The route RAGBRAI® riders will use to get in and out of Jefferson were announced earlier this week by The Des Moines Register.
The 10,000 or so bicyclists will leave Denison early Monday, July 23, and ride 71.7 miles on a route that takes them south and then east through Templeton and Coon Rapids. They’ll turn north onto Highway 25 at Bayard, ride to Greene County Road E-53 on the south side of Scranton, and then turn east toward Jefferson. They’ll cross the Raccoon River on the Eureka Bridge. Once they get to the city limits, their exact route to the downtown square will be determined by the local RAGBRAI planning committee.
The day’s route is the longest of the seven-day bike ride across Iowa aside from optional loops on two of the days.
Support vehicles will start arriving early in the morning. Bicyclists will arrive during the afternoon, with the time dependent on the wind. RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz explains that if there’s a tailwind the riders will arrive earlier in the afternoon and smiling. If there’s headwind they’ll arrive later and a lot more tire.
RAGBRAI will leave Jefferson Tuesday morning heading east on E-53. They’ll turn north at Highway 144 in Grand Junction, and stay on 144 to County Road E-26 at Dana. They’ll leave Greene County on E-26. Their Tuesday destination is Ames.
Most riders will leave Jefferson before 8 am. The local RAGBRAI committee hopes some of them will come back and visit another time.
