In less than an hour, the Sports Backers will spill the details on a new event they’ll be staging this October 6th. The “Martin’s Tour of Richmond” will be a gran fondo-style cycling race/ride with 102-mile, 58-mile and 29-mile options. The 102-miler will start and finish at Richmond International Raceway and do a huge loop around Richmond, passing through eight different cities and counties along the way — Richmond, Ashland, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, Louisa. The 58-miler is tentatively schedule to start at the J.Sargeant Reynolds Goochland campus. The 29-miler will start at Hanover’s Poor Farm Park. The shorter races will also finish at RIR, where a band will play and beer and food will be available.

“Jon has really been wanting to expand biking events for a long time now,” said Jackie Holt, the SB’s spokesperson. “With the Anthem Moonlight Ride taking off like it has, and now with the [cycling world championships], it just makes sense to kind of put more of an emphasis on cycling.”

Holt said SBs Executive Director and Will Dixon, who helps research possible events for the group, went out to Tucson last fall to watch the Tour of Tucson. That trip helped solidify their ideas for this event.

“Long term [Lugbill] thinks this’ll be a major event that draws not only locals but regionally and beyond,” Holt said.