OC Sport has announced that former pro World Tour rider Fränk Schleck will join an international peloton of amateur cyclists on Haute Route's first three-day event in Alpe d'Huez.
The inaugural edition of the Haute Route Alpe d'Huez will take place between Wednesday 12th and Friday 14th July 2017, and is the first of a new series aimed at attracting more time-strapped riders.
After riding at the top of the sport for over 13 years, the five-time national champion of Luxembourg is well prepared to tackle the 248km course. Having won the Tour de Suisse in 2010, as well as the Amstel Gold Race and a stage of the Tour atop Alpe d'Huez in 2006, Schleck is the perfect ride companion for those taking on the 8,700 metres of climbing that feature in this year's course.
Haute Route Alpe d'Huez 2017 will offer amateur riders three days of racing on some of the most famous roads in cycling folklore. Travelling through some of the Alp's most legendary cols, riders will undertake three timed stages that combine the region's jaw-dropping scenery with breathtaking climbs. As with all of the Haute Route events, riders will be treated to a level of off-the-bike support usually confined to the professional ranks.
Commenting on the event, Fränk Schleck said: "I am really excited to be riding Haute Route Alpe d'Huez this summer. I have been following the progress of the Haute Route these past couple of years, and when an event on Alpe d'Huez was announced I thought it would a great one to ride.
"It's a legendary climb; everyone knows it for its 21 switchback turns and epic Tour de France stages. The Alpe d'Huez climb is one of the most mythical climbs for cyclists all over the world, for me it's right up there with the giants like Ventoux, Tourmalet and Galibier.
"To be able to come back to the Alpe on the Haute Route, where I won a TDF stage in 2006, and to ride and share the road with others it's a great opportunity to spend time with other cycling fans. Events like this are about sharing your love of the sport, suffering together, and enjoying yourself at the same time with like-minded people."
Matt Holden, Cycling Strategic Development Director at OC Sport commented: "We are really pleased to have Fränk lead the peloton in the Haute Route Alpe d'Huez 2017. The course is the first step in an ambitious global expansion of the successful Haute Route concept.
"Inspired by the success of the main Haute Route Series - the Haute Route Pyrenees, Alps, Dolomites and Rockies - the route offers amateur cyclists the chance to enjoy all the key attributes of those events but over a shorter time and based from one location. With the Haute Route Ventoux taking place in early October this year and Haute Route Norway in the summer of 2018, those who can't join us for a full seven days now have a range of other options."
Limited spaces are still available for those wishing to join Fränk Schleck in July. For more information and a 3D course overview, visit www.hauteroute.org.
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