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.
