Vail Rec District mountain bike series begins Wednesday with Eagle Ranch Classic
The Eagle Ranch Classic is the first all-ages race in the East West Hospitality Mountain Bike Race Series presented by Bloch & Chapleau Attorneys at Law and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
The course will take racers on a variety of double and singletrack with distances ranging from 3.5 miles for younger riders and beginners to 12.6 miles for more experienced riders. This race is presented by the town of Eagle.
Individual race costs are $26 for preregistration or $37 on race day. Youth (ages 16 and younger) costs are $10 for preregistration or $15 on race day. Registration is available online and ends for individual races at 5 p.m. the Tuesday before each race. Day-of registration will end at 6:30 p.m. on race day. All riders are welcome to participate and racers do not need to be registered in the full series to participate in individual races.
Mountain Pedaler, the official bike shop of the Eagle Ranch Classic, will be on-site to provide neutral support for racers with last-minute mechanical issues.
Participants are asked to park at the after-party location in the Eagle Ranch Business District and ride to the start, as parking is extremely limited at the trailhead. If participants drive to the start, they will need to park on Fourth of July Road as directed by VRD staff. Arroyo Drive will be closed to all vehicle traffic between Fourth of July Road and Haystacker Drive from 4 to 8 p.m.
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Race Schedule
The races will begin at 4:45 p.m. with the Yeti’s Grind Youth Series for riders ages 8 to 17. Youth racers will compete on the 3.5-mile traditional Eagle Ranch Classic short loop. The East West Hospitality Adult Series will kick off at 5:45 p.m. for sport and beginner categories while the pro and expert categories will compete at 6:45 p.m.
When the race is over, there is an after-party presented by New Belgium Brewing Co. at The Dusty Boot in Eagle Ranch. New Belgium Brewing is providing podium prizes for the top-three finishers in each adult category, as well as contributing a free keg of beer for those 21 and older. Top youth finishers will also receive prizes and there will be a raffle prize drawing featuring products from race sponsors, area merchants and national companies.
The East West Hospitality Mountain Bike Race Series will continue on June 5 with the Minturn Mini Youth Race, rescheduled from May 22 due to weather. Then it’s on to the Hammer in the Hay at 4 Eagle Ranch on June 12, followed by the Davos Dash on June 26. The Lost Lake race, on July 10, takes place in Vail and is for adults only. The series then takes racers to the historic Camp Hale Hup course on July 24 before heading to Edwards on Aug. 14 for the Berry Creek Bash. The series wraps up on Aug. 21 with the Beaver Creek Blast.
To register for mountain bike races, visit vailrec.com/register. For more information on all VRD sports offerings, visit vailrec.com, email sports@vailrec.com or call 970-479-2280.