30/08/2020

The power of the brand: How the Haute Route Alps reached new heights with record sales

After revealing our 2021 calendar on August 3, the Haute Route was thrilled to announced that registrations for the 7-Day Haute Route Alps event are now completely exhausted.

Selling out an event so quickly during these difficult times is a great indication that the brand is delivering well in line with consumers expectations and providing an experience that every rider desires.

Described by Cyclist magazine as “leg shredding and life changing in equal measure”, the event is the crown jewel in the Haute Route cycling series calendar. Covering more than 800km and 21000m of climbing, the 7-stage race takes in countless legendary cols.

Despite next year’s course having yet to be revealed, riders snatched up the 500 places for the 2021 peloton in just two weeks.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary edition in 2021, the Haute Route Alps has earned a reputation as one of the toughest amateur cycling races in the world since its inception in 2011.

“This is why we needed to act boldly for this season,” explained Guillaume Martin, Head of Marketing and Communications for the Haute Route. “We knew that expectations were high for the 10th anniversary, so we decided to pay tribute to this event by making sure it lived up to and exceeded riders expectations, rising up from its early reputation as the highest and toughest.

“In order to do that, we had to reposition this event by implementing three major things: First, make these seven days of cycling truly unforgettable with more than 800km and 21,000m of elevation, an outstanding and fierce Queen stage with emblematic climbs, as well as breathtaking destinations. Secondly, with the 3-day and new 5-day event formats in our range, the Haute Route Alps is now the only 7-day event in our calendar, again exemplifying the fact that this event is the toughest and the highest achievement. Finally, we decided to introduce a new logo for the Haute Route Alps. As a unique experience, riders will now have this specific stripe on their jersey. This logo that only Haute Route Alps riders will be able to display will be a proof of both their achievement and this experience of a lifetime that only 500 riders a year will have,” concluded Guillaume.

The event was the founding event of the popular multi-day sportive series and the sole event for the Haute Route for several years. Now part of a nine-race series, the Haute Route Alps continues to enjoy platinum status and huge popularity in the cycling world.

“We’re so proud to celebrate the race’s 10th anniversary next year. After all these years, it still epitomises everything that the Haute Route stands for,” said Haute Route CEO Julie Royer Coutts. “It’s been a challenging few months for everyone, so it’s such a thrill to see all the places for the event sell out in just a couple of weeks. It is proof that when a brand meets expectations of its consumers, everything is possible.”

As part of the 2021 calendar launch, the Haute Route has reaffirmed the Alps as the holy grail in our calendar, topping the pyramid of three- and five-day events in 2021. The August 22-28 event is flanked by the Dolomites and Pyrenees 5-Day events in a nod to the grand tours of France, Italy and Spain. Also making an appearance on the 2021 series calendar are three-day events at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, Florianópolis in Brazil, Ventoux in France, Nizwa in Oman and Valle de Bravo in Mexico, as well as a virtual event on Zwift.

Interested riders can join the waiting list for the Haute Route Alps or discover the other events on the 2021 calendar here.