The host village
A basecamp already on the ground
Most stage races build a host village from nothing. Grand Tour Gravel starts with the home field in place: Leadville, and a private ranch with a lodge already running there.
Two anchors
The town and the ranch
Leadville
The highest city in North America, at 10,152 feet, and a National Historic Landmark district that already hosts the Leadville Race Series every summer. Lodging, dining, medical, and a community that knows how to run big mountain events. Start, finish and expo live here.
Sugarloaf Mountain Ranch
A five-bedroom, 5,000 sq ft lodge on 1,000 private acres on Turquoise Lake, surrounded by wilderness, with Mount Elbert and Mount Massive from the decks. A stage host, a rider retreat, and private ground a public-land permit alone can't open up.
Stay-and-ride, built in
An operation that already runs
The pieces behind the basecamp exist today: the lodge and the ranch are running now. Grand Tour Gravel turns them into a race village, with real beds and food between stages. On-course support (UTVs, sweep, mechanics and guides) will be contracted from experienced local operators.
A chunk of what a new race usually has to buy, this one already has on the ground. That makes the plan credible; the permits, sanctioning and sponsors still decide when the first edition runs.
Proposed The start, finish and a small race village with bike wash, mechanics, food and the evening jersey presentations would live here and in town. What riders can expect is set out on rider services, and crews and families on crews & spectators.
Basecamp: Sugarloaf Mountain Lodge.
The village is the difference
No other race starts with a ranch, a lodge and a support operation already at the start line.