Officials with the Des Moines Register are set to announce the route for the papers’ 41st annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. RAGBRAI 41 will start somewhere along the Missouri River in western Iowa, and makes its way to the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, over the course of a week. Tonight’s party (Jan. 26th) preceding the announcement, will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Community Choice Credit Union in downtown Des Moines, with the proceeds from the price of admission to benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. Last year’s party and fundraiser brought in $77,000 for the non-profit bike advocacy organization. The announcement of the route and the communities set to serve as hosts and pass through towns, will also be made available on-line during a live show at RAGBRAI.com., beginning at 8:15-p.m.

This year’s RAGBRAI event takes place July 21st-through the 27th. Last year’s trip began in Sioux Center in northwest Iowa and ended in the southeastern Iowa community of Clinton. The seven-day total mileage averages 468 miles while the daily mileage averages 67 miles. Atlantic has served as a host community for the event six times over the past 40-years, beginning in 1974, and as recently as 2011.