Nevada
Nevada Cycling Challenge
April 28, 2012 – Las Vegas, Nevada
A premier cycling festival featuring the best of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada and the Desert Southwest - with something for everyone – rides and races, expo and post-event party.
Start Making Plans -
Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The City bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World. But Las Vegas is becoming much more. The area has grown substantially. The desert subtropical climate – warm temperatures and abundant sunshine – has been a major factor in its growth. The area is becoming an outdoor sports mecca. InterBike – the bicycle industry trade show –and CrossVegas – the biggest cyclocross race in the US - is held here every September. Hey, come ride and party with us this April in Las Vegas … great road cycling and great weather. Don’t miss it!
Our goal is to promote cycling and the healthy lifestyle though a series of weekend events held across the USA. These events include rides and races for cyclists of all abilities. Each event affords the opportunity for cyclists and others to learn about endurance bicycle racing. And each event includes a race where solo racers may attempt to qualify and teams may tune up for the Race Across America. Sign up and come out for a weekend of fun.
Activities
One non-competitive ride (120 miles), 2 endurance races (200 and 400 miles), an expo and post-event party with awards, entertainment, food and drink. The 120-mile ride is a “Gran Fondo.”
What is a Gran Fondo?A Gran Fondo – Italian for “big ride” – is a long distance, mass participation cycling event – not a race – open to recreational and competitive cyclists. The Gran Fondo falls somewhere between a non-competitive century ride and a road race. All participants are timed. Riders may challenge themselves against the distance or the clock. The top riders compete against each other to finish first. Gran Fondos typically have more challenging courses – ours are no exception. Most importantly, they have big parties after the finish. Participants are usually not in a rush to get home. They regale each other with tales of glory over a hot meal and a cold beverage! Our Gran Fondo is no exception … come on out, ride and party!
Above and beyond a Gran Fondo, the next challenge: an intro into endurance racing!
Start/Finish
The start/finish is located at the Suncoast Casino on the western edge of Las Vegas. There are plenty of dining options, bike shops and shopping in the area. There’s easy access to great cycling. And it’s much easier to get around – less traffic – than the world famous “Strip.” But, of course, when it’s time to experience world class entertainment, the Strip is less than 20 minutes away. The weekend festivities begin at 12:00 Noon on Friday April 27 and end at 3:00 PM on Sunday April 29.
The ride and races have been designed to showcase the beautiful Desert Southwest.
Ride. The 120-mile Gran Fondo riders leave the Suncoast Casino and head east along Alta Drive – downhill – through downtown Las Vegas to the eastern edge of the Metro Area. They head out Lake Mead Drive and along the north shore of Lake Mead. Riders return along the west shore of Lake Mead south to US 93 and Boulder City. From there they head west through Henderson along the southern edge of the Metro Area to Blue Diamond Highway and return via Charleston Blvd. to the Suncoast Casino.
The 120-mile Gran Fondo ride is non-competitive and fully supported with aid stations (food and beverage), bike mechanics on course, bike patrol, traffic control by local law enforcement and SAG support. No personal SAG vehicles will be allowed.
Races. Races are open to solo, 2 and 4-person teams. Both races leave the Suncoast Casino heading west on Alta Drive. Very quickly the racers are out of town and riding northwest across the desert toward Pahrump.
The 200-mile race turn west in Pahrump taking Bell Vista, Ash Meadows and State Line Road across the State Line into California to Death Valley Junction. There they turn north and head back across the State Line into Nevada. At Amargosa Valley they head back east along Veterans Memorial, through Indian Springs and Mt. Charleston to Las Vegas. Upon reaching Las Vegas, the racers turn south and return to the Suncoast Casino via Durango and Rampart. The 200-mile course features 7,100 feet of climbing. The 200-mile racers will have 17 hours to finish.
The 400-mile racers follow the 200-mile route out of Las Vegas, but before reaching Pahrump, head southwest on Old Spanish Trail Highway into California through Calvada and Tecopa to Shoshone. From their racers enter Death Valley National Park, cross over Jubilee and Salsbury Passes down into Ashford. They head north up the throat of Death Valley to Badwater – the lowest point in the U.S. – and on to Furnace Creek. The route heads southwest through Stovepipe Wells and climbs to the top of Townes Pass. At the top of the Pass, racers turn around, head back down through Stovepipe Wells, out of the Park, across the State Line back into Nevada to Beatty. Riders return to Las Vegas via Veterans Highway following the same route as the 200-mile racers back to the Suncoast Casino. The 400-mile course features nearly 21,000 feet of climbing. The 400-mile racers will have 34 hours to finish. The 400-mile race is a RAAM Qualifier.
The races are unsupported. There will be no aid stations or SAG support on the 200 and 400-mile courses. Bikes and support vehicles will be inspected. 200-mile racers may ride randonneur style (without crew), but must notify the Race Director prior to the event. The 400-mile racers must have a support crew. Riders and crew must follow Modified RAAM Rules. There will be race officials to insure compliance with race rules.
Route Maps, profiles and cue sheets
Timing
Races will be timed.
Where to Stay
The Suncoast Casino will be the headquarters hotel.
Attendees may now call our Central Reservations Department toll free at
866-636-7111. To receive your special discounted rate they should ask for Group
Code: A2RAC04. By referencing this same group code they may also book their
reservation on-line at http://www.suncoastcasino.com/groups. Please note your
cut-off date is March 27, 2012.
What to Bring
April in Las Vegas should see warm sunny days and cool nights. While warm sunny days are the norm, it’s not unusual to experience cool temps at the higher elevations. So, be prepared for wide ranging conditions. Bring your cool weather gear just in case.
Event Store: Purchase Cycling Challenge merchandise at our on-line Store.
A portion of the proceeds from the Nevada Cycling Challenge will be donated to non-profit organizations – to be announced.
The Nevada Cycling Challenge is produced by Soul Events in conjunction with the Race Across America (RAAM). To learn more about RAAM visit raceacrossamerica.org . To learn more about Soul Events visit souleventsusa.com. To learn more about NdZone visit www.ndzone.com
.jpg)
