SAN DIEGO, CA — (May 18, 2017) — MMC has been retained to handle the national marketing public relations for the Cervélo Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR). More than 1,200 riders are expected to endure the sixth edition of pedaling perversity, suffering and celebration on May 21. Created as an extremely challenging cycling event in the spirit of the great one-day spring classics of Belgium, the BWR 132-mile cycling route challenges riders with road, gravel and dirt, combined with 13,000 feet of undulating climbing through the unrelenting hills of north San Diego County. There’s also the shorter and only half as painful Belgian Wafer Ride, as well as the expanded BWR Expo, hosted by The Lost Abbey Brewery in San Marcos, Calif.

Entry fee is $200 for the full-on Cervélo Belgian Waffle Ride and $175 for the less taxing, 71-mile Belgian Wafer ride. Registered Cervélo Belgian Waffle and Wafer Riders will help support the event’s cause, the Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF), whose mission is to provide opportunities and support to people with physical challenges so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. “One Arm” Willie Stewart and André Szucs will be riding for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Similar to previous occasions, but this year bigger and better than ever — the festivities begin a day before the ride with the BWR Expo, on Saturday, May 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at The Lost Abbey brewery, 155 Mata Way in San Marcos, CA. Open to the public, the Expo will be the largest cycling party in all of San Diego, featuring the Amgen Tour of California Stage 7 viewing party on the gigantic screens; a cycling extravaganza with more than 60 vendors and lifestyle booths, massive beer garden, and tons of fun, games and activities for the entire family. There will a variety of craft beers created to reflect the monastic brewing traditions of Belgium, and plenty of food and drinks for all to enjoy.

This year’s fete marks the largest cycling extravaganza in Cervélo Belgian Waffle Ride history with a deep field of professional riders in town for the Tour of California, as well as Olympians; World, National and State champions; professional and amateur cyclists; and surf, motocross and bike industry luminaries to a weekend unlike any other. The majority of the competitors take on the ride using modified road bikes or endurance road bikes like one of the coveted Cervélo C Series, but it’s not uncommon to see a cyclo-cross bike, mountain bike or even a regular road bike. Team Jelly Belly (a San Diego based team) pro riders Taylor Shelden, Serghei Tvetcov and Joshua Barry (last year’s BWR winner), also Travis McCabe of the UnitedHealthcare team will be in the BWR. This year the pro riders are calling the BWR “Stage 8” due to the race happening the day after the Tour of California’s final State 7 finish on Saturday in Pasadena.

Details on the Cervélo BWR Weekend Events and Race Start:

On May 20, one-day prior to the event, The Lost Abbey hosted BWR Expo runs from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Sunday, 5:00 am until the end of the event’s ceremonies. Riders must pick-up their entry packets during Expo hours Saturday (and enjoy the massive fête). The Expo will remain open on Sunday throughout the duration of the event until the beers, jeers and awards are distributed for heroic efforts and lack-thereof.

Returning sponsors include Cervélo, Lost Abbey, Hutchinson, GQ-6, CLIF BAR, Wend Wax Works, Source Endurance, Shimano and Kawasaki, with NYTRO as the new official Bike Shop and JL VELO as the official Apparel Partner.

Race day events kick-off at The Lost Abbey at 5:00 am on Sunday, May 21, with a catered breakfast for the participants from Gear Grinder Grill, replete with fuel-sized portions of authentic Belgian waffles, coffee, eggs and bacon, because everything goes better with bacon.

The BWR pain and suffering will commence on Sunday, May 21 at 7:00 a.m. and will feature three waves, plus the Wafer Ride, which will begin after the BWR waves. This year a team competition has been added to the event, where there will be three categories: Male, Female and Co-Ed. Teams of 5 or more will compete with the top-5 riders of each team combining their times for one finishing time.

This year’s Cervélo Belgian Waffle Ride, which is produced by Monuments of Cycling and Creative Disruption, will be a part of a series of similar old world meets new world events called the Monuments of Cycling, which will eventually include the German Wienerschnitzel Ride, the Spanish Paella Ride, the Dutch Oven Ride, the Italian Sausage Ride and others.

For more information about the Cervélo Belgian Waffle and Wafer Rides, go to https://www.BelgianWaffleRide.Bike or https://www.facebook.com/Belgianwaffleride.