The final spots for amateur riders to book their place on the startline of the newest Haute Route event, which will take place from 24th to 30th June 2017 from Boulder to Colorado Springs, have just been made available.

With discounted entries to the inaugural Mavic Haute Route Rockies having sold out, organizers OC Sport are now making available the last entries at full price.

Born from the shared vision of OC Sport and world-leading cycling brand Mavic, the Mavic Haute Route Rockies will see a maximum of 600 cyclists from across the Americas and all over the world experience “riding like a pro” in Colorado’s breathtaking mountain scenery for the first time.

However only a limited number of full-priced entries are available and OC Sport expects them to sell out imminently.

The Mavic Haute Route Rockies starts in Boulder on June 24th 2017 and finishes in Colorado Springs on June 30th. It consists of seven timed and ranked stages over 550 miles (875km) and

52,000ft (16,000m+) of climbing and riders will be supported throughout by an unsurpassed level of professional race support both on and off the bike.

A bucket-list challenge for many, and a competitive race for others, participants will be supported by a comprehensive offering including medical teams, mechanical support, rolling road security, film crews and, of course, massages. The Haute Route is a cycling experience for amateurs to be found nowhere else in the world.

Unlike its European counterparts in the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites, the Mavic Haute Route Rockies will tackle multiple stretches of dirt and gravel roads. Another element that adds to the challenge is riding at altitude.

Matt Holden, Chief Operating Officer at Haute Route organizxers OC Sport, took part in a reconnaissance test event in June alongside a group of journalists and ex-pros and found that neither of these factors are barriers to entry.

“Around 15% of the roads we’ll ride on aren’t paved, but they are mostly hard-packed dirt rather than the traditional gravel roads seen in Europe. They are safe and manageable and riders don’t need a new bike to ride on them. I used a standard road bike with 25mm tyres and felt very safe even descending at 60 or 70kmh,” explained Holden.

“Regarding altitude,” he added, “every day in the Rockies is at altitude, but there are ways to acclimatise and manage this. We recommend arriving as early as you can before the event, ideally three or four days or more if possible.”

Further updates on preparation and how to train for the Mavic Haute Route Rockies, including the symptoms of altitude sickness are and how to combat them, as well as tips for riding on dirt and gravel, will be released in the coming weeks and months.

Conceived in the Alps in 2011, each Haute Route event consists of seven back-to-back stages including an Individual Time Trial. Designed for amateur cyclists, each day is timed and ranked, with a running cumulative time just as in professional stage races.

For more information on the Haute Route visit the website here, and to register, click here.

Feature image: The Mavic Haute Route Rockies will tackle multiple stretches of dirt and gravel roads - photo courtesy of Haute Route.