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Tour de Cape numbers better than in past years

By Staff | Jan 23, 2013

In terms of turnout, the 22nd Tour de Cape cycling event was among the more successful tours in the history of the event.

About 300 runners took part in the 5K run on Saturday, while approximately 800 riders took to the road on the numerous routes that made up the Tour de Cape on Sunday, according to numbers provided by Todd King, the special events coordinator for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Typically, the turnout is approximately 600 to 700 participants total.

While it was not a record, city spokesperson Connie Barron said, the numbers were up from recent years.

“I’d attribute that to the returning riders and to the venue at Cape Harbour,” Barron said.

Runners and cyclists from not only Southwest Florida, but also the nation and world came to Cape Coral this past weekend at take part in what is one of the biggest cycling events in the area.

For the first time since its inception, the event also saw its first serious accident.

Rider James Heneghan, 69, was critically injured Sunday after officials say his bike struck the tire of another bicyclist and he was thrown to the roadway. Heneghan, who witnesses say had just minutes before removed his helmet, later died of his injuries.

Barron said the Tour de Cape doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy of being cancelled.

“It was an accident. One with tragic consequences, but an accident,” Barron said.