Statewide Iowa — RAGBRAI, the cross-state bicycle ride that brings thousands of cyclists to Iowa each summer, has announced their overnight stop cities for the 2021 (Des Moines) Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride, after two overnight host communities pulled out of the 2021 event.
In the last couple of months, both Storm Lake and Maquoketa had bowed out of hosting overnight stops this year, citing complications caused by the pandemic. Last summer’s RAGBRAI was canceled due to concerns over COVID-19.
According to the RAGBRAI website, RAGBRAI 2021 cyclists and support personnel will spend the night before the ride begins in Le Mars. This is that city’s second time as host, having previously kicked off the ride in 2005. Sunday morning they’ll depart for the nearly-80 mile trek to Sac City, where they’ll spend Sunday night. This will be Sac City’s first overnight host city designation.
On Day Two of the ride, Monday, July 26th, riders will depart Sac City headed to Fort Dodge. They’ll put in 53.7 miles on Monday.
Tuesday, July 27th will find the riders and support personnel covering 54.9 miles, on their way to their third overnight stop, in Iowa Falls. Day three of RAGBRAI 2021 will offer the cyclists some optional miles of gravel on their way to Iowa Falls.
On Wednesday, July 28th, the contingent will be biking from Iowa Falls to Waterloo, a total of 68 miles.
Thursday, July 29th’s route will take riders from Waterloo to Anamosa, a total of 77.8 miles. It will be the fourth overnight visit to Anamosa for RAGBRAI participants.
On Friday, July 30th, RAGBRAI riders will cover the 30.3 miles from Anamosa to DeWitt. This will be DeWitt’s first time to be an overnight host for RAGBRAI, though they were a pass-through town on the 1994 ride.
RAGBRAI 2021 will wrap up on Saturday, July 31st, when riders complete the 31.6 mile trek from DeWitt to Clinton, where they’ll dip their front tires in the Mississippi River, signifying the completion of the week-long journey across the entire width of the state of Iowa. RAGBRAI 2021 will be the sixth time Clinton has marked the end of the ride.
RAGBRAI has yet to announce the names of the pass-through towns for the 2021 ride.
Meanwhile, Iowa’s Ride was scheduled to hold their inaugural ride this past summer, but it had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Organizers had signaled, several months ago, their intent to ride the route this year that they had selected for 2020’s inaugural ride, including an overnight stop in Sheldon and the end of the ride in Rock Rapids. However, since then organizers have been mum about the future of the 2021 ride, in the continuing face of the pandemic.
