A homecoming celebration for professional cyclist Sepp Kuss is expected to draw big crowds to downtown Durango on Thursday, prompting the city to close parking spaces around Buckley Park where most of the festivities will take place.
Kuss made history when he won the Vuelta a España’s general classification in September. Kuss’ victory with his cycling team, Jumbo-Visma, marked the first time in cycling history the team won all three grand tours in the same season.
A bike parade down Main and East Second avenues is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Buckley Park. The parade will travel down Main Avenue, take Fifth Street to East Second Avenue and loop back around to Buckley Park.
Parking around Buckley Park in the 1200 block of Main Avenue will be restricted well before afternoon festivities begin.
A city news release says parking spaces in front of Buckley Park on the east side of Main Avenue and on the south side of 13th Street will be closed starting at 8 a.m. Thursday.
Remaining street parking across Main Avenue and 13th Street will close at 12:30 p.m. Parking on 12th Street between Main Avenue and East Second Avenue will close at 2 p.m.
The 1200 and 1300 blocks of Main Avenue will close to vehicle traffic at 2 p.m. Thursday and remain closed until around 8:30 p.m., after park festivities wrap up around 7 p.m.
Crowds of cyclists and foot traffic is expected to ramp up around 3 p.m. Thursday, according to the city.
Speakers, including Kuss, are scheduled to take to the stage at Buckley Park at 3:30 p.m. before the bike parade, which is slated to line up at Main Avenue and 12th Street at 4:15 p.m.
Excluding the 1200 and 1300 blocks, Main Avenue is scheduled to reopen to regular traffic after the bike parade around 5:30 p.m. The homecoming celebration is scheduled to continue at Buckley Park with live music, food and beverages, Kuss merchandise and autograph opportunities until 7 p.m.
“Durango Devo is proud of all our alumni, and we’re certainly proud of Sepp Kuss,” Durango Devo Executive Director Levi Kurlander said in the news release. “He is a great example of what makes Durango Devo and the Durango cycling community special. We are honored to host the Vuelta a España champion and Tour de France stage winner and celebrate his achievements in his hometown.”
If inclement weather is forecast to disrupt the festivities, the homecoming celebration will be held at the La Plata Fairground Exhibit Hall and the bike parade will be held on the Animas River Trail, the release says.
The city is also seeking volunteers to help with the Kuss homecoming celebration. Specifically, the city is looking for people to help vendors at Buckley Park and to serve as parade marshals during the bike parade.
Prospective volunteers are asked to apply online at https://bit.ly/45G9WDv.
Durango Transit will offer free transportation on Thursday to make downtown more accessible for celebrants, city multimanager Devin King said on Tuesday. Road closures due to the bike parade and party will affect afternoon transit stops.
The Kuss homecoming is being held during Spoketober, a monthlong event celebrating Durango’s cycling history and modern scene.
cburney@durangoherald.com
