Local riders take on annual “The Broadmoor Cycle to the Summit” Challenge up Pikes Peak
Bradley Davis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Hundreds of bikers will take on the grueling challenge of biking up Pikes Peak Saturday for the annual The Broadmoor Cycle to the Summit.
Racers will climb the Pikes Peak Highway for 12.24 miles before summiting at the top at over 14,000 feet in the USA Cycling-sanctioned event. The race also acts as the Senior and Master’s Hill Climb State Championship for Colorado.
Colorado Springs Sports Corp is promoting the event. Communications and PR Manager Lauren De Marco said she’s helping set up the event at 3:45 a.m. before suiting up and taking on the summit challenge herself.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I am,” De Marco said. “My team is going to be there, who are kind of my stand-in family, and so I’m really looking forward to racing with them and celebrating at the end of it all.”
For the first time, the Summit Challenge will debut “The Midway Challenge” for riders interested in a smaller taste of the mountain riding experience. It’s a shorter, 5.16-mile ride from the start line to Glen Cove.
Online registration is closed, but riders can sign up in person on Friday at packet pickup at the Axe and the Oak Distillery from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
It’s a rolling start, with the first wave taking off at 6:15 a.m. from the start line/festival area at mile 7 on the highway. You can find the full schedule here.
Parking and starting line map (courtesy Colorado Springs Sports Corp)
Spectators will need to buy a Gateway Pass at the toll gate. Passes are per person, not per car. It’s $10 for adults and $5 for children 15 and under.
For the first time, spectators can buy a shuttle pass. The shuttle takes spectators up to the top, making multiple stops to watch the bike race. The shuttle leaves at 6 a.m. from the Festival Area. Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under. Spots are limited. To reserve your spot, follow this link, choose your shuttle option and select August 9 at 6 a.m.
The Pikes Peak Highway will open late to the general public while bikers are racing up the mountain. Timed entry for Summit drivers will open back up at 9 a.m.