These five bicyclists on Highway 74 were among the 250 people who rode in the Tour de Cape Saturday.By Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian

The numbers say the Tour de Cape bicycle tour has seen its attendance increase 2 1/2 times in three years.

But the type of riders participating Saturday offer a clearer explanation for the event's increasing popularity.

There was a guy from England. There was a man from Germany who now lives in St. Louis. There was a 42-year-old woman from a Southern Illinois church group, a doctor from Southern Illinois and a Hodgkin's disease survivor from St. Louis.

Word has spread quickly in two years that the Tour de Cape, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Evening Optimists, is worthy of traveling long distances in order to bike long distances.

Saturday's tour drew 250, up from 103 in the event's first year and 159 last year.

"We are thrilled, just thrilled," said Jan Gerard, the tour organizer. "Everything went very, very well. We had a beautiful day and everybody seemed to enjoy the ride."

"I'm 42 years old and this was my first time doing this," said Cheryl Fuhr, who traveled 90 minutes from Raleigh, Ill., to participate. "We had a wonderful day. I would recommend it to anybody, even couch potatoes."

Fuhr was among 10 friends from the Little Chapel Baptist Church who have been training nine weeks to make the 30-mile ride. Participants also had the options of riding 62 or 100 miles.

Perhaps Bill Sladek of St. Louis had the most inspiring ride. Diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2000, he is proud and thankful that he can ride 100 miles. He said he rides about 150 to 200 miles a week.

Sladek, who went through chemotherapy, had gained a lot of weight because of the medication. Biking has helped him maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Scheduled trip to be here

Collin Singleton of England scheduled his trip to the United States to coincide with the Tour de Cape. Singleton met Gerard and her husband last year as he was passing through on his bike from St. Louis on his way to Memphis, Tenn. He hit it off with them and had planned to ride in Cape Girardeau on his way back before a car hit him near Memphis, snapping a bone in his ankle.

At the time of his accident, the Gerards were the only U.S. citizens he knew. The Gerards helped Singleton out.

"I always said I would come back if I could," Singleton said. "The bank account looked healthy, so I decided to do what I couldn't do last year."

As much as Singleton rides, he knows a good bike tour.

"Excellent, fantastic," he said.

Many of the bicyclists particularly liked the hospitality at the numerous rest stops along the way. The Optimist hosts provided the riders with oranges, bananas, cookies, popcorn and water.

Berend Faust, who lived in Germany before moving to St. Louis about 10 years ago, has competed in triathlons and biathlons for 18 years. Faust said the course was a little flat for his liking, but "it's very, very well-organized. There's lots of food. You could go 100 miles, and you can actually gain weight."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127