Vitáme Vás means Welcome Tour de Bun Bike Classic is a Community Effort
M
ontgomery’s main drag was quiet on a mild, early morning in late July. Thousands would later crowd First Street South, but for now it was almost empty, except for a few workers in yellow vests setting up No Parking signs. The red, white and blue American and Czech flags on the old brick buildings and lamp posts moved little in the light breeze when the throng of bike riders turned the corner, led by a police car with flashing lights. At the edge of town the crowd hit the country roads of Le Sueur County and the 28th Tour de Bun was officially underway. Kolacky Days, an annual celebration of Czech heritage and the sweet, filled Kolacky bun, has been held in Montgomery since the 1930s and this community of about 3,000 pulls together a three-day festival, which often brings more people to town than live there. Since 1990, the Tour de Bun Bike Classic has been part of the event lineup. The ride offers a 13-mile Statkový Okru (Homestead Loop), 33-mile
by Jan Lasar
Osadnický Okru (Pioneer Loop) and a community. The Montogomery Area 50-mile Okruh Zelených Akru (Green Community Club puts on Kolacky Days Acres loop) on rural roads noticeably and, from the proceeds, gives grants to low on car traffic, but with views for various local organizations throughout miles. the year. “Everybody does their part “It’s a very easy ride as far as hills and takes on a role in that weekend,” go. Not too big of a challenge,” he said. “All the money stays in the said Mick McGuire, lifelong community.” Montgomery resident As riders made and chair of the Tour their way through the de Bun committee gentle hills around since 2010. Montgomery, the “People day turned out enjoy it. They to be perfect say it’s one of for a ride in the the nicer country country under road rides. They cloudless, blue enjoy the scenery, skies. A mild because it’s just breeze rustled kind of classic the corn stalks in southern Minnesota the fields, and the rolling hills and occasional long, sloped farmland. There’s even downhill stretches were a couple of lakes along refreshing. Riders on the 15-mile loop the way,” he said. At one of the rest enjoy the rural views The Tour de Bun stops at a local winery, around Montgomery. keeps McGuire and Stephanie Ykemaa dozen volunteers busy year round, Stunes was happy with her progress, starting soon after the ride. His reward, averaging almost 14 miles an hour he said, comes from riders’ encouraging while biking with her husband, Corey, comments from across the state. “We who was training for a 100-mile ride. get some fairly positive feedback. That’s “I’m from here, but it’s been a long kind of what it’s all about, providing time,” she said. “We live in the Twin an enjoyable experience. Sometimes Cities, in a very urban environment I’m just amazed to see how far and it is kind of nice to step back people come for this bike ride. I when you’re seeing something at 10 talked to one couple who came or 12 miles an hour versus when from Alexandria, MN. People also you’re used to seeing it at 60.” come from Elk River and Austin, She was born in Montgomery, but now MN and drive an hour and a half or lives in Fridley and came back to visit, two hours to ride their bike here,” he ride the Tour de Bun and reconnect said. with old friends. McGuire enjoys volunteering “I don’t have a ton of family because he feels it helps out the here, but everyone I went
The open road. All photos by Jan Lasar 10 Summer 2019
Minnesota Trails
