After signing off the 2017 Haute Route Cycling Series in style around the mythical Mont Ventoux in France last weekend, series organiser OC Sport has announced a full calendar of 11 events for the 2018 season. Starting in San Francisco in April and finishing on Mont Ventoux in October, with a full nine events in-between, 2018 promises to be a landmark year.
Positioned as the first global series of multi-day cycling events for amateurs, five new events have been added to the Haute Route calendar for 2018. Staying true to the principles of the Haute Route, each event will ‘offer riders a professional-level of event organisation usually reserved for the professional peloton’. This includes medical teams, mechanical support, rolling road security, film crews and massages.
Amongst the new events are three 3-day events in the USA, the Maserati Haute Route Norway, Haute Route Stelvio and a revamped three-day Haute Route Dolomites.
Full calendar 2018:
- San Francisco – 20-22 April
- Asheville – 18-20 May
- Stelvio – 8-10 June
- Mavic Rockies – 23-29 June
- Alpe D’huez – 13-15 July
- Maserati Norway – 3-5 August
- Pyrenees – 18-24 August
- Alps – 26 August to 1 September
- Dolomites – 3 days in September (dates TBC)
- Utah – 14-16 September 14th To 16th
- Ventoux – 5-7 October
Both of the flagship events in the Alps and Pyrenees will see rejuvenated courses next year. The Alps (26 August to 1 September) returns to its north to south route, departing from Megève to reach Nice with a host of world-renowned Alpine cols in-between. The Pyrenees (18-24 August) will start and finish in Pau, whilst also visiting a number of host towns throughout the week, allowing riders to discover the raw beauty of the mountain range.
The Mavic Haute Route Rockies (23-29 June) also returns for a second edition in Colorado, featuring once again the iconic dirt roads, high altitude passes and panoramas that make Colorado a heartland of American cycling.
These seven staged long timed and ranked events are seen as the pinnacle of the 2018 Haute Route calendar, and will allow hundreds of amateur riders from across the globe to fulfil their cycling dreams in an iconic mountain range.
Opening the Haute Route season in April will be the inaugural 3-day Haute Route San Francisco (20-22 April), offering riders an opportunity to experience the local cycling culture in the Bay Area, appreciate the ocean views and iconic landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge. Following the inaugural San Francisco adventure, the season will continue in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina on the first ever 3-day Haute Route Asheville (18-20 May).
The final new 3-day event on North-American soil next year will be the Haute Route Utah in Cedar City from the 14-16 September. ‘Combining superb red rock scenery with the charming back roads which will take riders to the coveted high plateaus and summits, Utah promises three remarkable days of cycling.’
Returning for a second edition in 2018, the 3-day events on Alpe d’Huez (13-15 July) and Ventoux (5-7 October) will showcase once again two of the most storied climbs in the history of cycling. The much-awaited Maserati Haute Route Norway will take place on 3-5 August. Here, riders will experience an extraordinary setting for cycling in the Stavanger region. Snaking through the Norwegian fjords and taking in the deep-rooted cycling culture, ‘riders will undoubtedly be captivated by the Haute Route’s first Scandinavian adventure’.
In order to visit the most legendary climbs in Italian cycling the Haute Route Dolomites has taken on a new format in 2018; splitting into two separate three-day events. Taking place in September, the 3-day Haute Route Dolomites will trace a sensational route through the highly recognisable jagged rock faces and demanding climbs of the region. In addition to this, the new 3-day Haute Route Stelvio will be hosted in Bormio from 8-10 June. As one of the most recognisable and respected climbs in cycling, the Stelvio has been much in demand by the Haute Route peloton, and Bormio is said to provide the perfect location for the new three-day Haute Route event.
Brand new in 2018, riders have the option to either ride the Haute Route as a solo rider or as a duo (team of two cyclists). Riders registering as a Duo will not be included in the individual standings. Duo rankings will be established based on the time of the second member of each Duo team to cross the finish line every day.
Registrations are currently open to the general public for the Mavic Haute Route Rockies and Haute Route Alpe d’Huez. Alumni riders currently have access to an exclusive 7-day registration phase for the Haute Route Alps, Pyrenees, Ventoux, Maserati Norway, San Francisco, Asheville, Utah and Stelvio. Registration to all these events will open to the general public on Thursday 19 October. All riders can also pre-register for the 3-day Haute Route Dolomites.
