Tour of Utah gets UCI status

I normally don't post press releases here, but I'm pretty excited about this one--if only because it is local.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah Awarded International Cycling Union (UCI) Status

UCI status earns the Tour of Utah a place on the UCI’s 2007 race calendar

SALT LAKE CITY – October 3, 2006 – Known as “America's Toughest Tour,” the Tour of Utah, presented by Three Peaks Promotions, has been awarded International Cycling Union (UCI) status. Receiving this prestigious honor recognizes the Tour of Utah as a highly regarded, world-renowned cycling event; consequently, the Tour will be given a date on the 2007 UCI calendar.

The decision to make the Tour of Utah an official UCI event comes from recommendations by UCI commissaires who participated behind the scenes at the 2006 inaugural Tour, as well as from positive feedback from race teams. UCI commissaire Marilyn Allen was the team liaison for the August 2006 Tour. “The teams were happy with the event and look forward to returning next year,” she said. “I would like to congratulate Three Peaks for putting on a very successful 2006 Tour.”

The Tour of Utah is a “Tour de France-style” six- day, six-stage, 500-mile bike race across some of Northern Utah’s most beautiful and challenging landscapes. Planning for 2007 is already underway with the Tour dates to be set for late July or early August.

Jason Preston, president of Three Peaks Promotions and race director for the Tour of Utah said he has been overwhelmed by the amount of positive press and personal feedback the Tour has received from cycling enthusiasts and Utah community leaders.

“Hosting the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah was like revisiting our Olympic experience,” said Lewis K. Billings, mayor of Provo. “Once again the excitement and energy of a first-class international sports competition was alive in the streets of Provo and was reflected in the faces and hearts of the people who came to watch.”

Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO and president Scott Beck offered positive feedback saying "On behalf of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, our 850 member-businesses and our community, I wish to congratulate the producers, sponsors and supporters of the Tour of Utah for the incredible success the Tour enjoyed in just its first year.”

“As one of the state's primary marketing organizations,” says Beck, “we fully support and endorse the future of the Tour of Utah, appreciating the fact that UCI-sanctioned events produce incredible media exposure for host cities and destinations such as Salt Lake before, during and long after the event to cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts around the globe. Few events are able to encompass the many attributes Salt Lake has to offer as a tourism destination, from the stunning landscape and backdrop to its incredible hospitality infrastructure; the Tour of Utah is definitely one such event. Again, a sincere 'thanks' goes to the Tour of Utah team for bringing professional cycling to Salt Lake and the State of Utah, exposing the world once again to all we have to offer."

Preston said he has already been looking at several routes for 2007 and is confident that the race will live up to its reputation as “America’s Toughest Tour.” “We look forward to getting our team around us right away in order to raise the bar for next year,” said Preston. “It was the volunteers, sponsors and employees that stepped up to the plate this year and pulled off such a fantastic event. Next year after the Tour de France, American cycling fans can see European style racing with epic climbs and scenery without having to learn French or cross the Atlantic.”

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is the association for the International Cycling Federation and regulates and promotes cycling at the international level. In addition, the UCI organizes the World Championships for all disciplines and encourages friendly relations between members of the cycling family.

For the latest 2007 Tour of Utah schedule, please refer to the UCI web site at www.uci.ch.

More information about the 2006 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah can be found on the official race Web site at www.tourofutah.com or contact Chip Smith at 801.523.3730 or csmith@soarcomm.com.

About Three Peaks Promotions
Three Peaks Promotions, LLC, owns and operates the Tour of Utah and is one of the leading cycling sports presenters in the Western United States. Three Peaks Promotions creates and manages a variety of cycling events and special programs for corporate sponsors, non-profit organizations and municipalities including the Thanksgiving Point Cycling Classic, Freedom Peloton, Sundance Hill Climb, Thanksgiving Point Weekly Criterium Series, and the Tour of Utah. For further information, visit www.threepeakspromotions.com or call 800.807.9804.

About the 2006 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
The 2006 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah was a “Tour de France-style” six-day, six-stage, 500-mile race across some of Northern Utah’s most beautiful and challenging landscapes, which took place August 7- 12, 2006. It is considered “America’s Toughest Tour” and consisted of 16 professional cycling teams totaling 100-plus cyclists who competed for a cash/prize purse of $40,000. Adding to success of the 2005 Tour of Utah, deemed the biggest cycling event in Utah history, the weeklong 2006 Tour was accompanied by a rolling festival celebration at the finish line of each of the six stages. An estimated 100,000 spectators lined the course and attended the festivals in Park City, Salt Lake City, Tooele, Provo, Midway, and Snowbird. The 2006 Tour of Utah was sponsored by the Larry H. Miller Group, owners of the Utah Jazz and presented by Zions Bank, one of Utah’s longstanding and largest banking institutions. For more information visit www.tourofutah.com or call 800.708.9804.