HAMMONDSPORT, N.Y. (WENY) -- As the sunrise glimmered in the Southern Tier, cyclists checked in for the Tour de Keuka. All riders fundraised one-hundred-fifty dollars, and the funds go to programs with “The United Way of the Southern Tier.”  

“We are at Tour de Keuka here in Hammondsport at the fire station, and we are having about 200 riders out on a bike ride in support of United Way,” excitingly shared United Way of the Southern Tier, Director of Communication and Community Engagement, Lois Wilson. “They'll be taking 45, 60, or a hundred-mile rides around the area.”  

The foggy morning did not stop bicyclists from strapping on their helmets and choosing one of three routes to bike. Conor Walsh was excited to hit the road for his second 100-mile ride.  

“Well, I cycle a lot year-round,” began Cyclist Conor Walsh. “Really have different kind of bikes to ride in the winter and in the spring, and really just riding as much as I can. practicing how to fuel properly and hydrate because a hundred miles, it's not something you get off the couch and do.”  

The one-hundred thousand dollars raised for Tour de Keuka benefits programs like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Meals on Wheels, and rent assistance programs.  

100-mile riders began pedaling around 7:10 Saturday morning. The 45 and 60-mile riders took their own cycling journey at 9 a.m.  

“We're starting here in Hammondsport and we're gonna head towards Bath and cycle around Juanita and Lamoka and then back to Hammondsport. Then we go up around the lake, back to Hammondsport in the end,” Walsh added.  

170 of the 203 cyclists participated in lengthy bike rides too. The 45 and 60-mile bikers had a different path than the 100-mile ride.  

“They're going around the lake. They're gonna, go through the village of Hammondsport. They're gonna go, clockwise around the lake from starting at Lakeside, I think Lakeside restaurant all the way up to Penn Yan, and then come down on the east side of the lake,” detailed Wilson.  

Walsh was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at the age of 34. Conor Walsh does not let his blood sugar dictate cycling in “Tour de Keuka.”  

“I'm already thinking about how to control my blood sugar last night, got a prefuel this morning, and then keep an eye on it throughout the day so that I can stay strong and not have any blood sugar events,” Walsh openly shared.  

Tour de Keuka began welcoming cyclists back from their rides close to 2 p.m. Director Walsh is grateful for the successful turnout for the 2023 ride.