Nearly 11,000 cyclists are set to roll through Tucson on Saturday, Nov. 21, for the 43rd running of El Tour de Tucson, and this year's field includes a hometown name wearing cycling's most prestigious jersey. Brandon McNulty, the Phoenix-born UCI Elite Men's Road World Champion, will make his first-ever appearance at the event, competing in the rainbow jersey that marks him as the sport's reigning champion.
Organizers say the event will feature several reigning world champions alongside McNulty, according to KVOA. McNulty will take part in both the El Tour prologue and the main ride, joined by three-time U.S. Pro road race national champion Quinn Simmons and Canadian road national champion Jérôme Gauthier, as well as multi-time world champions Chloe Dygert and Sir Bradley Wiggins, as reported by Cyclingnews. McNulty said he had never ridden El Tour de Tucson in more than 20 years of cycling in Arizona and was pleased to do it for the first time in the rainbow jersey, per KVOA. Despite the star power, Cyclingnews notes there is no prize money on the line — El Tour remains a charity ride at its core, not a professional race for cash.
A Week of Events Builds to Ride Day
El Tour de Tucson kicks off with a public expo at the Tucson Convention Center on Thursday, Nov. 19, according to KVOA, with an elite cyclists autograph signing scheduled at the same venue on Friday, Nov. 20, running from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. All rides and routes start and finish at the Tucson Convention Center and the surrounding area, per the event's official route page.
Ride day itself is a staggered affair. The 102-mile ride lines up at about 5 a.m. and starts at 7 a.m., KVOA reports, followed by a 5K run and walk at 7:15 a.m., a family-friendly fun ride at 8:15 a.m., the 62-mile ride at 9 a.m. and the 32-mile ride at 10 a.m. The official El Tour de Tucson schedule confirms Nov. 21 as the event's ride and race day, listing a 102-mile century, a 62-mile/100-kilometer metric century and a 32-mile/50-kilometer half metric century among the official routes — though the organization's route page cautions that all routes are subject to change as it continues securing permits and permissions. KOLD, meanwhile, described one of the routes as 63 miles rather than 62, and Cyclingnews referred to the longest ride as 103 miles rather than 102, so riders should confirm final distances with organizers closer to race day.
Road Closures Start Early
Drivers around Tucson should plan ahead: roads will begin closing as early as 6:30 a.m. on ride day, and all riders must follow the regular rules of the road after 4:30 p.m., according to KOLD. Organizers expect participants from every U.S. state and 26 countries this year, with more than 40 percent of riders traveling from outside the Tucson area, KVOA reports.
Charity Ride Draws a Global Field
El Tour de Tucson has built its identity over four decades as a charity cycling event, and this year's turnout reflects a pattern seen in recent editions. The 2025 event drew more than 11,000 participants, according to PeopleForBikes, which also reported that nearly 60% of riders that year were new to the event and that the field included cyclists from 49 states and 12 countries. El Tour's own accounting put 2025 participation at more than 10,000 riders, per the organization's website — a reminder that turnout figures vary slightly depending on the source, and this year's final count won't be known until after Saturday's ride.
Youth involvement has also been a growing focus, with El Tour expecting youth registration to nearly double to about 2,000 participants in 2026. Over its 43-year history, the event has raised more than $138 million for local charities, according to El Tour's own figures, though a 2024 report from KGUN9 put the total closer to $121 million at the 41-year mark. That same KGUN9 report traced the ride's roots to 1983, when the first El Tour drew 185 riders and raised $4,500 for area charities — though Tucson Weekly has put that first-year figure at 198 participants. Either way, the event founded by TJ Juskiewicz, now El Tour's executive director, has grown from a few hundred local riders into a bucket-list ride for thousands, with a world champion finally crossing it off his own list this year.
