LAUSANNE, Switzerland (BRAIN) — The IRONMAN Group has acquired the multi-day cycling event series Haute Route and the Gravel Epic series, which Haute Route acquired earlier this year.
Besides its triathlon events, The Ironman Group already owns a variety of marathons and other running events and bike events including the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race.
The Haute Route acquisition adds eight new cycling events to Ironman's portfolio.
As part of the acquisition, the Haute Route Group's CEO, Julie Royer, will join the leadership team at The Ironman Group as Senior Director of Road Cycling.
"We are pleased to add Julie, her team, and the exceptional brand and series of events of Haute Route and Gravel Epic to The Ironman Group family as we further establish our position in cycling events globally," said Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. "These two premium cycling brands further enhance our events ecosystem, reaching new athletes in new geographies as we look to serve cycling enthusiasts with racing experiences that are challenging and fun with a full support network so they can focus on having their best race possible. We look forward to the continued leadership Julie will bring to ensure exceptional road cycling and gravel racing experiences in iconic locations where amateur cyclists feel like professionals."
Royer said, "Over the past 10 years, the Haute Route has become a 'bucket list' and an inspiration for riders across the globe.
"We are thrilled to be integrating into The Ironman Group and continuing to inspire generations of amateur athletes. We couldn't dream of a better partner to support our vision and deploy the full potential of the Haute Route and Gravel Epic events as we share the same passion and dedication for supporting athletes through life-changing challenges and races. We are excited about the strong international position The Ironman Group brings to the table and the scope to take the Haute Route experience to the next level. Haute Route's community of cyclists has always been at the center of this experience and by joining forces with the talented team at The Ironman Group, we are going to be able to deliver an event series that is unprecedented in the cycling and gravel events industry."
The Ironman Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business that also owns Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Discovery and Reddit.
