Phil Keoghan, host of CBS’s The Amazing Race, will ride his bicycle into town this afternoon some time around 4 p.m., accompanied by a CBS camera crew.

Keoghan will be entering town from the west on U.S. 160 and is expected to finish his day’s journey some time around 5 p.m. at the Springs Resort. He will receive a police escort from the Rotary Park west of town to the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, and will be welcomed by residents gathered along the route at various locations adjacent to the highway.

For fans of the show, a “road block” will greet Keoghan on U.S. 160, diverting him to the Visitor’s Center and, finally, to the Springs Resort where a live feed will be broadcast for the Bonnie Hunt Show, featuring Keoghan and Pagosa area crowds.

Keoghan will spend the night in Pagosa Springs, preparing for a grueling ride up Wolf Creek Pass.

Tomorrow, a free pancake breakfast (provided by the Kiwanis Club) begins at 7:30 a.m. in Town Park, for all area residents. The event, a fund-raiser and send-off party for the next leg of Keoghan’s journey, will include and introduction of Keoghan by Mayor Ross Aragon, live music by Jack Ellis, hot air balloons and a chance to meet Keoghan, who will address the crowd. Donation buckets will be placed throughout the park and attendees at the event are encouraged to give what they can, with all proceeds going to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Residents choosing to attend the event should bring lawn chairs, as seating will be extremely limited.

Following the fund-raiser/farewell party, Keoghan will head east from Town Park on Hermosa Street with a police escort, then out U.S. 160 to Wolf Creek Pass. Accompanied by the Wolf Creek Wheel Club, Keoghan and his fellow riders will have aid stations on the route and cheering sections east of town to cheer Phil and the other riders on as they summit Wolf Creek.

Having started his cross-country journey in Los Angeles on March 28, Keoghan is cycling across America to raise awareness and money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. With the journey expected to last 40 days, Keoghan intends to end his trek in New York on May 7, a ride that averages 100 miles per day, for a total of over 3,500 miles.

For more information on the events, visit www.visitpagosasprings.com/amazingrace or call (970) 903-9728.

jim@pagosasun.com