As teams prepare for the more than 500-mile, high- alpine bike race that begins in just over a week, the Town of Breckenridge, Stage 5 on the Pro Cycling Challenge tour, is making preparations of its own.
The race, which will bring hundreds of cyclists and thousands of spectators to town Aug. 27, will take over the town with pre-race events, the big Stage 5 finish and a concert in the evening.
Race, town and county officials as well as law enforcement officers held two informational meetings Thursday to prepare locals for the event.
The teams are expected to reach Breckenridge from Steamboat Springs between 3:15-4:30 p.m., but road closures and impacts will be felt as early 2 countywide and, in Breck, the festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a beer garden and other pre-race programs and activities.
The town, which fronted $150,000 to back the event, saw the opportunity as a chance to build on its reputation as a summer biking destination.
“From the very beginning, when it was just a rumor that this was going to happen our town council jumped on it,” Breckenridge spokeswoman Kim Dykstra-DiLallo said. “We really look at this … as part of an overall strategy to show the world what a great biking community we are. It's part of a larger marketing strategy that we really feel is important.”
A local organizing committee put together a bid for Breckenridge to become a stage on the race, highlighting the town's track record of executing major events such as the International Snow Sculpting Championships.
Organizers are hailing the race as the largest spectator event in Colorado history, and Breckenridge, local officials noted gleefully, landed the only Saturday stage.
Race officials say they expect crowds in town comparable to the Fourth of July weekend or the Saturday of Oktoberfest, in what will likely be a highly visual, colorful event at the finish line.
Teams will come down Swan Mountain Road, where many of the spectators are expected to gather for a great view of the fastest leg of the race in Summit County, turn left at Farmer's Korner onto Hwy. 9 before merging on to Park Avenue in Breck. They will follow Park down to the south end of town before racing north back up Main Street to the Wellington Road intersection.
The event has drawn the interest of 400 volunteers, though organizers are still hoping for additional local volunteers who are more familiar with the town.
But regardless of how much help is available, the event is shaping up to be a logistical challenge for people trying to navigate the county and particularly Breckenridge the day of the race. Rolling and day-long closures will be implemented countywide and Breck will shut down Main Street all day and Park Avenue (Highway 9) for the better part of the afternoon and evening.
Drivers will be directed toward parking in the satellite lot on Airport Road north of town, though there will be some parking available in town. The yellow and purple Free Ride routes, which will be running frequently in the morning, will be stopping service in the afternoon as the teams approach. The yellow route will run through 1:15 p.m. departing from Breckenridge Station and the purple route will run through 1:45 p.m. also departing from Breck Station. Full Free Ride service is expected to resume at 5:45, but organizers advise everyone in the county to “be where you need to be by 2 p.m.,” whether that is watching the race or not. They say it is best not to plan to drive until after 4.
Spectators interested in watching the race are encouraged to ride bikes — and bring bike locks — rather than trying to navigate the complicated road closures and difficult parking situation by car. The bike race is a no-pet event.
