Whiskey Off-Road mountain bike race canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19
Mountain Biking

Kaolin Cummens runs the American flag before the Whiskey Off Road Pro 50-mile cross country mountain bike race begins April 28, 2019, in Prescott. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike race has been canceled for the first time in its glorious 17-year history. (Les Stukenberg/Courier, file)

Kaolin Cummens runs the American flag before the Whiskey Off Road Pro 50-mile cross country mountain bike race begins April 28, 2019, in Prescott. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike race has been canceled for the first time in its glorious 17-year history. (Les Stukenberg/Courier, file)

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Whiskey Off-Road endurance mountain bike race has been canceled for the first time in its glorious 17-year history.

Word came down from Tucson-based Epic Rides shortly after noon on April 9, 2020, via an email from the organization’s director of marketing, communications and key accounts Jay Peery.

Epic Rides president Todd Sadow, who established the Whiskey Off-Road in 2004, stated in a heartfelt letter to riders that it was a difficult decision, one that was reached with the City of Prescott.

“Due to the Center for Disease Control’s determination that ‘Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19’ and following Governor Ducey’s recent Executive Order we have no choice but to cancel for 2020,” Sadow added.

Peery stated in his email that all of the riders who were scheduled to compete or participate in the 17th annual event were notified of its cancellation. He added that the 2020 Whiskey Off-Road became the first cancellation of any event in Epic Rides’ 21-year history.

For the Whiskey Off-Road 50 Proof (mile) men’s pro race in 2020, Keegan Swenson of Heber City, Utah, would have been preparing himself to compete for a third straight championship.

In the women’s pro race, Kate Courtney of Kentfield, California, would have been trying to win for the third time in four years.

Some of the mountain biking world’s best pro cyclists compete at the Whiskey Off-Road each year, including Prescott’s own Chloe Woodruff.

A two-time champion of the Whiskey’s pro women’s race, Woodruff has been the runner-up the past two years.

“It’s really special to race at home,” Woodruff said after the April 28, 2019, women’s pro race. “I feel an immense amount of energy from the local community. You can kind of carry that as being pressure, and I’ve tried to just use that energy as a little bit of motivation.”

For the 2019 race, Epic Rides changed the course. Each race begins on the streets of downtown Prescott before transitioning into the Prescott National Forest west of Highway 89.

In 2019, the course was modified to include a new batch of trails in northwest Prescott, called Spence Basin.

Epic Rides sponsors an annual Off-Road Series, of which the Whiskey is a part, but Sadow stated in his letter that he hasn’t yet decided whether to cancel those events, which include the Grand Junction Off-Road in Colorado and the Carson City Off-Road in Nevada.

“In the interest of transparency, we wanted to let you know that all Epic Rides events for 2020 are in limbo,” Sadow stated. “We will make a determination on whether to cancel or continue as planned with the Grand Junction Off-Road and Carson City Off-Road five weeks or more before each respective event date.”

CHANGE IN PLANS

Originally, the 2020 Whiskey Off-Road’s pro criterium races, its amateur races, and its pro races, among other popular activities, were scheduled for April 24-26, 2020, in downtown Prescott and the Prescott National Forest.

After COVID-19 reached the United States and began spreading, Sadow announced that he had planned to reschedule the Whiskey Off-Road for the fall. On March 19, Epic Rides closed registration for all of its events.

Epic Rides’ registration and event cancellation policies state that there are no refunds, and Sadow has asked the riders to allow his company to keep the money to benefit the race’s future and to support the local charities that receive donations from the Whiskey Off-Road.

“A lack of revenue from ongoing event registration, soft goods, sponsors and host communities has put Epic Rides in jeopardy,” Sadow added. “If we are forced to cancel many of our events for 2020 it could be a really rough road ahead.”

However, those riders who can’t afford not to get their registration fees returned should email Epic Rides at: info@epicrides.com.

“We will do our best to make a partial refund once we have determined the outcome of our schedule for 2020,” Sadow stated.

LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS

In addition to struggles with the pandemic, the Whiskey Off-Road relies heavily on volunteers and law enforcement to put on its races, and Prescott’s busy fall schedule of events meant many of those people were unavailable to help.

“We’ve also noticed that many springtime events are rescheduling for the fall, which put unnecessary strain on communities, volunteers, medical professionals, participants and industry professionals who will be forced to choose between events nationwide,” Sadow stated.

“Out of respect for existing events with dates already on the calendar, priorities for public health within the City of Prescott, and the uncertainty of what the state of our state will be in five months, we have decided to put our energy into a stellar Whiskey Off-Road in 2021.”

Doug Cook is a reporter for The Daily Courier. Follow him on Twitter at @dougout_dc. Email him at dcook@prescottaz.com or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2039.


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