Tale of Donald Trump’s 1989 Biking Extravaganza
Inside the making of the Tour de Trump
Protesters at the finish line of Stage 1 of the Tour de Trump at New Paltz, New York.
By Kevin Hogan
April 10, 2016
The cyclists had crossed over the Catskill Mountains and pedaled more than 100 miles across the bucolic landscape when the peleton sprinted to the finish line.
At any normal bike race they’d have finished before crowds of diehard fans, dressed in team regalia or national colors, pounding excitedly on the fences along the course. This time, they were met by jeering protesters holding signs that said “Die Yuppie $cum,” “Hungry? Eat the Rich” and “Trump = Anti-Christ.” The demonstraters weren’t there for the cyclists. They were there to harry the sponsor of the race, a symbol of wealth and greed and 1980s excess: Donald Trump.
The billionaire-turned-politician’s exploits and business dealings may be legendary, but this is the story of one oft-overlooked venture: The Tour de Trump, a cycling event that was supposed to become America’s very own Tour de France.
It was to be a cycling event the likes of which had never been seen before in the United States—with big-name bikers, international teams and a course that spanned the Eastern seaboard. And Trump went about making it happen in his unique fashion: Only a bicycle race with Trump’s name could link together a Saudi arms dealer, a Dutch brothel and the prince of New Age Pop piano. But despite its high profile, and even with the real estate nabob’s knack for publicity and pageantry, Trump’s namesake race lasted only two years, the short run largely thanks to his empire’s billions of dollars of debt.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/donald-trump-2016-tour-de-trump-bike-race-213801
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