Mavic Haute Route Rockies kicks-off an epic Haute Route season for 2017

The 2017 Haute Route season gets underway today as hundreds of riders from America and all over the cycling world gather in Boulder, Colorado ready for the inaugural Mavic Haute Route Rockies.

Today is registration day and the event village in Boulder was buzzing with anticipation and pre-event nerves as 450 riders from 51 nations prepared to take on the spectacular climbs and stunning scenery of the Colorado Rockies.

Ahead lies what promises to be a memorable week of riding – seven timed and ranked stages including an Individual Time Trial – with a total of 515 miles to cover and over 50,000 feet of ascent.

The Mavic Haute Route Rockies is the first of seven Haute Route events this year and the first of four seven-day events. Uniquely it combines classic road cycling with 20% of gravel road sections as the peloton carves its way through the heart of American cycling country.

Gravel riding is a new concept for the Haute Route that is close to Mavic’s heart, as they have pioneered ground breaking equipment to take on and conquer all types of cycling terrain.

Event director Chandler Smith is looking forward to a remarkable week that he believes will test riders of all abilities as they make their way to the finish in Colorado Springs. “We are delighted and excited to now be within just a few hours of the start of the first Mavic Haute Route Rockies,” he said. “After all the planning and preparation by our team, we are confident that our riders are going relish a course which, as we have said before, combines jaw-dropping scenery with breathtaking climbs.”

Smith thanked the City of Boulder and its City Council for hosting the first start in what looks set to become an Haute Route classic. “The city of Boulder has taken the Haute Route to its heart and we could not have wished for a better place to launch our most ambitious Haute Route event outside Europe,” said Smith.

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