Wildfires Disrupt Rebecca's Private Idaho - The Nation's Premier Gravel Race

Dangerous wildfires wipe out Stage 1 of prestigious gravel bike race 'Rebecca's Private Idaho'.

Rebecca's Private Idaho Gravel Race / Rebecca's Private Idaho

Wildfires Disrupt Premier Gravel Race

Rebecca’s Private Idaho (“RPI”), among the most premier gravel bike races in the country, has been disrupted by dangerous wildfires soring in Stanley, Idaho – just miles from the race’s location in Sun Valley, Idaho. The unforgiving wildfires have thrown a significant wrench into the prestigious racing event. The Wapiti Fire has continued to burn relentlessly since it was ignited by lightning near Grandjean in late July. The hazardous blaze now covers over 79,000 acres with zero containment. 

Rebecca’s Private Idaho, a world-renowned gravel grinder, was started by professional athlete, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Rebecca Rusch to connect like-minded people interested in riding for a purpose in a beautiful place. RPI is one of the world’s largest and most celebrated gravel bike races - one of the prestigious Monuments of Gravel.

RPI Gravel Race / Sun Valley Company

RPI organizers have sited poor air quality as the reason to cancel Stage 1 of the 4-Stage race. The decision to cancel the stage was not taken lightly. On the race's planned first day the Air Quality Index (“AQI”) exceeded 500 in many areas where the race travels - far exceeding safety parameters for outdoor activities. As a result, RPI announced the cancellation of the stage. This cancellation has deeply disappointed participants, who had eagerly anticipated competing on the scenic Harriman Trail through the Boulder Mountains.

For the RPI community, the cancellation of the race’s first stage is a stark reminder of nature’s force, and the importance of making safety their top priority. Race organizers remain hopeful that conditions will improve, and that the race can take place in an abbreviated form. The race’s future, however, remains uncertain. It is in the hands of Mother Nature and the heroic fire fighters. The RPI gravel community has rallied together, as they always do, finding solace in each other’s company and the shared experience of being in one of the most beautiful, if beleaguered, places in the country.

RPI / Sun Valley Company

The Sun Valley event is cycling’s first stage-race, which showcases a four-day festival that has emerged as a driving force behind the huge surge in gravel cycling. The RPI mission is to connect people, ride with purpose and celebrate the beautiful places we ride. RPI riders will be pedaling with a purpose to support the Be Good Foundation, whose mission is to enrich communities by using the bicycle as a catalyst for healing, empowerment, and evolution. Proceeds from various aspects of RPI, including registration, the VIP party, the online auction, rider fundraising, and merchandise sales, go to Rusch’s Be Good Foundation, which will direct funds to global, national, and local bike organizations.

Rebecca's Private Idaho

DAY 1: HARRIMAN TRAIL (Cancelled)  35 MI | 3,505' A mix of technical single and double track trails in the valley floor beneath the towering Boulder Mountains.                                                                                    DAY 2: DOLLARHIDE SUMMIT TIME TRIAl 50 MI | 3,057'
The Dollarhide Summit day features a short, 4.5 mile hill climb timed segment within a bigger 50 mile ride from Ketchum and back. Dollarhide features a stunning ride through the Warm Springs Creek river basin on the approach to Dollarhide Summit. It's a super casual roll until you reach mile 20 where racers line up and start in 30 second intervals for the personal race of truth.                                                      DAY 3: EXPO + REST DAY + BE GOOD RIDE
This is the rest day before the biggest day of them all.
DAY 4: THE MAIN EVENT

TATER TOT
18.9 MI | 1,255'
The Tater Tot route is the perfect introductory gravel route, which runs through the Pioneer mountain range of the great Rocky Mountains.

FRENCH FRY
56 MI | 3,716'
The French Fry goes over Trail Creek Summit into the cradle of the Pioneer Mountains and Salmon-Challis National Forest.

BAKED POTATO
104.6 MI | 6,435'
The Baked Potato extends into Copper Basin, a remote mountain valley known for its rugged beauty and stunning wide-open spaces. It is nearly twice the distance of the French Fry route.