The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s bid to bring the Union Cycliste Internationale Mountain Bike World Championships back to Durango easily won the support of Durango City Council on Tuesday.
Councilors voted unanimously to issue a letter of support to the IHBC as the competitive cycling nonprofit prepares to submit a bid to host the world championships at Purgatory Resort to UCI in January.
Durango hosted the world’s first UCI Mountain Bike World Championships over three decades ago in 1990.
Former IHBC Director Gaige Sippy first proffered bringing back the world championships to City Council last month. He said bringing the event back to Durango would cement Durango’s status as an international mountain biking and cycling destination, inject possibly millions of dollars into Durango’s economy, and give local and up-and-coming athletes a chance to shine on the international stage within their own backyards.
He said IHBC and Visit Durango have already contributed $10,000 each to pay the application fee to UCI.
What IHBC needs from the city right now is a letter of support to show to UCI. But, assuming the bid is accepted, the city will play a greater role in facilitating the world championships and other big cycling events in the years leading up to it, he said.
IHBC expects to hear whether its bid is accepted in June.
Should UCI accept the bid, Sippy said the city must work with the state of Colorado to facilitate a visa program for traveling international athletes. And IHBC will need the city’s help providing various services to ensure the event runs smoothly. The city could also possibly contribute to grants and other funding opportunities.
IHBC would look to the city for public safety and emergency services, special events equipment and staffing, transportation, trash and recycling, and venue space, he said.
He said IHBC would look to the city, Durango Fire Protection District, La Plata County and Silverton Emergency Medical Services for emergency services. But he anticipates emergency services will have a smaller footprint for the world championships than for events such as the IHBC held each May over Memorial Day weekend.
Sippy likened the world championships to a festival, and emergency services would contribute to medical care and traffic control.
“We will not have riders out on open roads. We will have a contained environment up at Purgatory,” he said.
He said riders in the world championships will get injured, “that’s just part of the game.” But riders won’t be crossing through La Plata and San Juan counties and through multiple municipalities along U.S. Highway 550 as is a core part of the IHBC.
Last month, Sippy said the world championships could bring as many as 10,000 spectators and 800 cyclists from 55 nations.
To build hype for the world championships, Durango would also host a national championships event in 2028 and the UCI World Cup in 2029, he said.
Athletes would likely travel to Durango well in advance of their events, he said. That implies they’d be dining at local eateries, staying in local hotels and vacation rentals and spending their money in and around Durango as they acclimate to the area’s elevation, which at Purgatory Resort ranges from 8,793 feet at the base and 10,822 feet at the summit, according to Visit Durango.
“It’s a great opportunity and hopefully we get through the application process and get selected and have a fantastic rerun,” Councilor Olivier Bosmans said on Tuesday.
cburney@durangoherald.com
