DES MOINES – NIT reported last week that Clear Lake was a likely overnight stop for RAGBRAI this summer, and you can now add Algona and Charles City on the final list of towns to make the grade.
The 45th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) runs from July 23 to 29 and starts at the Missouri River. Saturday night, the overnight stops on this voyage were announced in Des Moines; the route is again through North Iowa. The first overnight stop is Orange City. From there it’s on to Spencer, then Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Cresco, Waukon and Lansing before bikers reach the Mississippi River.
Clear Lake City Administrator Scott Flory confirmed last week that Clear Lake sought an overnight stop.
“The City has applied to be a host/overnight community for RAGBRAI 2017,” Mr. Flory told NIT. “Clear Lake last was an overnight host in 2010. In 2014, Clear Lake was a pass through community. I plan to attend the Ragbrai announcement ceremony in Des Moines, on January 21st, where the announcement will be made at 9:30 pm. I cannot confirm or deny whether or not Clear Lake has been selected as an overnight stop, nor do I have any knowledge regarding this year’s potential route or any other information about the selection process. We hope that our Community’s efforts in the past have been favorable and that we are being strongly considered. RAGBRAI is one of Iowa’s great events and it’s an honor and an opportunity for any community to showcase itself to a vast audience.”
RAGBRAI, The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest multi-day recreational bicycle touring event in the world. Des Moines Register Media has been the title sponsor of RAGBRAI since 1973.
RAGBRAI came through Mason City in 2014. You can view a photo gallery of that event, here.
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Saturday, July 22
Orange City
In the news: The contentious fight between Des Moines Water Works and rural Iowa over farm runoff included an attempt at common ground in Orange City.
Population: 6,004
Starting town
History: First time as host; Orange City was a pass-through town in 1975, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2005 and 2012
Sunday, July 23
Spencer
In the news: An athlete’s tragic death set up a moment of sportsmanship recognized as one of the state’s most inspirational in 2016.
Population: 11,233
Mileage (from Orange City): 59.5; climb of 1,283 feet
History: Fifth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1979, 1990, 1999 and 2007
Monday, July 24
Algona
In the news: A Register feature in December highlighted the unique Nativity built by German prisoners of war during World War II.
Population: 5,560
Mileage (from Spencer): 73.8; climb of 1,631 feet
History: Sixth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1977, 1990, 1999, 2005 and 2010
Tuesday, July 25
Clear Lake
In the news: A perennial tourist favorite is the Surf Ballroom, site of the last concert before the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper.
Population: 7,777
Mileage (from Algona): 51.4; climb of 934 feet
History: Fourth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1977, 1999 and 2010; Clear Lake was a pass-through town in 1985 and 2014
Wednesday, July 26
Charles City
In the news: A game between high school football rivals became something more with a boy’s memorable touchdown run.
Population: 7,652
Mileage (from Clear Lake): 57.5; climb of 1,290 feet
History: Fifth overnight visit, previous ones were in 1982, 1996, 2002 and 2010; Charles City was a pass-through town in 1977
Thursday, July 27
Cresco
In the news: Cresco is the hometown of Norman Borlaug, whose agricultural research earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and inspired the World Food Prize. Borlaug recently became one of two Iowans memorialized in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
Population: 3,868
Mileage (from Charles City): 64.3; climb of 2,257 feet
History: Third overnight visit, previous ones were in 1996 and 2005; Cresco was a pass-through town in 1993
Friday, July 28
Waukon
In the news: Iowa’s winningest girls’ basketball coach, Gene Klinge, coached his final 11 seasons at Waukon.
Population: 3,897
Mileage (from Cresco): 60.1; climb of 2,483 feet
History: First time as host; Waukon was a pass-through town in 1977
Saturday, July 29
Lansing
In the news: The closing of a longtime button factory has the town considering what comes next.
Population: 999
Mileage (from Waukon): 44.8; climb of 3,200 feet
History: Second overnight visit, previous one was in 1977
Schedule your vacations people and get the hell outa town that day.
be careful Fred, you might accidently have some fun in your life
if drunk men in spandex is your thing
Great, another night of drunken, mid life crisis people urinating all over town.
Sounds like fun to me but the booze, women and just total nakedness drives all of us crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy.