November 4, 2005 – Officials of the International Tour de Toona today announced they will move the dates of the 2006 20th anniversary edition of the hemisphere’s premiere stage race to coincide with a second, major cycling event set for central Pennsylvania in mid-July.

The new dates for the 2006 International Tour de Toona will now be July 24 to 31. The nation’s largest stage race for men and women was previously slated to run from July 31 through Aug. 6. Moving the race back a week will provide cycling enthusiasts with two full weeks of racing action in central Pennsylvania, as the switch will allow The International Tour de Toona to immediately follow the United States Cycling Federation Elite Men’s Championships at Seven Springs, PA the preceding week.

“For the good of U.S. cycling, we decided to move The International Tour de Toona ahead a week,” race director Larry Bilotto explained. “Our steering committee believes that this offers an unprecedented opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to see and participant in the best in U.S. cycling in the unmatched beauty of central Pennsylvania in mid summer.”

“We believe moving the dates of the 2006 International Tour de Toona will also be of enormous benefit to our sponsors,” noted race promoter Rick Geist. “For the last half of July 2006, the eyes of the cycling world will focus on central Pennsylvania and these two events.”

The end of the Tour de France on July 20 will add even greater attention to the fortnight of cycling in local venues, Geist added.