# USAPCC - Race Reactions



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

With the first edition of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in the can, let's talk about the race overall. I want to know what everyone liked, and didn't like, about the race.

*Likes:*
The talent. Yeah, I know some of the riders were here because of an appearance fee, but they were still here. I also like the fact some smaller teams were able to mix it up with the big teams. 

The course. It seemed like there was a little something for every type of rider. While I do wish we could have had a true summit finish, especially later in the week, I think they spread it out smartly. The ITT was uphill, but nothing horrible. Maybe make it up and down with a flat finish? I also think it would be great to see a finish atop Cottonwood Pass. With that dirt road it could really change some tactics. And make it more "epic," whatever that means nowadays.

The towns. From what I was able to see, the towns embraced that race. As the week got longer, the crowds got bigger. I'm not sure if casual fans started to realize what was going on or the approaching weekend had anything to do with it. Some have talked about changing the date, but earlier mixes it up with Utah and later conflicts with Labor Day. And football.

The jerseys. I'm not fashion forward, but I really liked the looks they gave the jerseys. Checkerboard, diamond, bars, and stilettos. 

The coverage. Hear me out. I really liked the "Epic Mini Series" packages they ran before the stages. The backstage view lent an intimate feel to the race. I also liked seeing the riders after the stage, the next morning, and then following the stage. It gave a pretty good look at the emotional rise and fall. Especially Tommy Danielson's illness. I even liked the product placement "interview" spots Bobke did. 

*Dislikes:*
The coverage. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, I really did. But when you lose the feed as often as NBC/Universal/Versus did, there is a problem. With the exception of Tour of California and Tour of Georgia, the networks were relatively new to providing full coverage of such a big race. Keep in mind, video feeds of nearly all other races they show are provided by the race itself. If the USAPCC is the one that provides the video feed, I am sure they re-evaluating. If it was NBC...I just hope they get better. 

And calling the pre-race show an "Epic Mini Series?" I can forgive "Rematch in the Rockies." But epic mini series? Did someone trademark extreme? I thought "Return to the Rockies" summed it up better.

So, let's hear it! Rock, Rot or Rule?


----------



## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

The coverage seemed to get better towards the weekend so maybe they worked out whatever was going on, but cutting out almost all of Cottonwood Pass, and joining a couple of different stages AFTER the summit of the day is a bit ridic.

Overall I really enjoyed it. The Columbians did a great job animating it, but would have loved to see Trek-Livestrong and Chipotle there. 


Bissell and Jelly-Belly seemed to be pretty much non-existant.


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

The format needs work. Stay close to the front for the race and kill the ITT for the win. Summit finishes might help that, but something isn't working. Not impressed by Euro pro's showing up to get paid and make sponsors happy, then not giving a hoot how they ride. Stay home if you aren't there to race (Andy). Colorado has natural elevation to make this an epic event. They need to keep it small and focus on what they have. Don't try and make it super big too fast, or it will die like Coors Classic. I would love to see the Morgul-Bismark stage added to it.


----------



## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

spookyload said:


> The format needs work. Stay close to the front for the race and kill the ITT for the win. Summit finishes might help that, but something isn't working. Not impressed by Euro pro's showing up to get paid and make sponsors happy, then not giving a hoot how they ride. Stay home if you aren't there to race (Andy). Colorado has natural elevation to make this an epic event. They need to keep it small and focus on what they have. Don't try and make it super big too fast, or it will die like Coors Classic. I would love to see the Morgul-Bismark stage added to it.


Andy was in the break yesterday and attacked today as well. He did a solid TT as well.

Having a race in Colorado without a MTF is like having a Ferrari with no wheels.

Still, great to see a race like this in the US.


----------



## mtrider05 (Aug 8, 2009)

spookyload said:


> The format needs work. Stay close to the front for the race and kill the ITT for the win. Summit finishes might help that, but something isn't working. Not impressed by Euro pro's showing up to get paid and make sponsors happy, then not giving a hoot how they ride. Stay home if you aren't there to race (Andy). Colorado has natural elevation to make this an epic event. They need to keep it small and focus on what they have. Don't try and make it super big too fast, or it will die like Coors Classic. I would love to see the Morgul-Bismark stage added to it.


A lot of races have been like that in the past, basically a bunch of "crap" stages, then an ITT to decide the race. Tour of California has been like that every year until this year, they figured it out and I'm sure Colorado will next year. 

I think it's been mentioned before that Colorado climbs are long but not very steep, the altitude makes the biggest selection. I would love to see a summit finish atop Cottonwood, that would be great racing.

Overall, I think it was a very successful race everything but the coverage was spot on. Can't wait to see how it evolves.


----------



## locustfist (Feb 21, 2009)

+1 on the lack of mountain top finish. was there even one HC pitch? I only remember 1 or 2 at 1 pitches.


----------



## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

it's designed for the American riders  so Levi & Horner can dominate


----------



## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

I was able to go to 3 of the stages - mtn biked the 401 and then hung out in Crested Butte, camped on Indy Pass and watched that stage, and was in the thick of the madness on Swan Mtn. yesterday. I couldn't have been more excited and impressed by the event - I think the enthusiasm by Coloradans was so awesome to be a part of. Being in 3 different, unique environments like that made for a very cool week - the scene around the race was as fun as I could dream up. I can't wait to see how the race evolves. 

The TV coverage has to get better, no question. The TV audience missed some of the most dramatic scenery of the tour with the **** pictures in stage 2. Also, I think they should get the riders out on the road by 8am, to try and avoid late afternoon t-storms, so common in the Rockies. MTF would be nice, at least one! They also need to cover any cow grates, geez.

I'd love to see stages in the San Juans down in Silverton or T-ride, Red Mtn Pass; also maybe Grand Lake, up over Trail Ridge Road, to Estes? CO Monument? What about Boulder, up Flagstaff and tie into the peak to peak hwy? Mt Evans? Lots of options for much more challenging routes. Vail, Summit County and Steamboat have to be sites for each year - they all represented great. 
It seemed the riders really enjoyed the tour and that the interest/crowds surprised the Europeans. I hope word gets around that this is a great race to partake in annually.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

weltyed said:


> With the first edition of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in the can, let's talk about the race overall. I want to know what everyone liked, and didn't like, about the race.
> 
> *Likes:*
> The talent. Yeah, I know some of the riders were here because of an appearance fee, but they were still here. I also like the fact some smaller teams were able to mix it up with the big teams.
> ...


while I agree with many of the things mentioned in this thread, I sometimes wonder if cycling fans will ever be satisfied - with anything. I enjoyed the coverage, race exceeded my expectations. Anyone remember when 30 min highlights on ESPN was all we could get for TdF? This continued when Lance was in yellow too.


----------



## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Add two or three more stages so it goes Saturday through Sunday. A mountain top finish is not really necessary. The best stage not there is the Colorado National Monument entering on the east side. Unfortunately, I don't think the National Park Service will allow a race through a park or monument these days. 

The video feeds need to get better. A 30-second showing of Cottonwood sucked. A non-showing of Lookout during today's show equally sucked. 

I don't think allowing the Chipotle or the Livestrong U23 teams is workable. However, adding one or two riders (e.g., Danny Summerhill) as a stagiaire is a good idea.


----------



## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

55x11 said:


> while I agree with many of the things mentioned in this thread, I sometimes wonder if cycling fans will ever be satisfied - with anything. I enjoyed the coverage, race exceeded my expectations. Anyone remember when 30 min highlights on ESPN was all we could get for TdF? This continued when Lance was in yellow too.


I think it needs to be mentioned that a lot of the riders were there because 6 days of hard riding at elevation a month before worlds was the training a lot of the big names were looking for. Appearance fee's aside, the date made it super enticing for guys like cadel, andy, etc, because they got some very unique training in. Steve Tilford likes to say the best shape of his life always came after the Coors Classic.


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

kbiker3111 said:


> I think it needs to be mentioned that a lot of the riders were there because 6 days of hard riding at elevation a month before worlds was the training a lot of the big names were looking for. Appearance fee's aside, the date made it super enticing for guys like cadel, andy, etc, because they got some very unique training in. Steve Tilford likes to say the best shape of his life always came after the Coors Classic.


so Evans rides in Colorado because it's good preparation for a race he is not going to do?

Evans 'not suited to course' for world titles


----------



## RUFUSPHOTO (Oct 14, 2010)

Understand that there are not any mountaintop finishes due to the fact that most of the surrounding mountains either don't have the amenities necessary or can't afford to host it.

The town/city pays for everything to include hotels for the teams, food, etc and some just don't want to pay that much money and don't want to fully book their hotels while they pay for it during the end of summer.

I was very pleased with the race, the towns and cities, and the overall excitement throughout Colorado leading up to the race and during.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

55x11 said:


> I sometimes wonder if cycling fans will ever be satisfied - with anything.


This

I enjoyed it very much. We have a new stage race in North America that is beautiful and brings the world's best here to compete in it. The crowds are enormous and motivated and the event is covered on television. All of these things are awesome. For those who are arguing that this race was obviously a joke because it was won by Levi Leipheimer, it should be noted that though he has never won a GT, he has placed higher than many of these riders in GT's and he is probably the best week-long stage racer in the world. 

I think it was a great race and I'm still excited about it.


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

55x11: i know we all complain about coverage, be it the hummer, the trout (i wish i wasnt so hard on him), the video feed or the amount/lack of coverage. like i said, i tried to give them the benefit of eth doubt, but theer seemed to be large gaps in video feeds. i am grateful for what we got, but this is an area which i know they can improve. alos, i know the course is out of the networks control, but i think for this to continue to grow they need to look at how it plays on tv. i hate to mold an event around the broadcast, but if it is unreasonable to televise the entire event (heck, we dont get every minute of the tour!) i think they need to plan the stages WITH the coverage in mind.

i was blown away with the HD, though.

rufus: you dont need to host the riders on the top of the mountain. they can stay in any city, really. the issue is more can the road handle the spectators and staging.


----------



## jsedlak (Jun 17, 2008)

Was nice to see so many fans out there cheering the euros on! Was really refreshing to say the least...


----------



## petalpower (Aug 10, 2009)

Tucker44 said:


> I was able to go to 3 of the stages - mtn biked the 401 and then hung out in Crested Butte, camped on Indy Pass and watched that stage, and was in the thick of the madness on Swan Mtn. yesterday. I couldn't have been more excited and impressed by the event - I think the enthusiasm by Coloradans was so awesome to be a part of. Being in 3 different, unique environments like that made for a very cool week - the scene around the race was as fun as I could dream up. I can't wait to see how the race evolves.
> 
> The TV coverage has to get better, no question. The TV audience missed some of the most dramatic scenery of the tour with the **** pictures in stage 2. Also, I think they should get the riders out on the road by 8am, to try and avoid late afternoon t-storms, so common in the Rockies. MTF would be nice, at least one! They also need to cover any cow grates, geez.
> 
> ...


The Colorado National Monument would be a awesome stage, but the Federal Government is totally against having a bike race in there. If it was up to them, they'd close the whole thing down to "preserve" it.

Regarding my biggest gripe - the TV coverage. Versus dropped the ball on this big time.


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

55x11 said:


> while I agree with many of the things mentioned in this thread, I sometimes wonder if cycling fans will ever be satisfied - with anything. I enjoyed the coverage, race exceeded my expectations. Anyone remember when 30 min highlights on ESPN was all we could get for TdF? This continued when Lance was in yellow too.


Agreed. It was an alright race. Perhaps not the most exciting or best filmed/edited, but good enough.


----------



## wks9326 (Apr 24, 2004)

I'd like to see some harder stages but not so hard as to scare off guys recovering and preparing for the Worlds, etc.

If the organizer can find a way to finance the overnight logistics of lodging, etc for one night with out having a finishing town it would be nice to see a finish on top of Mt. Evans or Pikes Peak. Both are very high roads with steep sections not built for highway traffic. How about Imogene Pass on cross bikes 

Another good stage would be a start some where in Boulder County that goes up and down every canyon with a finish somewhere on the Peak to Peak or above it in the Brainard lake area. Again there would not be a finish town but maybe Boulder County could step up to the plate.

How did the Tour of Georgia finance the finish on top of Brasstown Bald?


----------



## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

I was in Steamboat Springs for the finish of stage 4 and biked up to the summit of Rabbit Ears Pass to see the race come through there on Stage 5. I was surprised at how big and enthusiastic the crowds were. The finish in Steamboat was pretty packed and extremely loud, and poeple hung around to see the podium presentations. And there had to be 1000 people who camped, drove, or biked up Rabbit Ears to cheer on the racers on that climb. I was impressed.

And judging by the video footage I've seen, the crowds were much bigger in Breckenridge and along the final stage into Denver.

Fan support is key so the race was a success from that standpoint.

It's not the scale of a GT or any other established European race, but this was the first edition and is off to great start. I look forward to watching again next year.


----------



## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

The other key here is the State government's commitment to spend money and shut down roads. One of the things that held back the Coors Classic was the inability to completely shut down the roads for the race (CO-93 on the Morgul comes to mind).


----------



## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

den bakker said:


> so Evans rides in Colorado because it's good preparation for a race he is not going to do?
> 
> Evans 'not suited to course' for world titles


Yeah, I saw that right after I made my post and cursed Evan's for not helping me make my point. 

There are still a number of riders eyeing worlds who are using the race for training.


----------



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

I liked the fact that elevation was a big part of the race. They were starting races at elevations higher than the tops of many of the Alp climbs, the so called "big" climbs....

Anyone who has ridden races at altitude knows.....Elevation....that plays a huge part in performance...The oxygen content in the atmosphere diminishes...in a non-linear manner... Up to around 5000'...it is all pretty much the same...then up to 7-8k....the highest climbs in the Alps...it drops significantly, but above 8k...it falls off quickly... Seeing those guys racing over 12k....that is remarkable! Bending over to tie your shoe at 12,000' elevation would leave many people gasping for breath...

It was apparent the riders who had been training and racing at high elevations...the Columbia guys, the americans...Levi didn't evan seem to be breathing hard after the finishes at times...


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

kbiker3111 said:


> Yeah, I saw that right after I made my post and cursed Evan's for not helping me make my point.
> 
> There are still a number of riders eyeing worlds who are using the race for training.


not many of the favorites though. No Cavendish, Hushovd, Gilbert, Breschel is out now but did not opt for it.


----------



## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

spookyload said:


> The format needs work. Stay close to the front for the race and kill the ITT for the win.


Isn't this how just about every stage race works? TdF, Dauphine?

My week got busy so maybe I'm judging it that way, but my interest waned toward the end (or maybe it was just Levi's domination?). 

Definitely dug the pre-show spots and wish that I had known about those earlier in the week! Missed those up until about stage 3 sadly, as they had a) no transmission problems, and b) really cool video spots "behind the scenes" as noted that showed more of the riders and how things worked outside of the race itself. Maybe even giving more time to the "characters" themselves might help the US public (even recreational riders that might tune in) someone to root for or against.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

For those wanting harder stages, I think the elevation makes it hard to push the difficulty much more than what's there already. I've never ridden my bike at that elevation but I did go to Afghanistan with the 10th mountain division and the thought 's of racing at 12000 feet makes me want to puke. For those who think that the big euro names just didn't take the race seriously, they were vocal about the fact that they just didn't have the elevation training for it. A good example is frank schleck talking about how powerful levi's acceleration was at the end of stage one. A schleck talking about a leipheimer acceleration being so powerful is a little strange and it even surprised levi. The Americans and columbians just had better conditioning to that altitude; doube the altitude of many tdf summits. The top five at the end of the race were all Americans with big engines.


----------



## jkmacman (Feb 6, 2009)

i didn't think it was great running the race the same time as the vuelta a espana. which was on tv at a better time for me to watch est.

live USAPCC - Race coverage in est was early afternoon (at work) and recap at 11 pm a bit late for me as i like to be a sleep so I can get up early and cycle.

i found it confusing remembering if i was watching cycling in spain or colorado but the versus coverage (USAPCC ) was much better than univeral's vuelta a espana :thumbsup:


----------



## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

wks9326 said:


> I'd like to see some harder stages but not so hard as to scare off guys recovering and preparing for the Worlds, etc.
> 
> If the organizer can find a way to finance the overnight logistics of lodging, etc for one night with out having a finishing town it would be nice to see a finish on top of Mt. Evans or Pikes Peak. Both are very high roads with steep sections not built for highway traffic. How about Imogene Pass on cross bikes
> 
> ...


One of the items that needs to be mentioned is that the organizers are somewhat at the whims of towns willing to put together a package to bring the race to their area and host a start, and or finish. I know Crested Butte/Gunnison/Mt. Crested Butte jumped on board immediately but towns like Durango showed no interest until the event actually was underway and they began to see the excitement and the crowds. I'm sure you will see more communities trying to get involved next year though I've been told that towns who have already hosted will move up the lists based on where the organizers want the route to run.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Jake123 said:


> One of the items that needs to be mentioned is that the organizers are somewhat at the whims of towns willing to put together a package to bring the race to their area and host a start, and or finish. I know Crested Butte/Gunnison/Mt. Crested Butte jumped on board immediately but towns like Durango showed no interest until the event actually was underway and they began to see the excitement and the crowds. I'm sure you will see more communities trying to get involved next year though I've been told that towns who have already hosted will move up the lists based on where the organizers want the route to run.


This was the first running of the event and I'm sure that there will be some improvements next year, especially since the reception was so good.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

locustfist said:


> +1 on the lack of mountain top finish. was there even one HC pitch? I only remember 1 or 2 at 1 pitches.


I read an article that the organizers are trying to bump next years USAPCC race up to a 2.HC class.


----------



## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

I suppose the measure of the event is to set it against the organisers expectations and aspirations. There was a lot of pre race hype and many aspects had the look of a major pro tour event. To then say that overall it fell short of that level is to damn the race with faint praise. 
As a domestic race for US based riders it was great and appearance money will snag some euro stars who have US sponsors and do not want to ride the Vuelta. For my money though only Evans took it seriously.
What the ASO understand so well is that they are "making a show" not just staging an athletic contest and as a TV viewer this is the area that could use the biggest improvement, not just the technical aspects but also picking the course to try and generate the most exciting racing.


----------



## wks9326 (Apr 24, 2004)

thechriswebb said:


> For those wanting harder stages, I think the elevation makes it hard to push the difficulty much more than what's there already. I've never ridden my bike at that elevation but I did go to Afghanistan with the 10th mountain division and the thought 's of racing at 12000 feet makes me want to puke. For those who think that the big euro names just didn't take the race seriously, they were vocal about the fact that they just didn't have the elevation training for it. A good example is frank schleck talking about how powerful levi's acceleration was at the end of stage one. A schleck talking about a leipheimer acceleration being so powerful is a little strange and it even surprised levi. The Americans and columbians just had better conditioning to that altitude; doube the altitude of many tdf summits. The top five at the end of the race were all Americans with big engines.


The stages don't really need to be any harder then they were this year. Just have a stage where the action on the climb is not nullified by being 40K from the finish line.


----------



## petalpower (Aug 10, 2009)

PDex said:


> The other key here is the State government's commitment to spend money and shut down roads. One of the things that held back the Coors Classic was the inability to completely shut down the roads for the race (CO-93 on the Morgul comes to mind).


Kind of hard to justify spending money on a bike race in this economy when school budgets are being slashed along public safety(fire departments, cops, etc)personnel and their respective budgets.


----------



## slimjw (Jul 30, 2008)

I get that there were considerable logistical considerations that affected the routing and so on, but from a pure spectating standpoint the USAPCC was DEAD boring to watch (on the odd occasion the video was working). The decision to not include any mountain top finishes in a state where elevation and mountainous terrain factor so strongly neutered what could've otherwise been a much more animated and interesting race. 

Hopefully the success of this year's race will give the organizers the logistical clout necessary to plan a more decisive route for next year's race.


----------



## GScot (Feb 7, 2005)

I would like to see what economic impact was for CO. Any sources of info on that topic. That will also give us odds on enhancing the race in the future. I think CO is probably one of the better states at recognizing and working for tourist dollars so at least there is chance for long term success.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

petalpower said:


> Kind of hard to justify spending money on a bike race in this economy when school budgets are being slashed along public safety(fire departments, cops, etc)personnel and their respective budgets.


You have to remember that it benefited local business's; which in turn pays state taxes; which in turn benefits the state.


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

PDex said:


> Add two or three more stages so it goes Saturday through Sunday. A mountain top finish is not really necessary. The best stage not there is the Colorado National Monument entering on the east side. Unfortunately, I don't think the National Park Service will allow a race through a park or monument these days.
> 
> The video feeds need to get better. A 30-second showing of Cottonwood sucked. A non-showing of Lookout during today's show equally sucked.
> 
> I don't think allowing the Chipotle or the Livestrong U23 teams is workable. However, adding one or two riders (e.g., Danny Summerhill) as a stagiaire is a good idea.


You need to get the tour tracker. They showed Golden to Denver end to end including Lookout.


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

cda 455 said:


> You have to remember that it benefited local business's; which in turn pays state taxes; which in turn benefits the state.


+1 CO needs more events like this.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

slimjw said:


> I get that there were considerable logistical considerations that affected the routing and so on, but from a pure spectating standpoint the USAPCC was DEAD boring to watch (on the odd occasion the video was working). The decision to not include any mountain top finishes in a state where elevation and mountainous terrain factor so strongly neutered what could've otherwise been a much more animated and interesting race.
> 
> Hopefully the success of this year's race will give the organizers the logistical clout necessary to plan a more decisive route for next year's race.


I enjoyed watching it.


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

GScot said:


> I would like to see what economic impact was for CO. Any sources of info on that topic. That will also give us odds on enhancing the race in the future. I think CO is probably one of the better states at recognizing and working for tourist dollars so at least there is chance for long term success.


I bet it was a boatload. I went to the Vail TT. We dropped about $500 on hotel, food, gas, canoe rentals, booze, etc. I watched a woman from PA drop $200 on t shirts and hats. Vail was packed. One store owner told me this was the last big "bang" of summer.


----------



## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

petalpower said:


> Kind of hard to justify spending money on a bike race in this economy when school budgets are being slashed along public safety(fire departments, cops, etc)personnel and their respective budgets.



The Tour of Missouri generated much much more in income to the state than it cost the state to put it on, and it still got slashed....mostly due to uninformed public opinion like this.


----------



## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

wks9326 said:


> The stages don't really need to be any harder then they were this year. Just have a stage where the action on the climb is not nullified by being 40K from the finish line.



I think this was my biggest disappointment as well.


----------



## petalpower (Aug 10, 2009)

Sylint said:


> The Tour of Missouri generated much much more in income to the state than it cost the state to put it on, and it still got slashed....mostly due to uninformed public opinion like this.


Oh, I agree with you. Economically, letting the free market ( in this case, a bicycle race ) stimulate the economy and create jobs is better than have the state government "create" jobs.

From a political standpoint though, and we all know the approval and funding for these things is all about politics, it would be suicide to fund a race like this when like I said before, police, teachers and fire fighters are losing their jobs.

I don't agree with it, but it's reality. Thankfully the Governor of Colorado has some business sense along with being an avid cyclist. Plus, they spent the money on the race at least a year before asking the voters of the state of Colorado for a mil levy increase to fund the schools.


----------



## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

Pic from Crested Butte


----------



## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

Andy on Indy


----------



## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

thechriswebb said:


> For those wanting harder stages, I think the elevation makes it hard to push the difficulty much more than what's there already. I've never ridden my bike at that elevation but I did go to Afghanistan with the 10th mountain division and the thought 's of racing at 12000 feet makes me want to puke. For those who think that the big euro names just didn't take the race seriously, they were vocal about the fact that they just didn't have the elevation training for it. A good example is frank schleck talking about how powerful levi's acceleration was at the end of stage one. A schleck talking about a leipheimer acceleration being so powerful is a little strange and it even surprised levi. The Americans and columbians just had better conditioning to that altitude; doube the altitude of many tdf summits. The top five at the end of the race were all Americans with big engines.


You hit it on all points. Going into this event i didnt expect any euro riders to fair well.


----------



## Tucker44 (Apr 6, 2010)

and finally, Levi busting through the madness on Swan Mtn.
what a week


----------



## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

that's a nice pic. thanks.


----------



## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Thanks Tucker44 for the views. I have some I can post up tomm from Vail and the Boat stages. 

For all us cycling nuts this was a great event that promoted our sport to another level out here and over the oceans of keen interest. I talked to George, Cadel, Levi, Andy, Rory, Christian as well as many young riders first time to CO (and the US for that matter) who all spoke of this inaugural event rivaling the GT's. Sure, all this stuff will mature and improve as finding fault for out of the gate stumbles is silly. It was awesome top to bottom along with Bobke in new blue jeans that were way to small for him. 

It's all good and will be better next year. :thumbsup:


----------



## Radekal (Aug 30, 2011)

Is that Frank hitting back a hooligan? A Bissel rider was taken to the ground by a spectator just after this and Nixon was pushed.


----------



## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Just thought of the perfect mountain-top finish. There's plenty of room for parking, plenty of nearby lodging, the views are some of the best in the state, and the grades are a little tougher.

Wolf Creek Pass.

It is even more remote than the Salida-Crested Butte route, but with the race catching on the numbers may be there.


----------



## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

My thoughts:

1) They need more climbs at the end of the stages. Or if there's only going to be one MTF, it needs to be at the end of the week, not the start. While I have no problems with an ITT ultimately deciding the race, I do have a problem with it ending the race half way through a week-long tour. As I understand it, putting on a race in the US means milking the host towns for funds. If there's no rich town to host an MTF, then the race ends back down in the valley.

2) Crowds. Lots of buzz in the finish town. Lots of [email protected] (a way higher percentage than I've seen anywhere else) in the last km of the climbs. Lots of nothing everywhere else. Those people saying the crowds rival big Euro races are dreaming. That's not to say that it never could, but it's not there now.

3) They need to work out a way to get a good slot in the UCI calendar. Sure Frandy, Cadel, Basso, were there, but they were all on a downward taper to the end of their season.


----------



## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

Oh, one other thing:

Why the .... did the last stage run hours earlier than the rest of the race? I looked to see what was happening in the last stage and it was already over. TBH I was pretty meh about the whole thing anyway, but that really topped it off.


----------



## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

MattSoutherden said:


> Oh, one other thing:
> 
> Why the .... did the last stage run hours earlier than the rest of the race? I looked to see what was happening in the last stage and it was already over. TBH I was pretty meh about the whole thing anyway, but that really topped it off.


The online schedule for the week showed the final stage would run two hours earlier than all the other stages.


----------



## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

Oh, I realised that they planned it that way. I'm just saying it's stupid.


----------



## asgelle (Apr 21, 2003)

MattSoutherden said:


> Oh, I realised that they planned it that way. I'm just saying it's stupid.


Check the golf schedule.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

Radekal said:


> Is that Frank hitting back a hooligan? A Bissel rider was taken to the ground by a spectator just after this and Nixon was pushed.


Rovny was punching hooligans while working for Leipheimer, too. Rovny for me was the revelation of the race. He did tons of work and is still relatively young.


----------



## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

Sylint said:


> The Tour of Missouri generated much much more in income to the state than it cost the state to put it on, and it still got slashed....mostly due to uninformed public opinion like this.


Too many short sighted people don't understand the economic impact the state, and the communities feel from this type of event.


----------



## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

baker921 said:


> I suppose the measure of the event is to set it against the organisers expectations and aspirations. There was a lot of pre race hype and many aspects had the look of a major pro tour event. To then say that overall it fell short of that level is to damn the race with faint praise.
> As a domestic race for US based riders it was great and appearance money will snag some euro stars who have US sponsors and do not want to ride the Vuelta. For my money though only Evans took it seriously.
> What the ASO understand so well is that they are "making a show" not just staging an athletic contest and as a TV viewer this is the area that could use the biggest improvement, not just the technical aspects but also picking the course to try and generate the most exciting racing.


Was Andy Schleck and Basso taking it serious when they attacked on Stage 5? How about Andy S. attacking on a section with a 10% grade in stage 1 climbing the last 3K up Mt. Crested Butte? There may be reason to criticize this race as it relates to coverage and to many who would like to see an MTF but to say that only the Americans took this race seriously is pretty laughable. By the way, nice interview with Basso at the link below. 

uscyclingreport.com - Interview: Ivan Basso


----------



## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

MattSoutherden said:


> 2) Crowds. Lots of buzz in the finish town. Lots of [email protected] (a way higher percentage than I've seen anywhere else) in the last km of the climbs. Lots of nothing everywhere else. *Those people saying the crowds rival big Euro races are dreaming*. That's not to say that it never could, but it's not there now.
> 
> 3) They need to work out a way to get a good slot in the UCI calendar. Sure Frandy, Cadel, Basso, were there,* but they were all on a downward taper to the end of their season*.


Some comments regarding your thoughts:

Which stage were you at? Those "people" I heard from who _said_ the crowds rivaled anything they've seen overseas were the Euro riders themselves, VS crews, team directors, Pat McQuaid and even a particularly interesting team mechanic from SAXO who only spoke in German with my wife (I even think he tried to exchange numbers with her :mad2:  )

We spent most of our time at the bus locations before stages where riders were free to talk and anxious to do so prior to their warm up. Nobody talked of or look the part of someone who was on their “downward taper” of their season. I spoke to Cadel at length who enthusiastically discussed his bike setup and his approach at altitude (btw, he gets the bed at the rear of the massive BMC bus saying it’s pretty comfy). My wife and I both had Ivan Basso sign our caps the day after his fall in Aspen. He could not have been more cordial and cheerful. He was excited as he pointed up toward the east valley saying how beautiful CO is to race but “high” (he finished at 32 at Vail).

My physiologist who is also United Health Care team performance (who has been on the professional tour for years working with many teams and riders) said that he was overwhelmed by the crowds that turned out. He mentioned the crest of the Vail TT was as noisy with perhaps a larger gauntlet as he’s seen anywhere. Hell, the little hamlet of Oak Creek along the way on 131 towards Steamboat had everyone out including livestock, farm equipment, road kill and an odd looking rooster 

Insofar as the crowd behavior; Levi and Christian both said the Colorado crowds were great although the US folks seem to run “in front” rather than on the side of the riders (a competitive thing I guess). But both said folks no more crazy than euro fans.

On a ride up the TT course at 9:30 AM my wife and I were passed by Levi (good lord the _whoosh whoosh _his disc was making hinted at his amazing uphill speed as I tried for an instant to jump unsuccessfully on his wheel) as well as a number of BMC, HTC and Liquigas riders. Well, there he was, Captain America in all his glory tumbling down the course on a MTB bike holding in his left had the handle of a little red wagon swinging back and forth hauling a case of beer. I watch a lone beer jump out in front of me and explode spinning its beer spray into my glasses and kit. I was pissed. What an idiot I thought. But I’m sure these pro riders have seen it all before, so, why should I care…it was all part of the pageant. :thumbsup:


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

Jake123 said:


> Was Andy Schleck and Basso taking it serious when they attacked on Stage 5? How about Andy S. attacking on a section with a 10% grade in stage 1 climbing the last 3K up Mt. Crested Butte? There may be reason to criticize this race as it relates to coverage and to many who would like to see an MTF but to say that only the Americans took this race seriously is pretty laughable. By the way, nice interview with Basso at the link below.
> 
> uscyclingreport.com - Interview: Ivan Basso


Thanks for the link; nice interview. 

Interesting that Basso has always been a big Leipheimer fan. I remember a couple of years ago that Basso was convinced that Levi was going to win the Giro.


----------



## MattSoutherden (Jun 24, 2009)

DonDenver said:


> Some comments regarding your thoughts:
> 
> Which stage were you at? Those "people" I heard from who _said_ the crowds rivaled anything they've seen overseas were the Euro riders themselves, VS crews, team directors, Pat McQuaid and even a particularly interesting team mechanic from SAXO who only spoke in German with my wife (I even think he tried to exchange numbers with her :mad2:  )
> 
> ...


Hey. I'm not dissing the race, or the vast majority of the fans cheering on the riders. I just call it how I see it.

I'm not doubting there were lots of people in the start/finish towns, but out on the road the crowds were sparse. I watched a great deal of the coverage, including hours of the feeds on the ShackTracker, and the crowds I saw were nothing when compared to one day classics, grand tours, or races like the Dauphine. At these races, every town and village along the route is packed with fans, every climb has people on - all the way up (not 3 or 4 deep, but they're there).

And there's a bit difference between a rider taking the racing seriously, and targeting their training to perform at a race. The Schlepps, Cadel, and Basso were all racing with intent, but they didn't have form. You can't have form, for the Tour, ride hard for the whole tour, and then peak again 3 weeks later.


----------



## quadrat (Aug 26, 2011)

USAPCC sounds a little like the designation for a virus, but is no good choice for a bike race. Leipheimer and vet Hincapie defeating Evans and the Schlecks is a strange sight, and is maybe not the result of honest competition. What are they doing in an exhibition event anyway, when there is a grand tour going on? What i liked is that there were quite few flags, and i wasn't yet too commercialized. Other tours doing several laps trough a town like the last stage in Denver array thousands of oversized balloons and billboards along the streets, the Tour of Poland is an example.


----------



## asgelle (Apr 21, 2003)

quadrat said:


> What are they doing in an exhibition event anyway, when there is a grand tour going on?


What are you talking about? The race had a UCI 2.1 designation.


----------



## OldEndicottHiway (Jul 16, 2007)

From what I saw, I thought it was pretty neat, although like some have mentioned the course selection was a little odd at times. 

I don't understand the need to equate it with or "make it like a Euro pro tour race." It's not. It's an American race. For it to catch on with John Q Public in America and stay viable, it will need to resonate within that cultural context. Not saying that's necessarily a good thing... 

And then there's the rider viewpoint. A lot of these guys are wrapping up a season long of Spring Classics and Grand Tours. I don't know, but I can't imagine they'd look forward to heading stateside for 21 days of misery at altitudes of never below 6000ft? 

Imho, in order for riders to clamor to do this every year, it's going to have to be kept "fun" for them. Something to look forward to as a result of all their hard work all season long, rather than an "oh crap, here we go again" sense of dread.

And P.S. DonDenver thanks for sharing your stories from the frontlines.


----------



## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

OldEndicottHiway said:


> From what I saw, I thought it was pretty neat, although like some have mentioned the course selection was a little odd at times.
> 
> I don't understand the need to equate it with or "make it like a Euro pro tour race." It's not. It's an American race. For it to catch on with John Q Public in America and stay viable, it will need to resonate within that cultural context. Not saying that's necessarily a good thing...
> 
> ...


From all accounts the riders absolutely loved this race (see link below) and the fan support. I also recall Phil mentioning during coverage that the Europeans love coming to the U.S. because they get to stay in nice hotels and eat great food unlike (and these were Phil's comments during stage 1) the dumps they stay in when they are racing in Europe. 

Basso interview about the race

uscyclingreport.com - Interview: Ivan Basso

By the way, I'm not sure how the routes were odd. I think the problem is too many who don't know the area, and only watched the VS coverage only saw the straights. The reality is the race occurred on some of the best climbing routes in the state (Independence, Cottonwood, Monarch, Rabbit Ears) and the finish in stage 1 from CB to Mt. CB was nasty due to the sprint occurring after two tight 90 degree turns and pushing immediately onto the 4K climb up to Mt. CB which averages 6% but has sections which are 10% - 12%. This was after they were forced to come off Monarch and push into 30 mph headwinds for 35 miles to Gunnison.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

asgelle said:


> What are you talking about? The race had a UCI 2.1 designation.



I don't think he even knows.


----------



## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

MattSoutherden said:


> Hey. I'm not dissing the race, or the vast majority of the fans cheering on the riders. *I just call it how I see it*.
> 
> I'm not doubting there were lots of people in the start/finish towns, but out on the road the crowds were sparse. _I watched a great deal of the coverage_, including hours of the feeds on the ShackTracker, and *the crowds I saw were nothing when compared to one day classics, grand tours, or races like the Dauphine. At these races, every town and village along the route is packed with fans*, every climb has people on - all the way up (not 3 or 4 deep, but they're there).
> 
> And there's a bit difference between a rider taking the racing seriously, and targeting their training to perform at a race. *The Schlepps, Cadel, and Basso were all racing with intent, but they didn't have form.* You can't have form, for the Tour, ride hard for the whole tour, and then peak again 3 weeks later.


Alrightythen…your perspective apparently has been formed based upon what you see only on TV.

Is that correct? Have you actually attended any event? Have you been to France to attend the TdF at various stage locations? Have you been on one of the cobble sections on the Paris-Roubaix route? I have. And that forms my perspective of crowds…not a video feed.

The Colorado routes chosen for the inaugural race didn’t have the number townships along the stretches as there are in France during their national month of pride. Let alone the fact the GT’s boast years of experience with the volume of camera locations, nowhere close yet is CO tourism promotional interests helping to seed crowds coordinating with the producer highlighting bustling locations.

Nevertheless as I mentioned in an earlier post, the crowd of Oak Creek on a little corner patch of 131 was as intense and large as any little village or town in France I’ve seen that steps out to see the riders whoosh by in seconds. Outside of that, more cows and hawks were turning their heads between Avon and Steamboat. So what. Seeing crowds on open road stretches may impress you but that does not necessarily influence the riders I cited in my earlier post. To a man their perspective is the volume of crowd interest at the start sign-in and the finish turn around (many also pointed out smooth feed zones impresses them . It’s those locations at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge the riders said were absolutely second to none. And that is why many of my friends and I are excited as those views were beamed with eventual first hand comments to be made overseas demonstrating that US racing in the Rocky Mountains has great ongoing opportunity. This is a good thing for road cycling.

With respect to your comments regarding a rider being in “form” for this particular race…I have no idea what you trying to get at. Are you saying this race was not a race worth viewing? Riders are freewheeling or going through the motions to fulfill a contract? I actually talked to Cadel, Ivan and both brothers you mentioned in your post above. Too bad I could not have mentioned you viewed them from your couch as not in “form”  

Every rider I talked to (Cadel gave me the most vigorous comments) said this race was a test riding at the altitudes not experienced anywhere else. I sensed a lot of energy as I walked about each bus watching the riders warm up. Certainly I don’t presume to know as you do the capabilities of each pro and their ability to hit a peak for an event or what motivates them to excel. I can only call it as _I _see it first hand, and it was awesome having them race here :thumbsup:


----------



## Jake123 (Aug 25, 2011)

MattSoutherden said:


> Hey. I'm not dissing the race, or the vast majority of the fans cheering on the riders. I just call it how I see it.
> 
> I'm not doubting there were lots of people in the start/finish towns, but out on the road the crowds were sparse. I watched a great deal of the coverage, including hours of the feeds on the ShackTracker, and the crowds I saw were nothing when compared to one day classics, grand tours, or races like the Dauphine. At these races, every town and village along the route is packed with fans, every climb has people on - all the way up (not 3 or 4 deep, but they're there).
> 
> And there's a bit difference between a rider taking the racing seriously, and targeting their training to perform at a race.* The Schlepps*, Cadel, and Basso were all racing with intent, but they didn't have form. You can't have form, for the Tour, ride hard for the whole tour, and then peak again 3 weeks later.


Who are the Schlepps?


----------



## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Jake123 said:


> Who are the Schlepps?


It’s Albert and Fanny Schlepp. 

They are UCI sanctioned stand-ins for the Schleck brothers when the Schleck’s aren’t in “form” but wish to fulfill contractual obligations even though they just can’t muster another peak performance…such as the Pro Challenge.

While they are identical twins it is a brother and sister. Fanny is actually such a great TT rider she is required to drop her max watt output by 22 percent as to look more like the Lux brothers. 

The Schlepp’s come from the western panhandle of Nebraska and cite Ole’s Big Game bar of Paxton NE, as their major local sponsor.

That's all I got on the Schlepp's...


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

kbiker3111 said:


> Yeah, I saw that right after I made my post and cursed Evan's for not helping me make my point.
> 
> There are still a number of riders eyeing worlds who are using the race for training.


did you see the US released the lineup for worlds? 
The two captains, Farrar and Phinney did vuelta.....
all the other big guns from the states appear to be chilling at the beach.


----------

