18th annual Tour de Nez brings four days of professional bicycle racing to Reno and Lake Tahoe, June 17-20

Spectator-friendly event includes races, festival-style bike events, after-parties and plenty of recreational road and mountain biking opportunities.

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CA — The Tour de Nez has a way of turning spectators into participants.
Over the four days that the event’s cycling races and festivities move from Sparks to Reno to Tahoe, Tour de Nez attendees will see a lightning quick time trial, cycling team tactics and a furious circuit race through the narrow streets of the Village at Northstar.
But what is more unique about the Tour de Nez, is what attendees can do: race bike messenger-style through the streets of Reno, straddle a clunker for some low-speed laps and a chance at prizes, or saddle up and soak in the Tahoe scenery with a group of pros.
Even after cyclists climb off the bike, the party goes on with live music, an expo and food and drink sprinkled in between cycling events.
“The festivals include live music, and big parties every day,” said Tim Healion, founder and race director of the Tour de Nez. “You can ride your bike all day in the Sierra, then watch a killer bike race and party all night.”
The festival feel keeps the event true to its roots as a party that over time grew into a prestigious domestic cycling race.
“Every race I know started as a bike race, and then they had to figure out what to add to get people to come,” said Healion. “We did it backwards – we started out as a party for the first seven years, and then we added the bike race to make it more interesting.”
Today, the Tour de Nez is an important stop on the professional cycling circuit, attracting many of the top U.S. professional cycling teams including UnitedHealthcare (formerly Health Net), Kelly Benefit Strategies, Bissell, Jelly Belly and Fly V Australia.
Pros, masters, women and handcyclists will compete over three days — at a time trial in Sparks and circuit races in downtown Reno and at Lake Tahoe’s Village at Northstar — to be crowned Tour de Nez champion.
The venues — Sparks’ intimate Victorian Square, the Village-at-Northstar’s skinny streets and Reno’s on-the-river downtown — makes Tour de Nez spectating an exciting, front-row experience. And the circuit races allow viewers to see start-to-finish action as racers battle each other through each looping course.
After catching the race action, road cyclists can tour through Lake Tahoe’s breathtaking scenery on one of the supported recreational rides, and mountain bikers can tackle some of Northstar’s 100-plus miles of cross-country and downhill mountain bike trails.
And while cycling takes center stage during the Tour de Nez weekend, there is also world-class shopping, dining and entertainment right in the heart of the Village at Northstar, as well as fun options for kids and families all weekend long.
Lodging packages catering to Tour de Nez spectators are available at Northstar Resort, as well as in Reno, and cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to register early for the Ride With the Pros breakfast/ride on Sunday following the weekend of racing.
About Northstar Resort
Located just six miles from the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and downtown Truckee, Calif., and featuring a beautiful new mountain village with year-round activities and amenities, Northstar Resort is an ideal location not only for the Tour de Nez, but for downhill and cross-country mountain bikers and road cyclists alike. There are several great road bike ride near Northstar Resort that provide great views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains. Additionally, Northstar Resort offers more than 100 miles of trails for downhill and cross-country mountain bikers looking for a challenging ride.

For lodging packages and more information:
Northstar events calendar

Check out our trailer of the 2009 TV show that was broadcast right in the middle of the last week of the Tour de France on Versus Network.