By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

The Tour de Florence, an area bike event that has continued for 20 years, has been postponed to Oct. 21.

The event was originally scheduled for this past weekend, but was moved due to weather concerns.

According to event organizer Karen Williams, multiple riders contacted her with questions about road conditions and rain.

“A lot of the roads they ride on don’t have gravel,” she said. “They tend to be dirt.”

Despite the change in date, the event has fewer entries so far than last year, which surprises Williams.

“I think that’s the nature of the thing,” she said. “You just don’t know because everybody’s lives are so busy.”

There have been 15 entries for 2018, while last year had around 40.

The event receives good support from the biking community, she said.

“We had a great year last year,” Williams said. “The riders who came, they really enjoyed it.”

This year will be different from 2017 because bikers on the 25-mile course will ride with those on the 60-mile course for an extended period.

“In the past they’ve broken off pretty early,” Williams said. “If you have someone you’re riding with, but you only want to do 25 miles and they’re doing 60, at least you get to ride together for a good portion of it.”

The decision to organize the event as a group ride, instead of a race, has not decreased participation, she said. Last year, groups came from Wichita and Marysville.

“They get together and they like to do rides,” she said. “When you’re in your own area, you tend to ride the same route, and this gives them a whole different scene.”