Another bike event coming to Carson City

The Culture and Tourism Authority on Monday approved a contract to bring another bike event to Carson City.

The Peter Stetina’s Carson City Paydirt Prospect Ride is being organized by Bike Monkey, Inc., a Santa Rosa, Calif., event manager that operates 10 races, including the Truckee Dirt Fondo.

The proposed event, a gravel bike race, would start and end at Pete Livermore Sports Complex and take riders through two courses in the Pine Nut Mountains.

The three-year contract calls for the CTA to pay an annual sponsorship fee of $23,000.

Much of the race is in Douglas County and on Bureau of Land Management land and, possibly, tribal land.

So Supervisor Stacey Giomi, who’s on the CTA, added language to the contract that the city’s payments don’t occur until the event organizer secures all the needed permits from Douglas County, BLM and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, if needed, to operate it.

Carlos Perez, Bike Monkey president, said the idea for the race started with a trip to the first Carson City Off-Road Epic Rides race in 2016. Perez and his family stayed with friends who lived near the Carson River and he started exploring the area. At the same time, his children made trips to the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada and Virginia City.

“When I was waffling about coming back my son and daughter egged me on,” said Perez. “There is always something fun for them to do.”

The CTA also approved a 60-day extension of its agreement with Carson City for administrative services while the city and the CTA continue to work on a new contract. The Board of Supervisors approved the extension at its last meeting.

The CTA’s new marketing consultant, KPS3, gave a presentation on its work so far on a marketing plan. Based on its initial research, KPS3 said Carson City’s main advantages were its museums, sports facilities and the fact it’s the state capital while its obstacles to overcome include its lack of a commercial airport and nightlife.

David Peterson, executive director, said the CTA received $52,000 from eight Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs awards.