The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Thousands of riders for a Friday in June
By Mark Reaman
Ride the Rockies cyclists may wander up to Crested Butte this summer as part of the 32nd annual road ride, but it is Gunnison that will see the largest impact from the tour.
The Denver Post Ride the Rockies Bicycle Tour will start on June 11 with 2,000 official riders, their entourages and families in Alamosa and will end seven days later in Salida. The riders will travel from Montrose to Gunnison on Friday, June 16 before heading over Monarch Pass to Salida on Saturday.
It is estimated by the organizers that local hotels, restaurants and retailers in each host community benefit from approximately $250,000 in economic impact each day of the tour. Increasing this impact, the Denver Post Community Foundation will award a $5,000 grant to a non-profit organization in each host town.
“We are thrilled to help host Ride the Rockies again,” said Gunnison city manager Russ Forrest.
Cyclists must register for the event lottery online at ridetherockies.com by February 26. Applicants will find out if they made the cut on March 3.
Gunnison, as well as Crested Butte, has been a host city for the Ride the Rockies tour several times, with the last time being 2015.
