The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Coming again this August
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be coming back to Colorado this August and the valley will again be part of the action. That comes with a cost and on Monday, May 7 the Crested Butte town council agreed to pay $25,000 plus time and energy to support the event. Mt. Crested Butte has committed to a similar financial obligation.
The race will be held in August with the Stage 2 finish occurring in Mt. Crested Butte. “This end of the valley is a perfect spot to hold an event like this,” explained Karl Trujillo of the local organizing committee. “There are some changes in the event costs and so we are requesting $5,000 more than last year. But the event will run pretty much like 2011.”
CBMR’s Erica Reiter, also one of the local organizers, told the council that it was estimated the upper valley received the equivalent of $1.3 million in media coverage last year. “We had great media impressions last year. The race organizers were extremely pleased with the CB and Mt. CB event,” she said. “They’re excited to work with us in future years. We’re excited for that.”
Reiter said a new website, cbprochallenge.com, has been created to help get the word out on the local event and its needs.
“In terms of marketing, I think we’ll see more returns in the future,” added Trujillo. “This thing is broadcast live around the world. People will be coming here after they see us.”
Trujillo is also the finance director in Mt. Crested Butte and he said the sales tax last August was significant. Some of that, he contended, was due to the race. Ultimately, he said the local organizers would love to see the overall race start from here.
Town attorney John Belkin said he expected the contract negotiations to go smoothly between the host towns and the race organizers. “There are some changes but I don’t see any big hurdles,” he said.
“Spending the equivalent of $40,000 on this event is worth the exposure for us,” said councilperson Roland Mason.
“As Susan said, we aren’t in the marketing business but this is a great way to invest in marketing us,” said councilperson John Wirsing. “Crested Butte gets seen by some different people.”
“It went amazingly well and was great fun,” added mayor pro tem Jim Schmidt.
The rest of the council agreed and committed to taking the $25,000 out of town reserve funds.
Mayor Aaron Huckstep stepped down from the discussion since he is a director of the group, Elk Mountain Events, that is helping to organize the event.
