walkers. Live music was provided by local musician and businessman Tom Lindl and high school singer Alli Russell. Members of Joy's School of Dance exhibited their talents on the mainstage.
Not to be outdone, veterans from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 104 were out dressed in full colours, while its members served coffee and cookies. Even the town's finest four-legged friends delivered. Discovery Wildlife Park's Gus Gus the beaver and a friendly young skunk named Charlie Brown had a booth to set the stage for oohs and aahs from tickled visitors.
Smiles, laughter and a spirit of celebration and accomplishment dominated every corner of downtown for hours on end.
“It was great, wonderful for Innisfail. People from all over the world are in the race, and it brought tons of people into the community,” said Jill Pedersen, a financial adviser with the local Scotiabank who set up a table on Main Street to sell baked goods to raise funds and awareness for the annual Terry Fox Run on Sept. 25. “It was a fun event. People were excited. It was fun to watch the kids over there watching the buskers do their thing.”
Brian Jolly, the chair of the Tour of Alberta, said town officials, working in conjunction with Red Deer event officials, did a “fabulous” job of planning and organizing Stage 2, which since last spring focused on creating a festival atmosphere, much like the way European cycling events are shaped.
“They are a small community but that is what this event is all about – small communities, not just the big communities like Calgary and Edmonton,” said Jolly, who gave the town “top marks” for its efforts. “The small communities added a distinct twist to it. When you walk through here it is like walking back in years. You can see the small baker's shop and the old hotel.
“I think they (Innisfailians) appreciate us being here and I think the riders appreciate the hospitality they are getting from these citizens,” he added.
But organizing and planning the event for town officials was a herculean task from the beginning, as there was no precedent to draw from. A week before there was anxiety over the low number of volunteers, but a late push through an information meeting on Aug. 28 at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre resolved the issue. Parking and access was also a concern, especially with the east end of Main Street under construction. And on the morning of the race, there was worry a delay was possible due to a highway accident near Okotoks that forced some tour officials and cyclists to be late.
“There were a couple of glitches but it was just a matter of talking to the town, and they worked with us and made some changes and everything worked great,” said Deb Stoski, the president of the Downtown Business Association who set up colourful booths to promote the upcoming Weekend of Wheels and Scarecrow Festival events.
When it was over, Helen Dietz, the town's chief administrative officer, had nothing but praise for her staff, many of whom dedicated countless extra hours to ensure Innisfail's big opportunity to shine on the national and international stages was a huge success.
“I am very, very happy with the way staff worked together to pull this event off,” said Dietz. “It was a bigger event than we thought. It was more work than was originally anticipated but it didn't stop anybody from pulling together as a team.”
