Just days after the conclusion of the Winter Is Here Tour, the best fake bike racers in Traverse City with Sunday mornings free are already eyeing up the next stage race. On February 7, the first big battle won’t be the Super Bowl, but Stage One of the Manfred Memorial Tour. 

January’s Tour raised $170 for Child and Family Services. In our undying question to be annoying do-gooders, we’re raising money for two important animal shelters here in Traverse City, Michigan. To do so, we’re celebrating the world’s great dog, Manfred. 

We rescued Manfred from Great Lakes Humane Society. Within hours of getting home, he had taken over the house and changed our lives forever. Manfred quickly became my best friend and, to put it mildly, an Internet celebrity. We lost Manfred to bone cancer in October, but his impact on the world lives on.

We will never double-check, but we’re asking racers to order a Manfred sticker or a Disco sticker. Proceeds from each sticker will be donated to Great Lakes Humane Society and Cherryland Humane Society, respectively, at the end of the Tour. 

That Tour is beginning to take shape. While stage details haven’t been leaked to the press, the dates have been locked in, with two mid-week efforts expected early, with the finale coming on Sunday, February 28. 

Heading into the Tour, race organizers will be working on another rider draft. Due to the demands of fifty riders, there are new expectations to be involved. 

Do It Yourself. Race organizers will no longer wait or chase down your stage results. Each rider will be personally responsible for adding their times to a spreadsheet for GC, Points, and Mountains Classification. If you can’t do that, don’t sign up.

You Will Show Up. Life happens. You may miss one stage. But if you know you’re going to miss a number of events, or if you don’t plan on attempting the two mid-week stages, save that registration spot for someone else.

Subs Will Not Score. Pick riders who will show up, because substitute riders will not count toward your team’s total on each stage. 

There are rumors abound about what the Manfred Memorial Tour will look like, including where the Team Time Trial might slot in and even the possible inclusion of a much-anticipated Alpe du Zwift stage. It probably won’t be as mountainous as the Winter Is Here Tour, but climbers will almost certainly have their opportunities. 
Sign up for the Manfred Memorial Tour here, and make sure you’re in the TC Zwift Racing Club on Strava here.

Riders from the previous tour get first dibs, but sign up!