The city of Durango will provide 75 downtown hotel rooms, a gala banquet for 300, and a slew of trash cans, towels and box lunches as a USA Pro Cycling Challenge host city in August.

And it still expects to make a profit on the race.

Durango is the host city for the first stage of the professional bicycle race. Stage 5 will bring the race to downtown Colorado Springs on Aug. 24.

Durango has budgeted $500,000 for the event, but aside from a lot of staff time its direct contribution is $50,000, officials said.

The local organizing committee has raised $300,000 from sponsorships, and the city expects sales tax generated during the event to cover the city’s contribution. And worldwide exposure should resonate for years to come, officials say.

“Our out-of-pocket (expense) is 50 grand, but we get an unbelievable amount of exposure,” Mayor Doug Lyon said. “That’s fabulous.”

On Tuesday, the City Council agreed to the contractual terms with Classic Bicycle Racing to host the race Aug. 20.

Fort Lewis College is providing up to 445 rooms for cycling teams for a week leading up to the race – and up to four towels per day and a mid-week room tidying. Reimbursement is set at $90 per room.

Race officials requested up to 75 hotel rooms at the Strater, DoubleTree and Rochester hotels on the night before the race.

Read more about Durango’s contract with Classic Bicycle Racing. The first stage will take cyclists from Durango to Telluride. Stage 5 begins in Breckenridge and ends in downtown Colorado Springs on Aug. 24. See details of the seven stages and maps of the course.