06/10/2016

OC Sport launches the Haute Route Ventoux

Entries for the inaugural Haute Route Ventoux open today - a three-stage, one-location event, reducing logistics and costs

Haute Route Ventoux offers a new end-of-season target

OC Sport, the owner and organiser of the successful Haute Route cyclosportive series, is expanding its offering for amateur cyclists with the launch of a brand new Haute Route concept – a series of three-day racing events beginning with the Haute Route Ventoux in 2017.

Inspired by the success of the main Haute Route Series – the Haute Route Pyrenees, Alps, Dolomites and Rockies – this new event offers amateur cyclists the chance to enjoy all the key attributes of those events but over a shorter time and based from one location.

The Haute Route Ventoux will offer cyclists the chance to “ride-like-a-pro” on fully timed and ranked stages with mechanical support on the road and professional level support in the official Race Villages thanks, in part, to partners Mavic and Tag Heuer.

The inaugural Haute Route Ventoux will be staged from 6-8 October 2017 with entries opening today. The first 100 entries will be sold at EURO 595 with prices rising during phase two of the entry process.

“The Haute Route Ventoux will be built from the same DNA as the full seven-day Haute Route events which are widely regarded as the pinnacle of amateur cycling in Europe,” commented Event Director Benjamin Chandelier.

“We are delighted to offer amateur cyclists a brand new challenge”, Chandelier added. “The key difference is that the Haute Route Ventoux will be based in one place for three days, hugely simplifying rider logistics, meaning riders can stay in one hotel, will no longer have to pack their bags before each stage and will be able to bring family and friends along as well.”

Celebrating perhaps cycling’s most iconic mountain rising above the Rhône valley in Provence, the Haute Route Ventoux will include a total distance of 270km of cycling and over 7,500 metres of climbing over three stages in what is sure to test even the best amateur riders to the limits.

The full course details will be announced following a test event to be held in the next few months. However the Haute Route Ventoux will end with an Individual Time Trial finishing at the summit of Mt Ventoux at 1,912 metres above sea level. The way it has been devised and set in the calendar means that the Haute Route Ventoux will appeal to riders as an end-of-season target perhaps after they have competed one or all of the main European events.

Haute Route veteran Christian Haettich expressed his delight at being able to take on a brand new challenge: “I’ve been fascinated by the Ventoux for years, so being able to ride all three ascents as part of an Haute Route event is really special. I’ll have had a month off as well after the Triple Crown, (all three European events back-to-back), so I should be in top form.”

With its accommodating schedule (late arrivals on the Thursday and early finish on the Sunday) hundreds of cyclists are expected for the inaugural edition in October 2017.

Mild weather in early October makes the region around the Ventoux a highly attractive destination. Providing a classic playground for cyclists looking for an autumn escape, the region is easily accessible for both French and international cyclists alike, located close to airports in Marseille and Montpellier, as well as the TGV station in Avignon.

“We are excited about offering our riders yet another chance to enjoy racing against some of the most committed amateur cyclists in the world and add the Ventoux to their itinerary with minimal disruption to their working and home lives,” said Chandelier.

Commenting on the new three-day Haute Route concept, Chandelier said the new events will be staged at classic locations around the cycling world. “Many riders are not able to commit to the full seven days required for the main Haute Route events either because of work or family commitments or perhaps because they would like to try a ‘taster’ first,” he said. “We recognise that and believe the new family of Haute Route events will fit their requirements while still offering a big test on the bike.”

In addition to the Haute Route Ventoux, OC Sport is also launching the inaugural Mavic Haute Route Rockies in 2017. Taking place from June 24th to 30th 2017 in Colorado, the final registration phase is already in effect as places are selling rapidly. Sign up here.