Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro Presented by Shimano – Calendar Update and New Stops Added to 2017 Tour

Crested Butte, Colo., March 24, 2017 – If you want to go big in Enduro mountain bike racing, you go big with Big Mountain Enduro events. For the fifth consecutive year, Yeti Cycles returns as the title sponsor of the BME, along with Shimano coming in as their co-title sponsor. The recently adjusted BME calendar assures riders world-class racing in amazing destinations and great vibes that the Colorado-based production company is known for.

The Vail Valley Foundation and Big Mountain Enduro announced today that the GoPro Mountain Games’ MTN Enduro race will officially be going big, not only with its $10,000 prize purse, but also with a place on North America’s premier Enduro series (BME) when the event gets under way June 9 in Eagle, Colorado.


“We couldn’t be more pleased about the GoPro MTN Enduro joining the schedule of the Big Mountain Enduro North American series, and we expect it will take the competition up yet another notch when we welcome year two of this event to the GoPro Mountain Games this June,” said Dave Dressman, vice president of sales and sponsorships for the Vail Valley Foundation, which hosts the Mountain Games each June. “Youth and amateur riders will be able to rub elbows with some of the best talent on the planet as they ride the top-shelf terrain in Eagle, and we think it’s going to be one of the best events at this year’s Mountain Games.”


One day, four stages and 4,000-vertical feet will put riders to the test in this second-annual version of the Mountain Games Enduro. Top riders from the Big Mountain Enduro tour are expected to join athletes such as Brian Lopes, Adam Craig, Chris Del Bosco, Olympic medalist Georgia Gould, and last year’s pro winners Katie Compton and Alex McGuinnis in this year’s event, along with hundreds of other riders of all ages and abilities in a festival-like atmosphere in Eagle.

“The GoPro Mountain Games are one of the most well-known, well-loved events in mountain sports, so it makes great sense for us to get involved and help grow this event,” said Big Mountain Enduro managing director Brandon Ontiveros. “Colorado is a fantastic place to be in early June and we’re looking forward to a beautiful day at the GoPro MTN Enduro in one of the state’s best Mountain Biking venues.”

Registration is open now for the GoPro MTN Enduro at the GoPro Mountain Games and on the BME website. The event will be part of more than 25 other events taking place that weekend in kayaking, stand-up paddling, rafting, rock climbing, biking, trail running, DockDogs, yoga, disc golf, fly fishing, photography, and slackline in Vail, Eagle, and Red Cliff Colorado. Register for open events at http://www.mountaingames.com or http://www.bigmountainenduro.com.

The GoPro Mountain Games also includes the Mountains of Music free concert series at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail that will welcome Moon Taxi, Keller Williams Grateful Grass, and Nahko and Medicine for the People June 8-10.


In addition to adding the Vail GoPro Mountain Games to the Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro presented by Shimano, BME will also bring back the ever-famous fifth annual Keystone stop to this year's calendar, which will take place on June 24th on some of the most rugged terrain in the US. "All of this stemmed from having to cancel the Mt. Rainier BME Finals due to land restrictions and it has taken 3-4 weeks to get everything in line to announce publicly", says Brandon Ontiveros, BME's managing director. "All riders who already registered for the Mt. Rainier stop will receive full refunds and information has already been sent out to those riders with further details on this policy and how we're taking care of them. Registration for Vail and Keystone are now open, so riders should get on this fast, as we are expecting upwards of 350-400 participants for these early season, signature Rocky Mountain events."







With this adjusted calendar, Crested Butte will now host as the 2017 BME Finals taking place on August 19th and 20th, as a 2-day backcountry event on some of the finest trails and biggest descents in and around CB. This refined 5-stop BME tour will now allow racers to drop their two lowest scores (or unattended races) from the entire series and 3 of 5 races will go towards the total points and rankings this season, thus making the series more attainable for athletes to attend. The crowning of all category winners will culminate in Crested Butte on August 20th, followed by a huge post-party taking place in town that you won't want to miss. The BME Aspen Snowmass Enduro World Series round will still be a stand-alone event and not counted towards the overall BME point structure and solely tied to EWS points.




Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro presented by Shimano - 2017 Calendar Update
* Santa Fe, NM: May 27th
* Vail, CO: June 9th
* Keystone, CO: June 24th
* Winter Park, CO: July 8th
* Aspen Snowmass, CO/EWS: July 29th-30th
* Crested Butte, CO: August 19th-20th
* Mascota, Mexico: November 10th-12th



About Big Mountain Enduro
Big Mountain Enduro is the premier Enduro series in North America. At BME we strive for excellence, integrity, professionalism and fun through all of our sports marketing efforts. With the company headquartered in historical Crested Butte, CO, we are passionate riders true to the core of mountain biking and our venues and strategically selected trails stem from our knowledge of riding big terrain and knowing what riders want in a race course and overall event production. The foundation of BME is simple, offer authentic multi-stage Enduro events in unparalleled mountain biking destinations that fully support the riders, sponsors, the overall industry as a whole and the sustainable growth of Enduro racing.

About the GoPro Mountain Games
The GoPro Mountain Games, now in its 16th year, is the country’s largest celebration of mountains sports, music, and culture. It has long been known for its ability to bring pro and amateur athletes together at the same event. The multi-venue, multi-sport extravaganza is an annual nexus for all walks of mountain life.

About the Vail Valley Foundation:
Since 1981, the non-profit Vail Valley Foundation has fulfilled its mission: To enhance and sustain the quality of life in the Vail Valley by providing leadership in educational, athletic and cultural endeavors. By working together with private, government, and corporate entities, the Foundation is responsible for providing Eagle County, Colorado, with some of its most treasured annual events, such as the Mountain Games, Birds of Prey World Cup Races, American Ski Classic, Free Summer Concerts and the Vail Dance Festival. It also operates the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and the Vilar Performing Arts Center and serves more than 4,000 children annually through its YouthPower365 education enrichment programming.





Visit http://www.bigmountainenduro.com or http://www.vvf.org to learn more.

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