Cycling through favorite moments

The race has never been about who won, but who finished. That said, we present the 25 greatest moments in El Tour de Tucson history — rife with winners, history and behind-the-scenes stories from founder Richard DeBernardis — in no particular order:

1. The Flood of 1983. The original El Tour race featured riders crossing the dry bed of the Santa Cruz River. But after torrential rains leading up to the race, DeBernardis decided the riders would cross the river anyway.

Carrying a bike over their heads. In water that went above their calves.

2. Longo in the lead. Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo, probably the most famous female cyclist of her time, won the 2001 and 2002 El Tour. In 2002, the year the race was dedicated to her, Longo led the entire field at Sunrise and Swan. No woman has ever won the El Tour overall title. Longo fell back, but still won the female category. Greg LeMond also participated that year. "To have the most two popular cyclists in the world was like sitting with the queen of England and the pope," DeBernardis said. "Those guys, they made El Tour."

3. Three-peat in 1985. David Milne and Susan Casey each won the ride for the third-straight year. Milne clocked a time of 4 hours 49 minutes 24 seconds, and Casey rode a 5:10:57.

4. Controversy in 1986. More than 100 U.S. Cycling Federation riders had to withdraw from the race or risk suspension by the governing body. Riders would have had to serve a 30-day suspension, which usually was not a big deal because December was a dark month. However, a USCF rule change forced the suspension to be taken in April, the busiest month in cycling. The next year, the problem was solved when El Tour was designated a tour, not a race.

5. Head games. In 1987, Tucsonan Andy Bishop won the race but was disqualified for wearing a leather helmet instead of a hard plastic one. "The last two miles, I was in the official car talking to him, not realizing he was wearing a hairnet helmet," DeBernardis said.

6. Four-peat. In 1990, Kent Bostick of New Mexico won his fourth straight El Tour five days after getting married. His wife, Carol Ann, finished third in the women's division. Bostick lost the 1991 race by one second.

7. Local boy does good. In 2003, Tucsonan Phil Zajicek set the El Tour male individual record with a time of 4:13:43.

8. More Bostick. In 1996, Carol Ann Bostick — whose husband, Kent, won six El Tours — won her fourth race in five years. Bostick, who had the flu, had not eaten in 24 hours. She blew a tire, and the chain came off her bike. She became the first woman to win all four Perimeter Bicycle Association of America races, and in the same year.

9. Landis. Months after testing positive for abnormal levels of testosterone — a charge he denies — after winning the 2006 Tour de France, an embattled Floyd Landis was introduced to racers at the starting line and received rousing applause. Landis watched the start of the race from the scaffolding and later signed autographs but did not ride.

10. Lance. Before he became a worldwide phenomenon, Lance Armstrong was honored during the 1997 race. Armstrong, who had spent the previous year battling testicular cancer, would return to racing shortly thereafter and rattle off seven straight Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005.

11. New sponsor. When First Magnus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August, El Tour scrambled to find a new title sponsor. This year's race was safe, but El Tour officials wondered whether they would be able to pay for the 2008 race. Less than three weeks later, El Tour agreed to a three-year contract with University Medical Center worth about a half-million dollars.

12. The rumor mill. It happens in the starting gate for seemingly every El Tour — riders swear they've seen Armstrong or Landis or any other famous rider milling about Tucson. Usually, it is a false alarm; after all, DeBernardis used to send honoree dinner invites to sitting U.S. presidents, just in case.

13. Record-setter. Last year, Canadian Alex Wrubleski set the female record with a time of 4:19:09.

14. A cold LeMond. In 2000, the ride was dedicated to Greg LeMond, at the time the biggest star in cycling. LeMond went with DeBernardis to every start line, despite unusually cold temperatures. They went to Oro Valley to start what was at the time the 89-miler; LeMond was so cold, DeBernardis maintained, that Oro Valley mayor Paul Loomis took him inside and made him coffee.

15. Snow in Tucson. The day of the 1994 race, rain and snow began to fall on the city around 2 a.m. It was about 44 degrees at 6:30 a.m., and there were only about 500 people at the starting line.

"I figured, 'This is the end of El Tour.' It was a disaster," DeBernardis said. "But then, at a quarter to seven, it was the most amazing site I've ever seen. Everyone started showing up."

16. Little help! In 1985, David Milne led the pack by what seemed like miles when he broke a spoke and got a flat tire. He had no spare, so DeBernardis, who was in a car, found a man with a bicycle in the back of his truck. "The guy gives (the tire) to me. David won the race, and somehow the guy and David connected afterward," DeBernardis said. "He got his tire back."

17. David Young. In 2005, cyclist David Young rode competitively for the first time since losing his leg in a motorcycle accident five months earlier. Young, who had trained at DeBernardis' house the winter before, finished the 35-mile event in 2:18:11.

18. Record numbers. The 2006 El Tour de Tucson drew 8,248 participants in all races, breaking the event record by more than 100 people.

19. Dog found. Erv and Lou Ellen Watts' home near Sabino Creek was a part of the El Tour route. The summer before the 1997 race, they found a lost dog, put up fliers and tried to find the owner. No luck.

"El Tour comes around a few months later," DeBernardis said. "They have the dog there. A cyclist comes by and calls the dog by name, and the dog runs right up. They actually found the owner."

20. Tragedy in 1996. The morning of the race, Californian David vonKersburg, 28, rode toward the El Tour starting line while it was still dark. With his fiancée Joan Wenson a car length ahead of him, the Marine Corps helicopter mechanic was struck by a passing car and killed. Starting the next year, El Tour began educating cyclists on how to safely ride to the event.

21. The first race. The 1983 race had a few comical blips. It started in Sabino Canyon despite floods that washed out bridges. At the starting line, DeBernardis was struck by one obvious problem — there were no lights, and it was dark. Fire trucks and cars from El Tour staff shined their lights on the start. Also, the lead police escort car had no race experience and let the leader draft behind him. DeBernardis finally suggested the officer speed up.

22. Course change. In 1992, El Tour moved its starting point from the Sheraton El Conquistador to downtown. The El Conquistador route sent riders around Tucson in a counterclockwise direction. The new downtown course was clockwise.

23. The first El Bike Swap de Tucson. Four years ago, one of the unique events in Tucson began. The bike swap — which features riders selling bikes, gear and jerseys — is held one week before El Tour.

24. Good cause. It might not be one specific moment, but El Tour has raised $24,775,147 for local charities in its 24 years. The beneficiaries include Tu Nudito Children and Family Services, the American Parkinson Disease Association and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, among others.

25. Bicycle built for two. Last year, Californians Chris Demarchi and Gilbert Correa finished in 4:16:35, the fastest El Tour time ever for a tandem bike.

If you go

• What: UMC El Tour de Tucson

• When: Saturday

• On the Web: http://www.pbaa.com/!ETT/ ETThome.html

• Start times and locations:

109-miler — 7 a.m. at Granada and Congress

4-miler — 9 a.m. at Granada and Congress

1/4-miler — 9:45 a.m. at Granada and Congress

80-miler — 9 a.m. at Pima College East Campus

66-miler — 10:30 a.m. at Morris Udall Park

33-miler — 12:30 p.m. at Ironwood Ridge High School