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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- One of the biggest bike rides in the Midwest might have just ended, but planning for next year’s RAGBRAI is underway.   

RAGBRAI takes bicyclists from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River and everywhere between throughout the Hawkeye State. Organizers from the event have contacted leaders in Ottumwa to see if they would be interested in hosting the race once again.

“It is great for Ottumwa. It fills up every single hotel room and then some. So, based on what I know about that, the fact that it was a very positive event and experience in 2009, we are just checking to see if the community is interested; and right now the city council has said yes, as well as a number of other business and community members. So, I am working on getting that information together to sent do RAGBRAI,” said Mark Eckman, Director of the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Right now next year’s race is in the preliminary planning stages, and there is a lot of planning to do. If Ottumwa is once again selected as a host city, Eckman says the organization will contact him and planning will begin. The race route is usually determined in early January.