USA Pro Tour Challenge Completed

Just don't dress like a cycling groupie!

Teresa and I were able to be a part of 4 of the 6 stages of the inaugural USA Pro Tour Challenge and enjoyed every minute of it. 

• We saw the start of Stage1 in Salida and intercepted the breakaway on Hwy 50 on their way to Monarch Pass..
• I crawled up Cottonwood Pass from the east to witness the first Stage 2 KOM race while Teresa instructed the uneducated  RV Resort crowd as they flew by on Hwy 24 in Buena Vista.
• We welcomed the Stage 5 winner into Breckenridge then climber Hoosier Pass to stay over in Fairplay.
• Stage 6 was witnessed from the Civic Center in Denver where we cheered on the racers 12 times as they completed the final downtown Denver laps. Video below.

Colorado did an outstanding job of bringing the highest level of cycling talent in the world to its roadways.  The event will no doubt be recorded as a success in every category.  Crowds were phenomenal, accidents and interruptions were few and interest in Colorado two-wheeling received a huge boost. 



Teresa and Rwanda National Cycling Team members.

 In Breckenridge, we shared a gondola ride with two of the visiting Rwanda National Cycling Team riders.  The team will be in the US promoting cycling as a way to change the country's image and bring better times to Rwanda through cycling. See their story here.

RACING ACTION IN DOWNTOWN DENVER

The end results for us who already live the Colorado cycling life will be a greater awareness from vehicle drivers, added funding support for off road trails and bike lanes. More folks will accept cycling as a source of fun, fitness, economical transportation and a way of reducing fuel burning alternatives.

PRO TOUR CHALLENGE--COTTONWOOD PASS -STAGE TWO

We've lived in Colorado 14 years now and everybody knows you start above treeline adventures before 6:00am and finish by 1:00pm to avoid afternoon lightning and thunderstorms.



Everything I own atop Cottonwood  Pass trying to stay dry.



TV coverage of the Pro Tour Cycling Challenge did not consider this in the planning.   The ride up Cottonwood Pass from Buena Vista was 21 miles of predictive grunt work and 4,000 plus feet climbing but provided a challenge the road legs have not seen this year.

Two and a half hours later I was on top. In the first 20 minutes of the 1 hour long wait for the leaders, we were soaking wet, cold and eye level with thunderbolts.

The sky broke, the rain stopped and the breakaway group and -5 minute peleton flew by.  The sun only teased us with a 10 minute warm up.  The following descent was slick, cold and the least of my favorite cycling activities.  High speed road descent in rain with uncountable switchbacks.  Glad to report I am alive and will quit bitch'n soon.

Back at camp, we finished watching the race on the computer and was happy to see Big George land his 33rd pro win.   Break time after another slacker day in Buena Vista and we'll pick up the Pro Challenge later.

Teresa got this photograph of BMC racer Cadel Evans, 2011 Tour de France winner ,  just outside of Buena Vista. 

Can Frank and Andy Come Out and Play?

Frank was glad to see me in Salida.

Good time today following the Pro Tour Challenge Stage #1.  So much to see in such a short time, you have to plan carefully and hope for a little luck.  The pro team buses were almost an hour late arriving in Salida from Colorado Springs.

One by one they rolled in to the staging area and fans started following their favorite team's logo plastered Ubber $$$ motor coaches.  After an uneventful time hanging outside of the Garmin bus, we decided to go back and follow some of the latest arrivers.  That's when we spotted the Leopard Trek bikes piled on several team cars. Then there was an unmarked modest motor home sandwiched between a couple of  the Trek laden vehicles.  We suspected it carried precious cargo so we followed and took residence outside the bus door.  The hunch paid off.  Both Frank and Andy Schleck, Jens Voigt and the entire team slowly exited the bus one at a time after about a 30 minutes wait.  Teresa and I were 6 feet from the door.  We shot a few pictures through the bus windows and know Andy was bare chested and peaking out the front side window to build the crowd excitement. That would be the highlight we were looking for.



Andy Schleck emerged from the team bus and grabbed every pen and Sharpie offered.



The start was ceremonial but fast with 3 full laps through the streets of Salida a bike crazy town on any day.  We intercepted the breakaway and then the peleton on Hwy 50 on the way back to our RV camp.  Organization and participation by staff, volunteers and the Colorado Highway Patrol was phenomenal.

The stage was won by American Levy Leiphmer.  Frank podiumed 3rd and Andy finished 45th for the day.

Tomorrow I ride up Cottonwod Pass from Buena Vista to meet the racers under the King of the Mountain banner and then descend back to BV for a little more relaxation.

Mountain Biking An International Experience

Great thing about cycling is that it knows no geographical boundaries.  We've had many opportunities to ride with enthusiasts from all around the globe. We've travel to foreign countries and all across the US to share our passion.


David was amused at the possibility of being eaten by a mountain lion.

 Another short but great chapter took place this morning with a visitor from Australia.  David Collins planned a cross America holiday that included stops in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, New York and Boulder, Colorado.   The 31 year old website designer was accompanied by his wife, 2 year old son, brother and brother's girlfriend.   Boulder made the list based on his professional road cycling brother-in-law's recommendation and web searches of cycling in Colorado.

David contacted the COMotion Sports website asking if any group rides were available that he could join.  Word made it to me and I e-mailed David offering local guide service.  We hooked up in Boulder early morning and headed for one of my favorite trails, Heil Ranch. See our route and stats at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209701417094267827170.0004ab04b4d83a344ba27

The Aussie rider performed flawlessly on a rented Specialized 29er hardtail despite the extremely rocky trails served up by the Boulder County open space.  After the ride, we headed back to town and found parking lot fundraising burgers at the local Alfalfa health food store. Yum.

Dave will pay dearly for the few hours of mountain biking in Colorado.  Sunday brings a flight to New York city where he will serve as babysitter while the ladies shop the streets of Manhattan. 
Hope you enjoyed your time on the Colorado trails.

Breckenridge Yeti Tribe Meet Best Yet

Yeti Prez, Chris Conroy places the #10 Tribe Meet pint glass into my "Holy Grail" display case.

The 2011 pilgrimage to Yetiland had the group nestled in a unique "pine chip" setting outside the high country city of Breckenridge, Colorado.  It was the 10th modern day Tribe Meeting and was enjoyed by Yeti freaks from around the US and the globe.  

Seven COMotion Sports team members including Boni Sandavol, Sarge, Evie Calhoun, Jenny Gilkerson, Chris and Megan Taylor, and Ben Truitt attended this year's meeting showing support for our favorite sponsor. 
Weather could not have been better with warm temperatures, afternoon cloud cover and light breezes.  Nights were cool enough for the hoodies but ground sleepers did not freeze.

Saturday's Epic ride showed 3 busloads of freaks summiting Hoosier Pass, then descending into Southpark (Fairplay) and up again to the Kenosha Pass trailhead. Park County sheriff folks managed to get us across Hwy 285 without fatalities.
Ride options ranged from a 20 mile straight up and over Georgia Pass back to camp to a 40 mile version that added the West Ridge to Hwy 9 section of singletrack.  The rocky technical descent into Breck was perfect for my  575.  Many tires, rims and derailleurs were wounded on the downside ride.

All the big names with the company were on hand including pro racer Jared Graves,  Jared hung out at the RV and signed my recently completed BMX Yeti.  The limited edition bikes were release for Jared's 2008 Olympic Games competition.

Good times for sure.  Looking forward to the 2012 event and curious how the Yeti planners are going to top this one.  Somehow, I think they will.