Great River Energy Bike Festival Featuring the Nature Valley Grand Prix Launches Two New Blogs for Cycling Enthusiasts

Minneapolis (April 7, 2008) – The Great River Energy Bike Festival, which features the Nature Valley Grand Prix pro stage race, announced today the launch of two new blog sites devoted to the nine-day festival, which runs June 7 - 15, 2008. While one blog features views from inside pro racing by past Nature Valley Grand Prix racers, the other will provide a wealth of advice that will help all cyclist take their own riding to a higher level. The blogs are accessible through the festival’s primary web site at: www.minnbikefest.com.

“The future of the web is interactivity and we’re excited to be part of that trend”, said Festival director David LaPorte. “People today don’t want to just sit and read, they want to be part of a conversation. Our new blogs will let cyclists interact with top pro racers, team managers, coaches and sports scientists. These are views of cycling that you’ll find no where else and will help our fans understand the sport more deeply and improve their own cycling. We’re creating an on-line community and inviting everyone to join.”

This year’s blogs include:

TRIA Orthopedic Center’s Your Cycling Blog: TRIA Orthopedic Center’s Your Cycling Blog features the kind of information all cyclists can use to improve their own cycling, from training tips and nutrition to gear suggestions and much more. Novices and experienced cyclists will gain insights from noted sports and health professionals, including TRIA Orthopedic Center staff physicians and physical therapists. Other contributors include, Larry Foss, the USA Cycling National Team’s massage therapist, Stephen McCarthy of Gear & Training and Dan Carey, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Saint Thomas as well as a former New York Mets pitcher..

The TRIA Orthopedic Center’s Your Cycling Blog can be found at www.minnbikefestival.com/blog/triayourcycling/

Pro Cycling Minnesota Blog: Past and future participants in the Festival’s professional stage race, the Nature Valley Grand Prix, will make up the editorial panel of Pro Cycling Minnesota. This blog will highlight the strategies,
tactics and war stories from the top cyclists and team managers in North American cycling. Fans can feel the thrill of riding in the peloton of a USA Grand Tour from a racer’s perspective. Pro Cycling Minnesota
contributors include team directors, Giana Roberge and Jeff Corbett, racers John Lieswyn, Teresa Moriarty, Meredith Miller and more,.

The Pro Cycling Minnesota blog can be found at: www.minnbikefestival.com/blog/procyclingmn/

The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival, featuring the Nature Valley Grand Prix pro stage race, is free and open to the public. It is the only professional sports event in Minnesota in which no ticket is required. Cyclists, sports enthusiasts, and families will love the energy, excitement and activities the Great River Energy Bicycle Festival provides.

Note: Events are subject to change. The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival takes place June 7-15, 2008. Now in its 10th year, it is one of the nation’s top celebrations of bicycle culture in the country. Ranked as the premier stage race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, the 2008 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule includes stops in Saint Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Mankato and Stillwater, June 11 – 15. The Great River Energy Bicycle Festival is a volunteer-run event, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the festival’s benefiting charity.

For more information, visit: www.minnbikefestival.com.

About Nature Valley
Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products.

About Great River Energy
Great River Energy is a non-profit electric cooperative providing wholesale electric energy and related services to 28 distribution cooperatives serving nearly 1.5 million people in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Headquartered in Maple Grove, Minn., Great River Energy is the second largest utility in Minnesota and the fifth largest utility of its type in the country.

TRIA Orthopedic Center
TRIA Orthopedic Center is a state-of-the-science partnership of Park Nicollet Health Services, University of Minnesota Physicians and The Orthopedic Center. This revolutionary facility delivers orthopedic treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, pharmacy, research and physician education—all under one roof. TRIA is conveniently located at France Avenue and I-494. To contact TRIA Orthopedic Center, call
952-831-8742 or visit www.tria.com.