Riders set off on 25th annual Tour de Rock
After months of preparation, the 25th annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock is officially underway.
Riders were in Port Alice on Saturday for the first leg of their 1,200-kilometre journey down Vancouver Island to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
This year, CTV News Vancouver Island's Anna McMillan is one of the riders making the journey.
"I'm so excited to finally get on the road," she said at a kickoff event Saturday morning.
"This morning has been so positive. I haven't cried once during training, and I've cried three times today, I think because everything's just starting to feel really real. Being surrounded by this good energy and really getting to start to know the stories of the kids that we're riding for means a lot."
This year's event is the first one since 2019 to ride the full route from Port Alice to Victoria. In 2020 and 2021, a modified Tour de Rock was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been a couple of years since we've been able to do this," said Jennifer Ames, co-chair of the Tour de Rock steering committee.
"To see the riders ready and excited … It's really lovely to see."
This year, riders are aiming to raise $600,000 through the event. Over the last 25 years, the Tour de Rock has raised more than $26 million dollars for the cause.
The ride will conclude in the capital region on Oct. 7.
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