Durango renowned for its world class cycling
The annual Denver Post Ride the Rockies Cycling Tour Sponsored by Flexential is celebrating its 35th year June 14th – 19th as the beloved Colorado institution and one of the Denver Post Community Foundation’s signature events. The 35th annual Ride the Rockies features the stunning roads of southwest Colorado, with this year’s start and finish situated in Durango, one of the Centennial State’s most popular outdoor recreation and tourism destinations.
Along with easy access to some of Colorado’s best road and mountain bike riding, Durango offers visitors a plethora of recreation and leisure opportunities. Ride the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, raft the rollicking whitewater of the Animas River, or simply enjoy delicious food and drink at one of the town’s many great restaurants and bars. Durango has it all.
And for the third year in a row, the Ride the Rockies route is a loop, simplifying logistics while taking riders on a breathtaking adventure around one of the most scenic areas in all of Colorado. Besides Durango, other host communities along this 6-day, 418-mile clockwise tour include Cortez, Norwood, and Ouray County. Along the way are challenging uphill encounters with Lizard Head Pass, Red Mountain Pass, Molas Pass, and Coal Bank Pass, which together account for the bulk of the route’s 28,484 feet of climbing.
During — and between — those ascents is a bounty of spectacular scenery. Indeed, the 2020 route rolls along the banks of the Animas River, winds through Southern Ute Tribal land, climbs the Uncompahgre Plateau, and ventures deep (and high) into the San Juan Mountains. This year’s route also includes a few forays off pavement and onto packed dirt roads, which means less time on busier roads and a little extra adventure. Add it all up and this will truly be the bike ride of a lifetime.
“Access to trails, good weather and a bike friendly community are just a few reasons why Durango has more cycling national champions, world champions and Olympians per capita than anywhere else,” said Rachel Brown with Visit Durango. “We are excited to welcome the 2,500 riders, their families and supporters to experience Durango’s world class cycling, hospitality and the stunning San Juan Mountains.”
Jason Sumner, cyclist and author who helped design the course, said, “I’m truly excited about this year’s route. It has a little bit of everything, high mountain climbs, quiet country roads, amazing scenery, and some great host communities. It’s definitely going to be a ride to remember.”
Ride the Rockies is a non-competitive event that’s open to cyclists of all ages. Participants are encouraged to ride at their own pace. All registrations are on a first come, first serve basis, until the ride is sold out. Proceeds from the event benefit The Denver Post Community Foundation and all the funds raised are returned directly to Colorado nonprofits. Registration will be open to the public on January 11th, and a list of everything that the tour fee includes can be found on the website at https://www.ridetherockies.com/registration/.