Haute Route Rockies
7 days, 700 miles, 50,000 ft of climbing through the Colorado Rockies — the world's most prestigious amateur stage race format applied to America's best mountain roads.
The vibe
Seven days of mountain suffering
Haute Route brought the amateur stage race format it perfected in the Alps and Pyrenees to the Colorado Rockies, and the result is the most ambitious cycling event in the American interior. Seven days, roughly 700 miles, and 50,000 feet of climbing across the high roads of the Rockies — passes like Independence, Cottonwood, Loveland, and Vail — with full race timing, GC standings, and daily stage results posted like a professional race.
The format is what separates Haute Route from a gran fondo. Each day is timed as a individual stage, with overall GC standings updated nightly. Riders race against each other and against the clock, staying in hotels each night with full mechanical support, a medical team, and a race village that moves city to city. It’s what a Tour de France stage race would feel like if they let you enter.
The Colorado edition is particularly demanding because of altitude — most of the route stays above 8,000 feet, and several passes push well above 11,000 feet. Acclimatization before the event is strongly recommended; plan to arrive in Colorado 3-4 days early. Registration requires commitment: the entry fee reflects the full event infrastructure, and the time commitment is a full week. For cyclists who want the most serious amateur road racing experience available, nothing else is close.