Waverly, Independence Selected As RAGBRAI Stops

Thousands of bicyclists from around the world will be pedaling through the Cedar Valley this summer. Waverly and Independence have been chosen as overnight stops for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), which runs July 20-26, 2014.

Both communities will serve as host cities for the third time. RAGBRAI’s last overnight stop in Waverly (population 9,874) was 15 years ago. Independence (population 5,966) last served as a host city in 2007.

They are two of six cities named as overnight stops on the trek across the state. RAGBRAI organizers decided to feature some of Iowa’s smaller towns when selecting this year’s host communities.

RAGBRAI will start in Rock Valley (population 3,354) for the first time and proceed east to Waverly, making overnight stops in Okoboji, Emmetsburg, Forest City and Mason City along the way.

Bicyclists arrive in Waverly on Thursday, July 24, 2014 for an overnight stop, following a 63-mile ride from Mason City. With a population of 28,079, Mason City is the largest overnight town on the route.

On Friday, July 25, 2014, bicyclists trek 68-miles to their next overnight stop in Independence.

The final day of RAGBRAI (Saturday, July 25, 2014) will feature a 68-mile journey from Independence to Guttenberg (population 1,919), the smallest stop on the route.

This year’s 418-mile route is the third-shortest distance in RAGBRAI’s 42-year history and the route across northern Iowa is the second-flattest ever. The exact route, including pass-through towns in between the overnight stops, will be released at a later date.
RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest, and longest tour of its kind in the world.