Photo by Markus Spiske
The Haute Route, which offers the world’s most prestigious multi-day events for amateur cyclists, returns to Asheville May 17-19.
The Haute Route selects its host sites based on their significance to world cycling heritage, said Matt Holden, CEO of Haute Route. Host sites, such as the Alpe d’Huez and Mont Ventoux in France, cover some of the most famed and cherished landscapes in all of cycling. Haute Route courses trace the paths of the sport’s legendary riders, and the grounds where they trained and competed.
Asheville is one of only two American cities to host an event.
According to Holden, Asheville was a natural choice for the event. “Asheville has a storied cycling history, including hosting major cycling races, being home to several champions, and developing into a renowned training hub for road cyclists and mountain bikers,” he said. “In addition to the area’s cycling bona fides, Asheville is a vibrant and welcoming city, and we are happy to have support from the community and the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.”
The 2018 Haute Route Asheville generated nearly $1 million dollars in economic impact for the Asheville area, including more than 1,100 room nights in local hotels and more than $64,000 in tax revenue, according to Sports Commission data.
The 2019 course features a number of sites famous both in and outside of the world of cycling. Starting and ending downtown at Pack Square on Friday and Saturday, the course traverses Town Mountain Road, the grounds of the Biltmore Estate, and Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, among others. Haute Route even secured a rare permit to hold a portion of the event on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“The riding is only part of what makes Asheville appealing to Haute Route riders,” said Jim Rutberg of the Haute Route. “The breweries, restaurants, galleries, and nearby attractions give athletes and their families a lot of options during their 3-day stay.” He says many returning riders bring family and friends with them to turn the three-day event into a vacation.
Stage one of the Haute Route kicks off Friday, May 17, at Pack Square.
To learn more about Haute Route, visit https://www.hauteroute.org/ or email Dan Arnett at dan@darbycommunications.com.
Holden said the Haute Route is the world’s first global series of prestigious multi-day events for amateur riders. Taking place over seven or three days, the timed and ranked stage events are embedded in the world’s most iconic cycling terrain. This year it begins in Oman in March and finishes in China in October - with another ten events in-between.