The town of Eagle, Colorado, is spending $60,000 to build a new mountain bike trail specifically for the high school mountain bike league's state championships this year.
Eagle, near Vail, has been making a big push this year to promote its mountain biking. The new trail will be on land that is currently privately owned but which will be deeded to the town by a developer as open space.
The multi-use trail will be open to the public year-round; the high school league's championships will be October 19-20.
"I have been looking for a race venue in the Vail Valley area since 2010," said Kate Rau, director of the Colorado High School Cycling League. "The community support has been exceptional and we are thrilled to partner in expanding the recreational trail system in the area. The venue is centrally located to the 40 Colorado League teams making it a fantastic place to hold the season finale."
Many mountain bike race courses are located on private property and only open to riders the weekend of the race, making training rides and leisure rides impossible.
"The trail will be a purpose-built singletrack to host a specific race, but it also expands our beginner and intermediate riding terrain and we have many options for versatility," said Yuri Kostick, mayor of the town of Eagle. "In addition to mountain biking, this trail can also be used for hiking, trail running and other activities, creating an amenity not only for the residents of Eagle, but for visitors as well."
The course is expected to open by the end of June with design by Momentum Trail Concepts and construction assistance from volunteer groups such as the Hardscrabble Trail Coalition.
Eagle also will host its inaugural Eagle Outside Festival May 11-12. The event is being produced by The Greenspeed Project, Inc., organizers of the popular Breck Epic MTB Stage Race and will include mountain bike races and Rocky Mountain Bike and Outdoor Expo.
