Tent cities spring up all along the Ride the Rockies route.

Alamosa to host

scheduled overnight stop



ALAMOSA — The Denver Post Ride The Rockies 25th annual Colorado bicycle tour, scheduled June 13-19, will make a stop in Alamosa.

Two thousand cyclists will begin their 532-mile journey in Grand Junction and climb 4 mountain passes, 1 divide, and 2 natural wonders in the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa before finishing in Salida.

The route begins in Grand Junction, continues to Delta, Ouray, Durango and Pagosa Springs before crossing Wolf Creek Pass to spend the night in Alamosa on June 18. Cyclists will finish the route in Salida the following day.

Each June cyclists embark on a six or seven day tour through the Rocky Mountains during the Ride the Rockies, Colorado’s premier cycling event. The route is different each year, but always climbs a few challenging mountain passes. Daily rides can be as short as 35 miles or as long as 100 miles.

Between 3,500-4,000 applications are received annually for the registration lottery. Cyclists on past tour’s have represented all 50 states and 18 foreign countries.

Each year, the event generates more than $1,500,000 of tourism business in Colorado. In

2009, cyclists spent an average of $250,000 in each host town.

“For 25 years Ride The Rockies has showcased some of our state’s finest communities, supported numerous charitable organizations and introduced thousands to the pleasures of road cycling. So many people have had their hands in making this a great tradition and in doing so the tour has become synonymous with summer in Colorado,” says Chandler Smith, tour director.

“As a cyclist and past participant myself, I can give testament to the important role Ride The Rockies plays in Colorado,” said Nathan Christian, Wells Fargo’s regional president for Colorado. “Not only is this a top cycling event known across the country and around the world, it’s also a great way to raise necessary funds for the local communities along the route. We’re once again pleased to be part of Ride The Rockies. It’s one way we work to help keep Colorado a great place for all of us to live, work and do business.”

More than 100 dedicated volunteers assist cyclists during the week of the tour. Host communities provide inexpensive community meals and entertainment.

Cyclists may only register for the event online at www.ridetherockies.com. Applications will be accepted February 7 - February 25.

Ride The Rockies, presented by Wells Fargo, is a non-competitive event, and riders are encouraged to ride at their own pace. However, training for the tour is strongly recommended. Training information is available online at www.ridetherockies.com.

Riders on past Ride The Rockies tours have varied in age from 7 to 85 years old and have represented all 50 states and 18 foreign countries.

Proceeds from Ride The Rockies benefit Denver Post Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund. All funds raised through Denver Post Charities are matched at a significant percentage, and 100 percent of all dollars raised are returned to the community. In addition, Denver Post Community awards a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit organization in each host town. These towns include Alamosa.

These grants will support local nonprofit agencies with programs serving children, youth, recreation, and literacy efforts.

Beginning in 2001, agencies from each of the towns on the Ride The Rockies route were invited to apply for funding as part of the Ride The Rockies community grant program. Over the past eight years, a total of 68 grants have been distributed, totaling over $380,000. The grants are awarded in each community on the same day the cyclists are in town.

“We take great pride in this grant program, which allows us to leave a positive legacy in the host communities,” Smith said.

Grant applications are available only to nonprofit agencies in towns where Ride The Rockies makes an overnight stop or finishes. For more information or to request a grant application, please contact Community Relations Coordinator Elizabeth Norris at 303-954-6703 or enorris@denverpost.com, or visit http://ridetherockies.com/denver-post-community.

For more information, contact Ride The Rockies at (303) 954-6700 or visit the event web site at www.ridetherockies.com.