Dear riders,
Given the current global health crisis, we all have to adapt in our own way, to limit the spread of the coronavirus outbreak and hope for life to return to normal as quickly as possible.
Following the cancellation of the Haute Route Dolomites and Haute Route Crans-Montana two weeks ago, we have been carefully assessing the situation to find a way to hold our other events.
It is with a heavy heart that we have had to take an unprecedented decision to guarantee the health and safety of everyone: the cancellation of the 2020 Haute Route Alps and Haute Route Pyrenees.
For almost a decade, we have been committed to offering you one of the most intense experiences of your life and giving you the opportunity to reach new heights. We have been working with passion and determination over the recent weeks to make this possible again in 2020, but after assessing several scenarios, we have found this is the most responsible and supportive decision to make.
The postponement of the 2020 Tour de France to the same days as we were due to be in the Alps and the Pyrenees prevents us from organising our events, despite the authorisations we have already been granted. The organisation of these two events simultaneously is not possible, restricting our access to some facilities in some cities, forcing us to change the course for several stages and preventing us from offering you a true Haute Route experience.
We also know that you are the type of people that never do things by halves. We understand your dedication, passion and commitment to training for the Haute Route. With many countries in lockdown worldwide, we know that many of you will not be able to follow a training plan that would allow you to experience the best of the Haute Route and to reach your goals.
Moreover, we are thrilled to welcome hundreds of riders from over 50 different nationalities on every event and we understand your concerns regarding current travel restrictions. During this difficult period of uncertainty, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to welcome you in the near future.
In addition to this, given the fast-changing spread of the outbreak which has increased exponentially in Brazil during the last weeks and a very alarming scenario for the coming months, we have decided to postpone the inaugural Haute Route Brazil event to 26th to 28th of March, 2021. This difficult but responsible decision has been made in order to guarantee the safety of all our participants and to deliver an unprecedented cycling experience in Brazil.
We will contact every rider registered for the Haute Route Alps, Haute Route Pyrenees or Haute Route Brazil in 2020 within the next two hours with details regarding the transfer of their entry, or a refund for those who purchased cancellation insurance. In these unprecedented circumstances, we will strive to find the best solution for every single participant. With a flexible approach in mind, we are developing a process to enable each registered rider to transfer the total amount they spent in 2020 to use on the event(s) of their choice in 2021 or 2022.
Given this health crisis, we have to support each other. We’ve already witnessed you do it on the steepest and wildest mountain roads in the world. The road can seem long, hard and lonely, but together we are stronger.
We thank you all, as well as all our volunteers, partners, suppliers and all the communities and administrations for your support, faith and understanding during this troubled period. You are part of the Haute Route family and we count on you.
Regarding our end of season events, the Haute Route Ventoux and Haute Route Mexico still remain on the 2020 calendar. The organisation of these two events will depend on the spread of COVID-19, but we very much hope to welcome you this autumn.
We are already focused on delivering an exceptional season in 2021, beyond all your expectations. We will unveil the 2021 calendar in the coming months, which will include our iconic destinations, as well as some surprises.
More than ever, take care of yourselves and your relatives.
See you on the road again soon.
The Haute Route team
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