February 08, 2013 (Ottawa, ON) – The Champlain’s Folly Cyclosportif is an all-new cycling event in the Ottawa Valley that will introduce riders to some of the most scenic and historic parts of eastern Ontario and raise funds for an indoor velodrome in Ottawa.

Champlain’s Folly will set off from Arnprior on Sunday, July 14, one day after the Ottawa Bicycle Club Grand Prix event in Gatineau Park. Riders will enjoy a choice of three scenic and challenging routes of 60 km, 120 km and 180 km northeast along the Ottawa River, in an area first charted by famed French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1613. It’s in this region that Champlain reputedly lost his astrolabe while scrambling along a portage route in his quest for a route to China — Champlain’s Folly indeed.

It took 254 years for Champlain’s astrolabe to be found, but in just a few hours Champlain’s Folly participants will discover some of the finest — and least-known — cycling roads in Ontario in a safe, well-supported event. Every rider will receive a bag of goodies, there will be feeding stations regularly spaced along the well-marked routes and emergency support in case anyone gets into difficulty, and participants can swap riding stories at the post-event meal.

Each year, there are dozens of cycling events that help raise funds for a wide range of charitable causes. The Champlain’s Folly Cyclosportif is intended to help cyclists raise funds for a very important cycling initiative: The construction of an indoor velodrome in the Ottawa area. This velodrome will serve the cycling community as a whole by providing a safe place for initiation, development and training for cyclists of all levels, 12 months a year.

All the proceeds from the Champlain’s Folly Cyclosportif will go to the Ottawa Velodrome Project, the not-for-profit corporation that has been set up to create an indoor velodrome. Registration details for the Champlain’s Folly Cyclosportif will be provided within a few weeks.

More about the Ottawa Velodrome Project HERE.