Editor’s note: This is the first post of several about the 2011 El Tour de Tucson. In the coming days look for a stories about how the celebrity cyclists fared, a video, a post about the Cargo Bike El Tour de Tucson, an editorial, a searchable database of results and a map of cyclists’ hometowns.

NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton kisses his medallion after finising the 111 mile ride in just under 9 hours.

 

At least three celebrity cyclists pedaled the entire 111 miles around the perimeter of Tucson.

We reported that both former MLB player Barry Bonds and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton were signed up for the race, but found out that Phoenix Suns player Josh Childress also rode the 111 miles.

Here’s how they fared:

Barry Bonds: According to the results, Bonds, 47, finished in 5:47, in 700th place.

Josh Childress: Childress, 28, does not appear in the results, but announced on his twitter account that he had completed the ride at 5:22 p.m., which represents over 10 hours of riding time. He said of his photo showing his GPS,  “Took me a while but I finished. My legs are about to fall off.”

Bill Walton: Walton, 59, completed the 111 mile ride, but does not show up in the results. I actually rode with Walton for a bit and took a few photos. He did not have his timing chip on his bike. His riding partners did though. They crossed the finish line after riding for just under 9 hours.

Walton said afterward that he really enjoyed his ride.

I joked before the ride that the only person I would be able to draft off on my cargo bike would be Bill Walton and that the only person he would be able to draft off would be me riding my cargo bike. I was pleasantly surprised when he appeared riding next to me. We swapped pulls for a mile or two.

Walton celebrates after the ride.
5 thoughts on “2011 El Tour de Tucson: How celebrity cyclists fared”
  1. In cycling, drag is the biggest drag.  I have 2 words of advice for Mr. Walton: custom velomobile.
    Sometimes you have to “cheat” just to level the field.

  2. I leap-frogged with him all day from rest stop to rest stop.  Man, you just can’t miss him.  He said his frame is a 72cm,  about 28½ inches.

  3. Yes, the bike was impressively large, although not nearly impressively large as Mr. Walton.  I’m glad he enjoyed his ride.

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