EL TOUR DE TUCSON

BizTUCSONSeptember 30, 2026

3 minutes read

Globally Recognized Cycling Event

By Tyler McCusker

El Tour de Tucson, the region’s premier cycling event, benefits each year from holding its start and finish line at the same place − downtown behind the Tucson Convention Center.

Tucson, in turn, benefits from the spending that comes with the annual race.

This year’s El Tour is Nov. 21 as it celebrates its 43rd year as a globally recognized race, attracting nearly 11,000 riders. The event moved downtown after TCC finished its renovations in 2022. Since then, it has created a measurable economic success for downtown hotels, restaurants and bars.

“It’s definitely an economic driver getting people to stay downtown, and people that stay downtown are going to eat and have a good time downtown,” said T.J. Juskiewicz, CEO of Perimeter Bicycling, the company that produces El Tour.

Absent an official economic study of spending by El Tour patrons, Juskiewicz estimates there is an $8 million to $10 million boon to the city of Tucson each year.

“Our spending to put the event on alone is $3 million,” said Juskiewicz. “Barricade companies, toilet companies, most of them are right here in Pima County. As much as we can do here in town to create that economic impact, we do.”

El Tour ranks as one of Tucson’s largest international and tourism events, said Steve Morganstern, board chairman of Perimeter Cycling.

“The week of El Tour de Tucson has a huge economic impact for the downtown area,” Morganstern said. “Behind the gem show, no other event brings people from all 50 states and many more countries around the world to Tucson. People don’t just come for one day. They arrive early, frequent our restaurants, shops and hotels, and are exposed to all that Tucson has to offer.”

Juskiewicz said El Tour organizers were excited to give the event a centralized location at the TCC, which is an improvement for riders and their families. In addition to the race lines, it also is home to the event’s expo and fiesta.

“It used to be scattered throughout the city. A ride would start in Marana, one at Udall. People would have to get done with their ride and take a shuttle back,” said Juskiewicz. “Now, they do 100 miles, get back six to seven hours later, and their loved ones are there to greet them.”

Hosting everything downtown also means hotels and restaurants are full.

“If you walk into some of the downtown restaurants and see tables of 15 to 20 on the evening after the ride, that’s the economic impact you can feel,” he said.

Kate Breck Calhoun, director of sales and marketing at the TCC, also believes it has been a resounding success to partner with Perimeter Bicycling.

“It’s great to have it in the building,” she said. “If you’ve never been to the start line at 7 a.m., it’s a spectacle.”

Calhoun, who has been with the convention center for 23 years, emphasized how fortunate Tucson is to have a venue like TCC to host an event like El Tour. “The diversity of events that we have really complement the diversity of the community. There aren’t a lot of complexes around the world as unique as we are.”

El Tour continues to grow and saw a record number of riders last year, along with notable bike legends and influencers, Juskiewicz said.

High-profile cyclists share their week-long Tucson itineraries on platforms like Instagram, and they broadcast the event’s appeal to a global audience. This digital word-of-mouth not only elevates El Tour’s international prestige but serves as a continuous advertisement for downtown’s hospitality sector.

This year, El Tour will welcome 2012 Tour De France Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Bradley Wiggins, five-time Olympian George Hincapie and well-known sports and cycling commentator Bob Roll.

Another driver to Tucson’s economy is El Tour’s charitable contributions to the community. The event has raised more than $138 million for Tucson charities since its inception, according to Juskiewicz.

“It’s probably the biggest fundraiser for many of the groups we work with,” said Juskiewicz. “El Tour is not just a bike ride; it’s a cause.”