-
-
Polls
Loading ...
New Colorado Mountain Bike Stage Race
While not official yet, it looks like Colorado will host a premier mountain bike stage race next year. MB Word, the blog of mountainbike.com announced plans by promoter, Mike McCormack, to host “Breck Epic” next July. Details apparently still need to be finalized before the official announcement and launch of the race web site at breckepic.com.
McCormack, whose previous involvement with other Colorado mountain bike races such as the Mountain States Cup series and G3 gravity series, brings the experience needed to launch a logistically-complex, multi-day stage race. The focus of this 5-day race will be on quality. From MB Word:
In a departure from point-to-point races like BC and TransRockies, the Breck Epic will use a “cloverleaf” model, with each day’s stage starting and finishing in Breckenridge. As McCormack explained it, that means a single campground, no transfers and the possibility of lodging…. offering a maximum of remote alpine singletrack and a minimum of pavement or even fire roads. “The Breck Epic is intended to be a rugged backcountry experience,” he said in his initial announcement. As part of that, McCormack cautions that the courses will be long, with 90 percent of the terrain above 10,000 feet in elevation, cut-off times strictly enforced and this is not the sort of event a weekend warrior should pick for his one-time-a-year extreme challenge.
Let’s hope for the best on this one. We know Colorado has awesome mountain biking, and a race like this would bring the potential for one of the finest mountain bike races in the country.
Colorado Gold Mountain Biking
Another perfect Colorado cycling day.
Well, I did make it to Kenosha pass - along with seemingly every other mountain biker, hiker, walker, and dog. Truly, the Colorado Trail at Kenosha this weekend was the busiest trail in Colorado I’ve ever seen. But give me a day in the saddle on a busy, beautiful Colorado trail over a day in the ‘burbs any day! My advice: get out there while you can, but go on a weekday. The aspen are just amazing, and whether you need a training ride/run, or just a breath of fresh air, Kenosha pass is the most abundant groves close to the front range that I know of. Any others?
12 Hours of Snowmass - Great Coming Out For Colorado Mountain Bike Race
Yes, Lance was there, and given the situation, it’s hard to separate the man from the story of the race. That being said, what a great way to get an innaugural race off on the right foot. Lance brought the spotlight and the riders to a race that’s sure to be on the mountain bike calendar for at least the next few years.
Here’s a clip from Velonews:
Not to diminish the performances of Lance, Max Taam, & Len Zanni, and Beaver Creek’s Jay Henry, Mike Kloser, and Dave Weins, I wanted to shed some light on the “smaller” stories of the race. The kind that would be there without the Lance Factor. For example, the world beyond Colorado probably doesn’t realize there was a division other than Men’s Trio in this well-run Colorado mountain bike race. :-) Yuki Saito turned in a tight performance for men’s solo overall, and Kelly Cullen captured the women’s solo title. Jeff Kerkove has a nice report on his blog offering an internal perspective.
