L'Étape by Tour de France coming to Las Vegas in 2023
Sportive will run through Sin City and scenic Red Rock Canyon
Las Vegas will become the second U.S. destination to host a L’Étape by Tour de France event in spring of 2023.
Held in 21 countries across the world, L'Étape by Tour de France is a Gran Fondo series organized by the Tour de France brand aimed at offering “amateur cyclists the ability to ride or race a stage of the Tour de France in their own backyard.”
Gran Fondos, also known as Sportives, are mass participation cycling events that, much like a running marathon, are a race for some and a fun, personal challenge for others.
The L'Étape by Tour de France routes are designed by Tour de France experts and held on closed courses. For the full Tour de France racing experience, there are official podium ceremonies held at the end of each event, complete with authentic Tour de France jerseys. The jerseys will be yellow for the race winner, white-and-red polka dots for the winner of the best climber classification, and green for those fastest through the timed sprint sections on the course. There’s even a ‘fan fest’ designed after the Village Départ.
San Antonio, Texas, became the first U.S. city to host an official Tour de France Sportive for the first time just last month. More than two thousand cyclists attended the inaugural event, and were joined by two-time Tour de France winner and official Tour de France ambassador, Alberto Contador.
A local news channel reports Las Vegas event will be held across two days, May 13-14, 2023, and will take riders from the Las Vegas Ballpark into the scenic Red Rock Canyon. There will be three routes on offer: a 25-mile beginner-friendly route, a 50-miler and a 75-mile challenge.
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Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.
Originally from The Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a cycling journalist for 11 years.
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