The Banner – University Medicine 41st El Tour de Tucson is Saturday; Three-day Fiesta & Expo starts on Thursday at noon

The Banner – University Medicine 41^st El Tour de Tucson is coming up and is set for Saturday, Nov. 23. Everything starts and finishes at the Tucson Convention Center.

It will once again see more than 9,000 cyclists, walkers and runners celebrating health and wellness throughout Tucson and parts of Southern Arizona.

As is customary, El Tour will have the three-day Expo & Fiesta, which begins on Thursday (Sept. 21) at noon. The Expo is open to the public in Downtown Tucson and features more than 140 booths filled with activities and giveaways.

The Expo will highlight food booths, exhibitors and El Tour merchandise. Each day will feature headline bands at the Stewart Title Main Stages.

Packet pickup begins at noon on Thursday, and again on Friday.

“For the second consecutive year, we’ll have more than 9,000 cyclists, runners and walkers in Downtown Tucson for another great El Tour,” said TJ Juskiewicz, El Tour’s executive director. “El Tour continues to get better and better and like years past we will have cyclists from every state in the country and at least one cyclist from more than 13 countries. We’ll have about 40 percent of our cyclists from outside of Arizona. They’ll enjoy the Tucson weather and the ride.”

Title sponsor Banner – University Medicine will have a big presence at the TCC and the route as it has a team of cyclists riding. For the three-day Expo Banner will have its helicopter on site at the Tucson Convention Center. Banner will also have  a host tent and will have another first-aid tent present at the finish line as cyclists turn into the TCC at the ride’s end.

Dr. Joshua Gaither, Banner – University Medicine Tucson Division Chief for the Division of Emergency Medical Services, will kick off the event at 7 a.m., sending riders off at the starting line with confetti cannons. Dr. Gaither is a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, the EMS Fellowship Director, and the Medical Director for the Tucson Fire Department.

Los Diablitos Azules from Sunnyside High School will be at the start of the 102-mile event.

On Saturday – Ride Day – it all begins at 6 a.m. when cyclists get ready to ride their designated event. Cyclists will line up as early as 5 a.m. for the 7 a.m. start for the 102-mile ride.

In addition to cycling, there is an El Tour 5k Run/Walk which begins at 7:15 a.m. and is open to all ages. It’s a great family and community event. All finishers will receive a medallion.

Following the 102-mile start, the other rides will go off at 9 a.m. (62-miler) and 10 a.m. (32-miler). The Fun Ride – 3- and 1-mile – will go off at 8:15 a.m.

Ride Day ends at 4:30 p.m. when all cyclists should be in for the day.