Press Releases

On Wednesday, May 23, the public is invited to celebrate Olympic spirit and international sport in Idaho, by participating in two events being held in downtown Boise – the Walk to London 2012, and the Exergy Tour ladies pro bike race official team presentation and Olympic celebration. Both events are free and open to the public.

Boise is one of 20 U.S. cities hosting the Walk to London 2012, which commemorates the London Olympics and encourages families to show their support for Team USA by walking as many miles as possible.  Walk to London 2012 events are organized and led by the Olympians and Paralympians who make up the 20 national Olympian Alumni Chapters. The 1.13-mile Boise walk will start on the Greenbelt at 13^th street and finish in the Boise Grove Plaza as part of a large Olympic Celebration including the official Team Presentation event for the inaugural Exergy Tour.

“May 23^rd will be an evening not to be missed here in Boise, and we encourage everyone to take part in what will be an inspiring celebration of Olympic spirit and international sport, as we kick off the five-day Exergy Tour,” said Heather Hill, marketing, communications and events director for the Exergy Tour. “There is significant relevancy between the Exergy Tour and the London Olympic Games this summer, and by starting the holiday weekend with the Walk to London 2012, and opening our Team Presentation event to the public, our goal is to engage all of our surrounding communities in this world-class event happening right in our backyard.”

Registration for the FREE, non-competitive walk will be from 5 – 5:30 p.m. at the St. Luke’s Shoreline Facility. The walk will begin promptly at 5:45 p.m. at Shoreline Boulevard and 13^th Avenue on the Boise River Greenbelt, travel through the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, turn north on 8^th Street through BODO, and finish on the Grove Plaza.

Olympians and Paralympians will lead the walk and will be recognized on-stage after they enter Grove Plaza. The Exergy Tour celebration will feature international music, dance and the waving of flags from all countries competing in the Exergy Tour. Past and future Olympians competing in the Exergy Tour will also be introduced prior to the Team Presentation.

The Exergy Tour Team Presentation is the official kickoff to the five-day, five city Exergy Tour, an international ladies professional cycling race in which top teams from around the world will compete for final international ranking points relative to qualification for the Olympic Games. Connie Carpenter, ladies cycling’s first Olympic Gold Medalist and a two-sport Olympian, will co-host the Team Presentation along with Dave Towle, one of cycling’s preeminent live sport announcers. Both will serve as co-announcers of the Exergy Tour at the start/finish from May 24-28.

• 5 pm – 7pm:  Festivities in Boise Grove Plaza – live music, welcoming of the Walk to London
• 5:45pm:  Walk to London starts at St. Luke’s Shoreline Facility
• 6:15pm:  Walk to London finishes in the Boise Grove Plaza
• 7pm – 9pm:  Exergy Tour Team Presentation

For more information about the Walk to London and online registration, visit www.walktolondon2012.org and click on “join.” The first 500 participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

For more information about the Exergy Tour visit www.exergytour.com

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About the Exergy Tour

The Exergy Tour will take place May 24-28, 2012 over the Memorial Day weekend in five Idaho cities – Boise, Nampa, Kuna, Garden Valley/Crouch and Idaho City. Over 15 of the top ladies pro cycling teams from around the world are expected to participate in the inaugural race, which was founded by Boise-based Exergy Development Group. The race will be one of the last races to provide international ranking points crucial to qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Games in London. It is sanctioned by USA Cycling and is the only ladies race in North America in 2012 with a 2.1 designation by the International Cycling Union (UCI). St. Luke’s Sports Medicine is the Official Medical Provider for the 2012 Exergy Tour. The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport is the Official Charitable Partner of the 2012 Exergy Tour.

For more information, contact Heather Hill, 208-559-1203 or heather.hill@exergytour.com.

About Walk to London 2012

The goal of Walk to London 2012 is to get as many people as possible to walk in their community Walk to London 2012 event so that the total number of miles walked by all the participants will equal the distance from Los Angeles to London. The total distance from Los Angeles to London is 5,456 miles (8,781 km). The Walk to London 2012 will start in Los Angeles, then San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Lansing, Denver, Boston, Dallas, Birmingham, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Tampa, and finally Washington, DC.

About Exergy Development Group

Exergy Development Group is one of the major independent renewable energy developers in the USA. Exergy’s focus is on deploying commercially successful, socially beneficial and environmentally responsible renewable energy projects. A vertically integrated company, Exergy moves its projects from conception through construction and commercial operation. Exergy believes that sustainable economic prosperity is inextricably tied to the well-being of our communities and natural environment. In support of that philosophy, Exergy founded the Exergy Tour ladies pro cycling race, designed to showcase the power of women’s professional cycling, engage communities, and provide a vehicle to teach young girls about the benefits gained through sports.

For more information, www.exergydevelopment.com

About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC)

The National Racing Calendar (NRC) is the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned and owned by USA Cycling. With an overall ranking system that determines the best individual male and female cyclists, as well as the best teams in the U.S., the NRC features the nation’s top Pro-Am road race events, and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists. For more information on the NRC, visit usacycling.org/nrc. Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross.