Epic Rides, the race organization that runs 24 Hours of Old Pueblo, the Oz Trails Off-Road, and other cross-country races in multiple states has permanently discontinued the Grand Junction Off-Road in Colorado. Epic Rides is also postponing all out-of-Arizona events for 2022 including the Carson City Off-Road and the Oz Trails Off-Road.
For 2022, Epic Rides will continue with 24 Hours of Old Pueblo, the Whiskey Off-Road, and the Tour of the White Mountains, all in Arizona.
“In order to maintain the high quality, soulful and gritty backcountry mountain bike event experiences that our audience enjoys, we’re forced to take one step back in order to take two steps forward,” said Todd Sadow, President and founder of Epic Rides.
Races and events have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Epic Rides cancelled every event in 2020, aside from 24 Hours of Old Pueblo which happened ahead of the pandemic, and four of six events in 2020. Their staff shrank from nine full-time employees down to two full-time and two part-time.
Later in 2021, Epic Rides had some relief and was able to hold the Oz Trails Off-Road, and the Tour of the White Mountains.
“Had we had to cancel either of those events, it would have been completely, totally over. Just period,” Sadow told Singletracks in an interview for a story earlier this month.
Epic Rides says that now, the decision will help them return to their event production without the “substantial risk associated with producing the national campaign of events that we have organically grown prior to the pandemic.”
For registrants of canceled 2020 Epic Rides events, they will receive a 25% credit valid through 2023, and early registration opportunities for the Whiskey Off-Road and the Tour of the White Mountains.
Fortunately for the organization, 24 Hours of Old Pueblo sold out quickly. Registration for the Whiskey Off-Road opens December 17 and the Tour of the White Mountains registration opens on June 1, 2022.
For more information, see the Epic Rides website.
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Nov 23, 2021