UPDATE 10 OCTOBER : Routt County Commissioners approved a permit allowing a non-competitive SBT GRVL event to take place for a maximum of 1800 riders on a to-be-determined Saturday in June 2025 (rather than August), with racing moved onto a short closed course circuit on Sunday in Hayden, Colorado 25-miles west of Steamboat Springs.

Colorado’s world-famous SBT GRVL race in Steamboat Springs is once again on the verge of cancellation after local officials said they will not permit racing and will cut registrations by almost 50%, capping them at 1800.

The drastic changes for the 2025 edition follows a year of heated debate and rising tensions between local residents, on-course ranchers, race organizers and Routt County Commissioners – who must approve and permit the event each year.

At a meeting last month the commissioners voted to cap the event at 1800 riders and remove any “racing” component after input from Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar and Colorado State Patrol Captain Ryan Parker. Both men told the commissioners that holding the event for 3000 riders (as was the case in 2024) would not be workable for their officers in the future and competitive events must take place on closed roads.

Despite the changes, SBT GRVL organizers seem unmoved and submitted a permit application for 2500 riders, including a race. The application states, “In order for SBT GRVL to continue as a viable business, maintain the same level of medical and safety operations and offer the same positive financial impact to local businesses and nonprofits, the minimum number of participants required for a successful event weekend is around 2,500.” Adding, if the race is not allowed “the business [would] be discontinued within the next year.”

A public hearing to further discuss the SBT GRVL event application will be held this week by the Route County Commissioners.

Founded in 2019 by Mark Satkiewicz and Amy Charity, SBT GRVL was one of the first super-sized gravel specific cycling events in North America to attract widespread participation from pro, elite amateur and everyday weekend cyclists – including superstar F1 driver Valterri Bottas.

Photo Credit: SBT GRVL

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