Not your ordinary 'tour' of downtown Reno

And when the race ends, Leal said he'll be there to "take a moment ...and look forward to whatever's next."

An excerpt from Leal's sit-down with tahoeticker.com on the eve of the race:

Tahoeticker: You're a developer — so, how'd you get involved in getting a cycling race back to its downtown Reno roots?

Fernando Leal: My involvement with the race directly relates to my involvement redeveloping downtown Reno. ...I'm also just a huge fan of the race. It brings a nice demographic to downtown.

TT: Some folks, especially cycling fans who're coming from the City, SoCal, Sac ...even the Basin, may not have been to downtown Reno in a bit; what's in store?!

FL:  Well, I mean what they're going to see with the Montage, a building a block-and-a-half long. Instead of tearing down a casino and putting it in landfill — we converted it into 380 residences. Within two to three blocks, 15 new eateries and bars have come up in last 36 months. It's an area, despite the economic downturn, making significant changes.

TT: Sounds good. But how involved were you getting the Reno stage of the race back to downtown?

FL: Well, yeah — I want to be careful not to take too much credit. Last year, starting in the Grand Sierra Resort parking lot — they did a great job, I just thought it was ...it deserved more. Running the Crit in downtown Reno was a challenge. We brought in the mayor and councilmen. Whatever we need to do, we get it done. It's just a matter of people need to be reintroduced to downtown.

TT: Why reintroduced?!

FL: Well, I think the biggest issue Reno has is the name association. I think that leads to a lot of very deeply rooted misperceptions of the area. But, I point to facts. It's hard to dispute the amount of redevelopment that's taken place over one square mile. Part of my job is always bringing people to Reno — more often than not they leave with a very different perception than what they came with.

TT: Some criticize Reno for its frenetic feel/approach. Pro cyclists in town one weekend for a race ...then nothing. ...Then, a bunch of antique car enthusiasts or cowboys....

FL: I don't think you can discount all the events Reno has and has had historically: Hot August Nights, Reno Air Races, Reno Rodeo, Art Town. ...I think what you have is a really solid base.

TT: Yeah, but that's a lot of old-line stuff.

FL: What i've been doing is really telling casino owners- up-and-coming industries; green technologies ...and opportunities to showcase Reno there. There's a lot of really cool events that are really looking for homes. As long as Reno is viewed as very cool, sort of quirky — there's a lot of what we can do. Altcar, the largest alt transoportation show in the country is considering Reno as it's third stop. Right now they (meet) in Santa Monica and Austin. You have to keep the old, the tradition and go after the new. A lot of shows and events are looking for early adopters.

TT: Lots of folks still have trouble with the branding of Reno. What's your take? And how will new events help change the overall effort?

FL: I would reiterate, number one Reno has to aggressively pursue a different demographic. 'America's Adventure Place' — that slogan preceded me and the current head of (convention and visitor's authority). It's too-generic-a-term — misleading. 

FL cont'd: I don't think when people get off the plane they feel they're in America's Adventure Land. I've learned you have to call things what they are and you can't oversell. Reno is a quirky vibe, a very distinct vibe. There isn't any other place in the US where one second you can see a pro cyclist next to you on a $10k bike the next thing you see the guy who came out of a ZZ Top reunion. You have to embrace that. When I bring retailers, visitors, I point out everything. You can't go in and turn this into a Disneyland. You're always gonna have the motels, all that stuff that makes Reno, Reno. ...And you have to embrace it.

TT: Fair enough. Now, back to the Tour de Nez...

FL: We gotta get out and support it. People like to sit back and be armchair quarterback and complain. But if you want something good, you gotta get off your butts and support it. I'll be out there.