DOUGLAS, Arizona (July 1, 2024) –The inaugural Apacheria Gravel (EVENT) will be contested on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The inaugural EVENT will start & finish in Douglas, AZ (Cochise County) located in South East Arizona on the International Border, sharing a port of entry with Agua Prieta, Sonora, MX.
The official Start / Finish line will be in front of the Border Air Museum, which in fact, is the first international airport in the USA.
The Apacheria Gravel will consist of three course routes - respective distances are, 38, 69 and 89 miles. All three distances will be contested on the Geronimo Trail, located in Cochise County and the ‘Border-Lands’ area of SE Arizona The Geronimo Trail traverses the foothills of the Perilla Mountains, San Bernardino Valley and the western edge of the Peloncillo Mountins. All three courses will make their way through the John Slaughter Ranch National Historical Landmark & the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge. The Long & Medium courses will use the Guadalupe Canyon Road (GCR) to take the riders to the International Border turn-around and make their way back up the GCR, transitioning back onto the Geronimo Trail. The details for each of the three routes can be sourced on the event’s website – www.ApacheriaGravel.com
The courses – all 3 – are perfect for either a gravel specific bike with a minimum of 40 MM tires or a hard-tail mountain bike with a maximum of a 2.35” fast rolling tire. All of the road surfaces
are manageable and not technical the only real ‘chunky’ area is on the transition from the Geronimo Trail into the John Slaughter Ranch National Historical Landmark. This video – https://Vimeo.com/930509522?share-copy will provide a flavor of the course.
Douglas, AZ is a vibrant and proud community that was incorporated in 1905. Douglas was founded as an American Smelter town – to treat the copper ores of near-by Bisbee, AZ. Douglas sits at an elevation of 4032 feet. Douglas’ international border ‘sister-city’ is Agua Prieta, Sonora, MX that is a town of +/- 80K residents with a robust culture of artists.
In 1916 the Mexcian Revolutionary Leader, Pancho Villa was active in the Douglas, AZ and Agua Prieta, Sonora, MX area – stories are told that Pancho Villa rode his horse into the lobby of The Gadsden Hotel ( www.thegadesdenhotel.com ) and chipped the marble grand staircase. The Gadsden Hotel will serve as the event’s host hotel – Registration packet pick-up & the awards ceremony venue.
The genesis of the Apacheria Gravel is the result of the substantial growth in the gravel event platform - nationally and internationally. The GRAVEL on the Geronimo Trail is truly Champagne – the roads in the Borderlands area are well maintained and cared for by the local ranching community and Cochise County.
The date of the Apacheria Gravel was decided on after a lengthy process in critical & strategic thought. The Apacheria Gravel is the final Gravel event, west of the Mississippi for the 2024 event calendar. The event’s date – November 16, 2024 – is two weeks after the Spirit World 100 (11/2/24 - www.thespiritworld100.com ) and one week in advance of the El Tour de Tucson (11/23/24 - www.eltourdetucson.org )..
The premier Gravel Cycling Event in Mexico – Belgian Waffle Ride ‘Queretaro, Mexico,’ will be contested on Sunday, November 24, 2024. The Apacheria Gravel is the perfect ‘warm-up’ for the BWR Mexico ( www.MonumentsOfCycling.com ).
Please visit the event’s official website for all of the details and answers to numerous FAQ’s . Register your email address on the event’s website to be in the loop via our bi-weekly newsletters.
Giddy up - Get Your Gravel On – GYGO. See you in Douglas, AZ
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