The Denver Post Ride the Rockies on Saturday unveiled the route for the cycling event’s 30th anniversary, with Westcliffe being added as a tour stop for the first time.
The 2015 ride, which will cover 465 miles and ascend 40,537 vertical feet, will take place June 13-20.
Cyclists will start in Grand Junction and finish in West cliffe, riding through Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison, Chaffee, Fremont and Custer counties along the way. The route will take participants through Colorado’s wine country, into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, around the Blue Mesa Reservoir and through the Arkansas River Valley.
Last year, more than 2,000 cyclists participated.“Ride the Rockies is all about the awe-inspiring, beautiful and rugged experience of touring some of Colorado’s most renowned regions,” tour director Chandler Smith said. “This year’s tour will deliver on that promise while also allowing participants to take in the sights and sounds of each host community.”
The Grand Junction-based loop on the first day takes riders through the Colorado National Monument. Over the next week, they will pass through Grand Mesa, Curecanti National Recreation Area and Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, sweating it out over Cottonwood and Hardscrabble passes en route.
Stops this year include Hotchkiss, Gunnison, Crested Butte, Salida and Cañon City. The final day’s ride ends in Westcliffe, which provides breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range.
Each day of the ride will bring an estimated average of $250,000 in economic impact to its host communities. Additionally, The Denver Post Community Foundation, in partnership with Wells Fargo, awards a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit organization in each town.
“Cyclists from all walks of life, nationally and internationally, have joined us to explore the Rockies for the last 30 years,” Mac Tully, president and CEO of The Post, said in a statement. “They experience Colorado’s natural beauty while also supporting local businesses within each host community.”
As a nod to its 30th anniversary, Ride the Rockies has added a “Dirty Thirty” option to Day 4. Cyclists can take either the regular 27-mile route from Gunnison to Crested Butte or the dirtier and hardier way, pumping their bikes over Ohio and Kebler passes.
Cyclists can register for the event at ridetherockies.com. Applications will be accepted Feb. 8 through March 1.
