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Tour de Mad Dog

What is TMD? 

TMD stands for Tour de Mad Dog.  The TMD Challenge consists of 21 stages,  (95 to 120 miles each) spread out over the course of the touring year, from January through October - ending by the last day of the club touring season. 

Modeled after the famed Tour de France, the Tour de Mad Dog is a Challenge, not a race. Your actual time on the courses will not even matter!  Riders must complete at least 10 stages of the tour to be considered an official TMD Challenge finisher.

The intent and spirit of the TMD Challenge is to foster group riding and Mad Dog camaraderie. 

All serious cyclists know what group riding is about. The TMD Challenge is designed to encourage groups of all abilities to work together to attain a common goal: finishing the stage! With that in mind, all riders should work together with his/her group to gain maximum advantage and maximum reward. 

This unique challenge series is very popular segment of the Louisville Bicycle Club with many of the stages attracting 30 - 40 riders. TMD Century rides are structured along known routes, with published GPS files available and turn-by-turn cue sheets. There are planned store stops, lunch stops and many stages include unique themes or visit notable landmarks and areas.

THANK YOU TO OUR TOUR de MAD DOG SERIES PARTNERS

2024 Tour de Mad Dog Series

There will be 21 stages including a Time Trial that will not count as a stage.

There will be two Mad Dog Centuries each month from January through October

If a Louisville Bicycle Club member completes 10 century rides (this does not include the Time Trial), they earn a jersey. Cost – if any – to be determined based on the sponsor(s) for the Mad Dog Series. We are in need of sponsors for the 2024 Mad Dog Series in order to lower or eliminate the cost of the jersey for the riders that complete. The Mad Dog jersey is open to any none club members who have completed 10 rides. However, they will have pay the full cost of the jersey (or pay to be come a member of LBC).

There will be awards for a male and female winner at year end based total points. All ties will be determine by the best time in the Time Trial. See below for the points system.

The sign-in sheets at the completion of the rides will determine who completed each ride and who completed in a group of five or more. Ride Captains will automatically earn points for sweeping their ride, and not held to complete with 5 riders.

It will be the ride captain’s call to cancel their ride. Canceled rides will not be rescheduled. If possible, a Ride Captain that cannot fulfill their role on the day they signed up for, should find a replacement Ride Captain. The stage should not be cancelled unless absolutely necessary. If a ride is cancelled due to extreme weather conditions (i.e. blizzard, tornado alert or high winds), Official Communication to riders will be through the Ride Schedule or emails through the Director.

Anyone is welcome to ride. If you are a club member, local non-member, or just a cyclist in town on a vacation and want to ride, I will require that you email me or the ride captain to make sure that you are physically fit to ride a century. We simply suggest the rider be century fit meaning they should be capable of riding 100 miles at a reasonable pace (min. 13-15mph). If you haven’t ridden 60 to 75 miles on your own, I would not suggest trying to do a Mad Dog century.

There is no vehicle support for these centuries. If you or someone with you cannot repair your bike, you will need to have a backup plan to get back to the starting point or home. Our ride captains typically ride in the rear of all participants and promote a safe ride but they are not responsible for getting you back to your car or home.

Our rides are typically in rural areas throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The scenery is beautiful with low traffic roads chosen to ensure rider safety. We expect riders to obey traffic laws and exhibit good judgement to the cars and people they encounter on these rides.

The rides typically have 3 store stops every 25 miles with the second stop intended for lunch. Because of the pandemic, some stores may be closed without prior warning. Be prepared with ample food and drink to get you to a next stop.

The ride captain will provide cue sheets for the course and GPS routes via the club GPS library. Ride Captains are encouraged to put their rides on the calendar as soon as possible.

Ride Captains will preview their course prior to the ride and verify that parking is available and does not affect a business. It is highly encouraged to start in locations with restrooms available or at least nearby.

These rides typically attract 20 to 30 riders. We encourage riders to ride in a pack that fit the pace they prefer to ride. You will find packs that span various pace levels. Group riding, rather than individual speed, will be rewarded this year.

All riders will be required to sign-in at the beginning of the ride and also to sign-in at the end of the ride with your group. Ride Captains will leave the sign in sheet on the tire of their car for easy access for those completing the ride before the sweep.(or somewhere easily accessible and told to the group prior to starting the ride)

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am working on a new mail list. If you want to be included on any emails from the Mad Dog Director that includes past Mad Dog riders. Please email me. 

Mad Dog Rules and Point System

1. Points will be awarded as follows:

  • One point for finishing a ride.
  • Two points for ride captains.
  • Five points for finishing in a group of five rides or more.
2. All riders will leave at the same time. The start times are posted on the calendar. Any changes to the start time will the decision of the Ride Captains. (there are twenty century rides on the calendar so please plan accordingly)
3. If a ride needs to be cancelled, It needs to be done before the two hour window. That's due to the fact that most Mad Dog rides are out of town and riders needs to notified as soon as possible.

Tour de Mad Dog Series 

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Questions? Interested? Need More Information? 

Ride Director: Steve Puckett

Email: MadDog@LouisvilleBicycleClub.org

Louisville Bicycle Club
P.O. Box 35541
Louisville, KY 40232-5541

Louisville Bicycle Cub
P.O. Box 35541
Louisville, KY 40232-5541

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