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02 February 2013

2013 Ride the Rockies Route

RtR Route Announced for 2013

2014 Update: 2014 Ride the Rockies Route and registration

The route of the 2013 Ride the Rockies, the wildly-popular annual week-long citizens event ride in Colorado every June, was announced this evening. Event Organizers arranged a fun party for old and new riders, sponsors and support staff to celebrate the announcement of the route for 2013. The route changes every year, 2013 will be the 28th Ride the Rockies and the route is set to begin in Telluride and end seven days later in Colorado Springs.

Registration for Ride the Rockies 2013 is open Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 12:01am (midnight): ridetherockies.com. Registration for the lottery closes Feb 22, 2013 at 6pm.
[Register for RTR at http://www.prerace.com/races/event/32520/Ride-The-Rockies]


Event : The Denver Post Ride the Rockies (RTR)
Dates: June 8-15, 2013
Start: Telluride, Colorado
Finish: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Days Riding: 7 (no rest day)
Total miles: 513
Vertical feet: 12,400
Total riders: 2,000
Registration open: Sunday February 3, 2013 (midnight)
Cost: $495, + $5 registration lottery fee (non-refundable) 
Additional Costs: meals, hotels, sherpa camping, rest stop specialty foods, transportation to start and from finish (buses available), bike shipping (trucks available), massage, beer, mechanic tips. Included: event jersey, water, basic rest stop, free-camping at local high schools, one 50lb bag transfer, sag support, music, talks and movies.

website: ridetherockies.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RideTheRockiesFans
Twitter: https://twitter.com/denverpostrtr

Also read: Update 06/07/13 June in Colorado and the big rides begin
 
Map of Colorado in the USA
2013 Ride the Rockies route will cover southwestern Colorado from Telluride to Colorado Springs

2013 Ride the Rockies 7-day route map and profile.  click to enlarge
2013 Route - cities  (Saturday June 8, arrive in Telluride)  / (Prologue June 7, 8)
*interactive maps (with profiles) of each day's route can be found at this link
  1. Telluride - Cortez : Sunday, June 9, 2013, 75 miles
  2. Cortez - Durango : Monday, June 10, 2013, 64 miles
  3. Durango - Pagosa Springs : Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 86 miles
  4. Pagosa Springs - Alamosa : Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 91 miles
  5. Alamosa - Salida : Thursday, June 13, 2013, 84 miles
  6. Salida - Canon City : Friday, June 14, 2013, 67 miles
  7. Canon City - Colorado Springs : Saturday, June 15, 2013, 46 miles
Route amended on Day 6 of Ride the Rockies 2013 around fires near Royal Gorge, Canon City. More information at: Reroute Ride the Rockies
 
Typically 3,500 riders apply for just 2,000 coveted spots

Colorado has some big mountain passes and although the riding is not easy, Colorado is a very popular state for cycling. Ride the Rockies is tough to get into, after an open registration, a lottery system determines the lucky 2000. According to the Ride the Rockies website, past riders have represented all 50 states and over 18 foreign countries. One of tonight's attendees had ridden 25 of the past 27 Ride the Rockies.

2013 RTR Route Announcement Party 

Ron Kiefel, Lucas Euser, and announcer Dave Towle were on hand to help present the 2013 route. Thank you to Dan Grunig and Scott Christopher of Bicycle Colorado for inviting me to the party tonight. It was fun to again see my old friends Brian, Steve and Ron (the event Mavic support crew) and caterer Danny Flippin' Flapjacks

I was also very excited to have finally met in person Kris Thompson and Amy Thompson of 303Cycling.com at the event, I am a faithful reader of their site. Kris Thompson will riding the 2013 Ride the Rockies; I look forward to hearing his stories. Ron Kiefel and brothers Rich Hincapie (a regular on the ride for years) and George Hincapie will also be riding Ride the Rockies 2013.
 
7 days of hard riding, as each town was revealed
©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®
Four of the eight handsome "Colorado Guys" who will be riding Ride the Rockies again this year to raise funds for Project Recycle. Project ReCycle collects used bikes, fixes them up and provides them to those in need.     ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®
Ron Kiefel and George Hincapie together at the 2012 USA Pro Challenge will both be riding the Colorado passes this summer   ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®
Read the stories of guest bloggers from the 2012 Ride the Rockies Ride.

Colorado Cycling Event Ride Comparison - how long and how hard
  • 2013 Ride the Rockies: 7 days riding, 513 miles, 20,399 ft elevation gain (avg 40ft+/mile but the most days) (registration closed Feb 2013)
  • 2013 Colorado Rocky Mountain Bicycle Tour: 6 days riding, 469 miles, 29,400 ft elevation gain (avg 63ft+/mile) (registration open) 
  • 2013 Copper Triangle: 1 day ride, 78 miles, 5981 ft elevation gain (avg 77ft+/mile) (open)
  • 2013 Triple Bypass: 1 day riding, 120 miles, 10,000 ft elevation gain (avg 83ft+/mile) (Sat full, Sun open)
  • 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic: 1 day riding, 50 miles, 6,700 ft elevation gain (avg 134ft+/mile) (Sold Out)
  • 2013 Death Tour Ride3 days riding, 232 miles, 16,500 ft elevation gain (avg 71ft+/mile) (Sold Out), The 3rd day of this ride is the Iron Horse Classic route.
  • 2013 Double Triple Bypass:  2 days riding, 240 miles, 20,000 ft elevation gain (avg 83ft+/mile) (open)
  • 2013 Bicycle Tour of Colorado 6 days riding, 438/502 miles, 35,139ft elevation gain (avg 80ft+/mile) (open)   

I am signed up for the Death Ride Tour (300 riders) this year, which happens to overlap routes in Telluride with Ride the Rockies (2000 riders). The two event rides will share the road and (first 3) reststops heading south out of Telluride on June 9th. The Death Ride Tour will be riding Ride the Rockies' stage 1 and stage 2 in 1-day totaling 111 miles from Telluride to Durango. Ride the Rockies will branch off to Cortez to complete their Day 1 of 7. The Death Ride Tour organizer, Barry Sopinsky, also attended tonight's Ride the Rockies party. It takes a community here in Colorado to organize all these cyclists.

More event rides in Colorado listed at: 2013 Colorado Bike Events and Races - so many choices!