How entry will work

Platform

• Proposed
  An established registration service. Entries, payment, waivers, categories and transfers will run through an established endurance-event registration platform rather than a system we build ourselves. The platform will be named when registration details are published.

Field size

• Pending
  Capped. Capped at what the land-management permits and basecamp capacity allow. That number isn't known yet. Permit terms can limit the number of riders, and every rider needs a bed, aid, a sweep and a medic within reach.

Entry method

• Under consideration
  An open question. We haven't chosen an entry method. Under consideration: first-come with a cap, a lottery, or a hybrid with priority for the update list. The method will be published well before entries open.

Entry options under consideration

• Under consideration
  Full week. All seven candidate stages, raced for the general classification.
• Under consideration
  First half. Stages 1 to 3: the Turquoise Lake prologue, Mosquito Pass and Cottonwood Pass.
• Under consideration
  Second half. Stages 4 to 7: Hagerman, Weston, the ranch day and the finish into Leadville.
• Under consideration
  Pairs or relay. Two riders sharing the week, either riding together or splitting the stages.
• Under consideration
  Touring wave. Timed, with generous cutoffs, for riders who want the week and the finish rather than a GC placing.
• Under consideration
  E-gravel. A separate classification for e-bikes, subject to land-manager rules on where e-bikes may ride.

Elite program

• Proposed
  Application with published criteria. Elite GC places would be filled by application, judged against criteria published in advance.
• Proposed
  Equal purse. We intend to pay women and men equally. The amount depends on sponsorship.

Eligibility

• Proposed
  Minimum age. Proposed: 18 for GC categories; younger riders in touring waves with a guardian is under consideration. Subject to sanctioning and insurance.
• Proposed
  Altitude and medical self-declaration. Every rider confirms they understand the altitude risks and declares any condition the medical team should know about. See the athlete guide.
• Proposed
  Mandatory kit acknowledgment. Riders agree at entry to carry the mandatory kit on every stage, and it is checked at sign-in.
• Proposed
  License. If the event is sanctioned by USA Cycling, riders will need a USA Cycling license or a one-day license bought with entry. Sanctioning hasn't been decided.

What the fee is expected to include

• Proposed
  The race itself. No entry fee has been set. It depends on permit terms, field size and what's included. The plan is for entry to cover the racing: a marked course, timing and results, neutral aid, sweep and on-course medical coverage. Lodging, meals and transfers are likely to be separate. Rider services lists each service and its status.

Course recon rides

• Proposed
  Recon days before race week. Guided recon days on parts of the candidate course, with the basecamp's guides, who already run days in this terrain. Recon rides won't come with guaranteed entry, and there will be no entry-plus-package bundles that jump the queue.