KineticShift Takes on the Toughest Stage in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Sandwiched between the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, the second and third of the three Grand Tours, is a new multi-day professional cycling challenge. This one is not on European soil, but right here in the United States. Starting in Colorado Springs, CO on August 22nd, the new USA Pro Cycling Challenge is a seven-day, 518-mile long stage race all through the Colorado Rocky Mountains ending in the heart of Denver on August 28th. Touted as being the “highest altitude course ever created”, the new USA Pro Cycling Challenge will bring the racers over multiple mountain passes, with a number of them being almost 3,000 feet higher in elevation than the mountain climbs of the Tour de France.

Various cities and states around the U.S. have played host to some truly classic cycling events, but none have had the staying power of the European ‘classics‘. The new USA Pro Cycling Challenge looks to reignite the epic, professional stage races held in Colorado during the 1970s and 1980s. The Red Zinger Classic and Coors International Bicycle Classic drew some big names in the sport of professional cycling from around the world and even played host to the Soviet and East Germans teams who were racing in the U.S. for the first time. The staff of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge has been making flurry of announcements that this new event will too play host to some of the biggest names in the sport. Andy and Frank Schleck of Leopard Trek, Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack and the 2011 Tour de France maillot jaune winner Cadel Evans of BMC Racing have all confirmed that they will be racing in the inaugural 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUy9WXuthL4

With a few KineticShift staff members living so close to the race right here in Colorado, we were offered the opportunity to preview a stage or two. We could have been driven around some stages in a car, up and down a few mountain passes, and hopped out to take some photos, but what fun is that? If the racers have to pedal over the mountain passes, we wanted to do the same! When asked which stage we wanted to preview, we asked for the hardest. Stage 2 from Gunnison to Aspen, the Queen Stage, is the ‘crown jewel’ of this seven day race. This 131 mile stage starts in Gunnison and climbs over two mountain passes, Cottonwood and Independence, each over 12,000 feet. Along with the almost 10,000 feet of total climbing in this stage, the racers will also be treated with an additional challenge – the highest point of this entire seven day race is the dirt road of Cottonwood Pass at 12,126 feet! Once over Cottonwood Pass, the racers still have to climb Independence Pass. At 12,095 feet, the oxygen level is only 60 percent that of what athletes inhale at sea level. After 131 miles, this take-no-prisoners stage ends in downtown Aspen in the shadow of the Maroon Bells, Colorado’s most photographed mountain peaks.

As non-professional cyclists, this stage will certainly challenge us, but at least we do not have to crawl on back on to our bikes and tackle four more days of racing! If all goes well with our preview ride of this stage later this week, we will have photos, video and highlights of Stage 2 posted on our site.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Official Website

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