Tuesday, June 5, 2012

BERT KARP MEMORIAL POPULAIRE

All riders are welcome and encouraged to participate in this unique cycling event honoring my mom, Bert Karp, who passed away from cancer on March 5, 2012. Mom loved volunteering to meet me and my riding cohorts anywhere (the more remote the better) with a trunk full of goodies.  Mom helped out on my brevets and also with some Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club (GVBC) day tours like the Tour de Spud.  She also happily provided SAG and rest stop support on several GVBC Three Rivers Centuries. My family and I want to honor her service to cycling and celebrate her life through this ride.

The Bert Karp Memorial Populaire is a short randonneuring event, following the same rules and traditions of epic randonees like Paris-Brest-Paris.  Each rider will be given a brevet card that must be stamped at checkpoints along the way.  A populaire is not a race, but it is a timed event.  Riders must pass through the checkpoints within an open time-so you can't be too fast or too slow.  The overall time limit for this 68 mile ride is a generous 7 hours and 16 minutes.  All finishers will receive a handsome souvenir populaire pin!

WHEN:   July 28, 2012. Ride departs at 8:00 AM (sign in at 7:30 AM)

ROUTE:   The map and profile are HERE.  The ride will start and finish at City Brew Coffee, 1975 W. Cattail just off North 19th in Bozeman, and go to the Three Forks ponds via Churchill, returning to Bozeman along the same route.  We will have checkpoints at Churchill and Three Forks stocked with plenty of food and drink.

FEE:  $5 to cover the cost of insurance and the randonneuring paperwork.
CUE SHEET:  Here (final cue sheet will be available at the ride start)
CONTACT ME:  Please send me an email or call me to let me know you're coming so we know how many brevet cards to prepare.  Also, feel free to get in touch with any questions!
Mom taking care of us at a 600K brevet checkpoint some where in central Montana in June of 2011.