POCAHONTAS, Iowa — It's the best time of the year for Iowa cyclists: RAGBRAI is back.
On Monday, riders started their journey from Ida Grove to the town of Pocahontas. Residents of one of the smallest towns on the year's route prepared to welcome riders to their corner of the Hawkeye state, hoping to offer a memorable experience
When RAGBRAI revealed the list of host towns for 2022, it was music to the ears of local business owners around the state. But for Jonathon Rittgers, who was part of a group that recently purchased a new space for a bar and restaurant in Pocahontas, it meant something else -- it was time to get to work.
"It's just kind of been a rush to get open for RAGBRAI. It was announced after we bought it that RAGBRAI was coming through," Rittgers said.
More than 18,000 riders are participating in this year's ride. And that's not even counting unregistered participants. For businesses used to a town of about 1,400 people, it makes the visit an opportunity like no other.
"You don't have 20, 30 thousand people come through town very often, so you gotta take advantage of it," Rittgers said.
Nathan and Steven Madachy, who are participating in the ride, came all the way from Colorado to try it out after seeing vloggers post about their rides on YouTube. After training for months back home, they've been happy with what they found.
"We're used to Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins. Those are huge cities. But right here, it's real home-y. We took showers in someone's yard, they're real nice people," said Madachy.
A common theme heard around Pocahontas: at a time when many rural communities and small tows are struggling, RAGBRAI is providing a much-needed spotlight.
"There's a lot we have to offer. Maybe it's some way to showcase this town. Maybe some people ride through the town think, this is a cool place, they've got a lot to offer. Maybe I'd like to live there someday too," Rittgers said.
As riders make their stop for the night in Pocahontas, Mayor Jada Hallber spoke about what RAGBRAI means for her community, as well as the economic impact.
"I would like to see all our all our vendors do well. The one reason we said yes to this was because we have seen our businesses take a hit during COVID, our local businesses, and then your nonprofits do as well," Hallber said. "And we wanted to see those businesses and nonprofits and benefit from having people come to town and do business with them."
The ride started in Sergeant Bluff, with the leg from Ida Grove to Pocahontas taking place today.
Next up is Emmetsburg, then on to Mason City, Charles City and West Union, before finishing out in Lansing.