Vail Valley to host prestigious amateur cycling event Haute Route Rockies

Carving through the heartland of American cycling, the Mavic Haute Route Rockies, will be in Avon June 26^th, 27^th and 28^th. The Haute Route is a global series of stage races for amateurs. Whether it is in the Colorado Rockies, French Alps, Pyrenees or Italian Dolomites, these are the highest, toughest and most prestigious amateur cycling events in the world.  Colorado is proud to host the inaugural seven-stage race featuring an unforgettable combination of jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking climbs, offering committed amateur riders the opportunity to compete with a professional level of unprecedented in US amateur cycling.  

JUNE 26^TH:  Avon will welcome riders June 26^th as they complete a 95 mile ride from Winter Park, winding from Wolcott east through Edwards and Avon, finishing in Harry A. Nottingham Park. The park will be abuzz from 5:00  to 8:00 p.m. with festivities, live music, vendor village, and food and drink available for purchase. 

• The acclaimed Austin Bike Zoo will begin to construct zoo animals, which are larger than life creatures, assembled on bicycles. The ever-growing menagerie of giant, playful, interactive, hand-build creatures include an 80-foot rattlesnake, a flurry of giant butterflies, a fanciful owl, majestic bald eagle and a bicycle carousel that can carry a dozen people at once! The zoo animals lead a parade on the Nottingham Park paths beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Everyone is encouraged to participate in the impromptu parade!
• A Bike Rodeo and Safety with a Cop, sponsored by Sun & Ski and the Avon Police Department, will be featured for children of all ages, from 5:00 to 6:45 p.m.   
• Live music will take place on the Performance Pavilion with Rewind Colorado performing.
• Food by Marc will be providing wine and beer as well as delicious food options!

JUNE 27^TH:  On Tuesday, June 27^th, the Individual Time Trial will begin, with athletes leaving the park starting area, in timed intervals beginning at 9:00 a.m. The community is invited to cheer the riders out to Traer Creek Plaza and back onto Swift Gulch Road.
 
After a rolling first four miles, riders will turn onto Buck Creek Road and climb up to Mountain Star before heading west to the finish at the top of Wildridge. Riders may take their time descending back to Nottingham Park to join the Avon community with live music, vendors and activities.  The Route map can be found at: https://www.strava.com/routes/7198785.    Lake Street will be closed, but all other streets will remain open, with diversions at some roundabouts.  See the traffic information below.  
 
The fun continues in Nottingham Park from 5:00 to 8:00 pm., with First Chair performing at the Pavilion, Food by Marc providing wine and beer and more delicious food options. 

June 26^th:  Spectators may rise early and cheer on the cyclists as they leave Avon at 6:00 a.m., for a 102 mile journey over Battle Mountain, Tennessee, and Independence passes to Snowmass Village.

The first ever week of Haute Route riding in North America features a total of 507 miles of riding in the spectacular setting of the Rocky Mountains and 49,260 feet of climbing. The event kicks off on June 24, 2017 from Boulder, Colorado and finishes on June 30 in Colorado Springs.  Three hundred fifty riders are expected to be riding in the race.