The story
El Tour de Tucson in Tucson
El Tour de Tucson is a mass-participation road cycling event founded in 1983 by Richard DeBernardis of Perimeter Bicycling. Held every November and starting and finishing at the Tucson Convention Center, riders choose distances from 32 to 102 miles through Sonoran Desert scenery, passing Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the Old Spanish Trail, and historic Colossal Cave. What began with about 185 riders now draws several thousand cyclists annually.
In 1983, cyclist Richard DeBernardis organized a ride through the Sonoran Desert around Tucson that drew about 185 participants, a modest start for what would become one of the largest cycling events in the United States.