Lots of Tito’s Jalapenos Consumed at 2016 Tour De Jalapeno Bike Ride

This past Sunday the Tour De Jalapeno bike ride was held in San Marcos, TX.  This unique cycling event has three separate rides going on simultaneously: The 50 mile tour which is not timed and the jalapenos are not involved, the 26 mile race and tour which also does not involve jalapenos and the 26 Mile Jalapeno Race.

The 26 mile jalapeno race features cash rewards and two aid stations fully stocked with Tito’s whole jalapenos.  For every jalapeno a rider eats 5 minutes gets deducted from their race time.  In the past there was a 2 minute deduction but that was before Tito’s became an official sponsor at which point the jalapenos were  bigger and hotter than in previous jalapeno races.  It was fun to watch these competitive riders and their strategies for consuming jalapenos and continuing to ride in hopes of winning their respective age categories.  Jalapenos were placed into cups in quantities of 2, 3 and 5 peppers  so riders could grab the cup of their choice and start eating in front of the judges who ensured riders ate the entire jalapeno.

The first female to reach the second aid station at the 16 mile mark was a rider named Emily who had frozen a yogurt pouch the night before and consumed this cold yogurt along with the jalapenos in hopes of counteracting the heat and acidity of the pickled jalapenos.

One male competitor to reach the aid station and start consuming jalapenos came equipped with his own bottle of Pepto.

Another rider who showed up and was consuming jalapenos at first laughed about the Pepto but decided he wouldn’t mind trying this strategy himself.  What a great show of comradery and friendly competition to share a bottle of Pepto in a bike race/ jalapeno eating competition.

The Tour De Jalapeno jersey is an instant classic and riders showing up in this jersey seemed perfectly in place eating jalapenos on a bike ride.

There were some other jerseys that also seemed appropriate for a bike race with jalapenos such as the flaming skull and crossbones.

The faces on these riders are priceless.  It was a hot morning for a hot ride.  Everyone was having a great time and this was a great ride that Tito’s was proud to be a part of.  The riders who didn’t elect to eat jalapenos as part of the race still enjoyed Tito’s dill pickle brine to ward off cramps on this hot and humid day.  This was a well run event and Tito’s hopes to be a part of it again in the future.