DE PERE (NBC 26) — The Tour De Pere, a part of Kwik Trip's Tour of America's Dairyland cycling race series, returns to De Pere this weekend for the third consecutive year.
- The races take place over two days, Sunday and Monday
- Sunday's races start and finish in east De Pere, on Broadway, while Monday's are in west De Pere, starting and finishing on 3rd Street
- Temperatures in the 90s and heat indices in the triple digits are expected Saturday, Sunday, and possibly Monday, so we spoke with the event's organizers and first responders about the toasty weekend ahead
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
With the summer solstice beginning, we're being treated to warm temperatures — but its important to be careful in the heat this weekend.
Our weather team has been telling you this is the hottest weekend of the year coming up, but events like Sunday's Tour De Pere bike races are full steam ahead — just taking some extra precautions for the heat.
Watch Karl Winter's full broadcast story here:
Tour De Pere is set to bring cyclists from around 40 states and 15 countries to local roads for two days of racing, Sunday and Monday. Definitely De Pere executive director Tina Quigley say's its a festival-like atmosphere.
"It's very much family-friendly," Quigley said. "Iin addition to the races, we also have live music, [and] a number of food truck options. There's a small marketplace, and then each day, we also have what's called the Community Hour."
Community members will be able to run and ride before the pros. But with temperatures expected to be in the 90s and heat indices in the triple digits, we asked De Pere Fire Rescue how people can stay safe if they're planning for hours in the heat.
"Here in Wisconsin, we only get so many nice weather weekends a year, so people still want to be outside," NBC 26 said. "What tips do you have for folks that may be spending time outside?"
"Watch the alcohol intake with the sun," Lt. Del Zuleger said. "Take frequent breaks, stay in the shade. If you can get into the water, you know, it's always fun times, getting into the pool or into the lakes and stuff, and swimming, cooling yourself off. Staying hydrated is key, making sure you're drinking enough water."
Zuleger says cramps can be a telltale sign of heat stroke, especially in the elderly.
Quigley says Tour De Pere will be ready for whatever weather rides its way.
"We'll have misting stations," she said. "We also ordered, did a last minute order of a few hundred cooling towels that we will be keeping packed on ice. Obviously, we'll have plenty of water. We'll put up a few extra tents for shade. I think the nice thing about downtown is, typically, we get wind."
The pedals and spokes of the bike racing start spinning at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, and go until 8:15 p.m. All the races Sunday start and finish on Broadway and James Street.
