New U.S. stage race in Colorado?

[patrick767]

The Tour de France seems relatively tranquil compared to some of these mega marathons and other stuff these indurance freaks do. Time trial which climbs 2000m in 30k and finishes at 4000.

Just wow.

Yeah, though to be fair most of those endurance freaks don't do it almost every day for 3 weeks. The exception is insane stuff like deca-Ironman triathlons. That's a 2 mile swim, 112 mile ride, and 26.2 mile run each and every day for 10 days. Obviously it's nothing like the racing we see in pro cycling or top tier marathons. It's a handful of people that just grind through it.

Back to the CO race.... I see they've got some tough stages. I'd just like to see them take more advantage of the incredible terrain that the Rockies offers to make some potentially explosive stages. Yes, Pike's Peak would obviously be overdoing it, but surely they could find some epic summits for MTFs.

 

[joe1265]

Frandy and Evans confirmed - this HAS replaced ToCali as the 4th GT!

 

[Lupetto]

Frandy and Evans confirmed - this HAS replaced ToCali as the 4th GT!

Since when is Cali the 4th GT??

Hope Contador will be there, too.

 

[joe1265]

you're right, that's a typo on my part. Forgot that many now consider ToCali ahead of the Giro.......

 

[Polish]

Move out california.

The 4th grand tour has finaly arrived.

Cadel has already ridden the Amgen Tour of California.

But GREAT news that he will be racing in Colorado too!
Great that he is even racing at all in August.

Hopefully Cadel is being paid a juicy appearance fee.
He freakiing deserves it!!!!

 

[lucybears]

Frandy and Evans confirmed - this HAS replaced ToCali as the 4th GT!

Philipp Ries is riding, so this really must make it better than ToCali !
http://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_70919.htm
.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Uh, it's only a week long, so not a GT. As to it being the 4th best stage race, that I don't see either. Dauphine, Suisse, Romandie, Paris-Nice, etc.

I'd even hold off saying it's better than the TOC until we've actually witnessed the race (I know, a novel thought). Also, the TOC is now PT status, while Colorado and Utah are both UCI 2.1.

Nice to hear Cadel is riding. Will help give the race a boost, and himself a boost in this country.

Time to add the Pike's Peak Highway ITT! It's a 31km road, with 4.8km that are gravel, that starts at 2,249m (7,379ft) elevation and ends at 4,302m (14,115ft).

I hear every few years they pave a little more of this road, and someday it may be complete to the top, which would make it harder than Mt. Evans, and one of the most difficult climbs in the world.

The Coors' Classic raced at least partly up Mt. Evans I believe in 1987, but I don't have the facts in front of me. May check later.

 

[luckyboy]

Was thinking why they didn't have a MTF in this race. It looks quite good, but could've gone up Mt. Evans, or partway up.

 

[theyoungest]

Was thinking why they didn't have a MTF in this race. It looks quite good, but could've gone up Mt. Evans, or partway up.

I assume Mt. Crested Butte is a mountain?

 

[benpounder]

I assume Mt. Crested Butte is a mountain?

It is, but I dont think you can consider it a true MTF. Monarch pass is the day's real test, but that comes early. If memory serves, from Gunnison, it is a long but not steep drag up the river valley till the false flat of the town of Crested Butte, then a short 1.5 mile climb up to the ski station.

In other news, our local paper is stating that both Schlecks and Evans will start.

The top three finishers in the Tour de France will compete in next month’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and one of them will stay and train in Steamboat Springs in the week leading up to the inaugural stage race.

 

[benpounder]

For those interesting in an actual preview, the official website, http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/ has time lapse videos of all stages from start to finish.

 

[goggalor]

For those interesting in an actual preview, the official website, http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/ has time lapse videos of all stages from start to finish.

Wow, that is impressive.

 

[luckyboy]

I assume Mt. Crested Butte is a mountain?

http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/stages/stage-1

The profile looks like a puncheurs finish.

 

[BillytheKid]

For those interesting in an actual preview, the official website, http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/ has time lapse videos of all stages from start to finish.

Glad you posted this link. Interesting to see the all the actual terrain and you get a good sense of the duration (even though the footage sped up) Here's the link to Queen Stage: http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/stages/stage-2
The video icon is in the upper left-hand corner of the top window. Then the play icon on the upper left of the next screen.

I think altitude is a key factor in this race. It's average must be close to the high spot of the TdF this year. I am guessing about 2,400 m?

Mountains are not all the same. It gives you a good look at the Colorado Rockies. This stage would be better at MTF, but because of the altitude is still going to be very difficult. Also the eleven miles of dirt road on the Rabbit Ears Pass are an interesting twist.

 

[BillytheKid]

For those interesting in an actual preview, the official website, http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/ has time lapse videos of all stages from start to finish.

Glad you posted this link.

Here the direct to the Queen stage:http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/stages/stage-2

Takes about 15 min. to watch. Interesting the differences in mountains.
Altitude going reek havoc here, the average of this race must just shy of the high point of the of this year's TdF.

This stage would have been better as a MTF. Then have a hilly circuit race in Aspen as they did the year I saw it. Raul Alcala won that...better for the American non-fans. Then you have the best for both.

I keep laughing at the grand tour notion, but perhaps some good altitude racing for those going to Worlds.

 

[benpounder]

Mountains are not all the same. It gives you a good look at the Colorado Rockies. This stage would be better at MTF, but because of the altitude is still going to be very difficult. Also the eleven miles of dirt road on the Rabbit Ears Pass are an interesting twist.

Cottonwood Pass. They ride Rabbit Ears at the start of stage 5.

 

[Deagol]

there is the town of Crested Butte, the resort "town" of Mount Crested Butte (up the hill from the real town) and the actual mountain called Mount Crested Butte, which the resort "town" of Mount Crested Butte sits at it's base). Confusing enough ? Still, though, this stage would probably be better run in the opposite direction, IMO.

 

[benpounder]

Although I like the official website for this race, the profiles stink (they are understandably compressed to fit the normal page size). I've found the corresponding profiles on MapmyFitness.com (click on the Climbs tab or the Detailed Climb Data below for even more info).

They are:

Stage 1; Salida to Crested Butte
Stage 2; Gunnison to Aspen (mislabeled as stage three - it is the third day)
Stage 4; Avon to Steamboat Springs
Stage 5; Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge

 

[just some guy]

Evans last race for the year

Ending his season in August, Evans will not compete in the world championships in Copenhagen, according to BMC directeur sportif John Lelangue. "With the worlds in Copenhagen this year being more for sprinters, Cadel wasn't expecting to go to the worlds," Lelangue said.

 

[roundabout]

He has done really well and won the big one so I can't really blame him for ending the season early. OTOH he hasn't raced that much so it's a bit surprising.

 

[just some guy]

He has done really well and won the big one so I can't really blame him for ending the season early. OTOH he hasn't raced that much so it's a bit surprising.

Exactly for a guy who prides himself on riding and racing all year.

He once described the race of the falling leaves as his favourite 1 day race.

I have a feeling that holiday and begin training early - he will ride the TDU and Giro next year, and of course the tour but the Giro will be the BMC focus- might be wrong but ...........

 

[Jamsque]

I'm a little surprised to hear that. The Worlds course isn't great for Evans but I had assumed he'd ride in support of Goss or Matthews.

 

[just some guy]

I'm a little surprised to hear that. The Worlds course isn't great for Evans but I had assumed he'd ride in support of Goss or Matthews.

And with Porte got to be the 2 best ITT riders from Australia

 

[patrick767]

The Coors' Classic raced at least partly up Mt. Evans I believe in 1987, but I don't have the facts in front of me. May check later.

Yeah, it looks like Pike's would be much harder.

Looking at this page, it appears that the main issue with Mt. Evans is the elevation since it tops out at over 14k feet, but the gradients aren't very steep. The full route takes 30 miles to rise 6,724 feet.

Pike's has a similar elevation gain in just 19 miles and also tops 14k. Ouch!

 

[patrick767]

The Coors' Classic raced at least partly up Mt. Evans I believe in 1987, but I don't have the facts in front of me. May check later.

I haven't found a route online for the '87 Coors Classic, but I see there was a Hawaii stage. That's one heck of a transfer to the next stage. It had to be rerouted a few weeks before the race because a lava flow cut off the original route. hah.

This site lists Colorado climbs and notes some that were featured in the Coors Classic. The Mt. Evans entry doesn't mention the Classic.