Today is the TT for the Pro Challenge. All the teams stayed in Aspen last night and are driving to Vail this morning. That seemed like pretty bad planning. I would have drove here after the race last night so the riders could wake up normal and then ride the course on their own time late this morning, but that is just me. Obviously the race today is going to make a big dent in the overall GC.
It was nice from Trudi that George won the stage yesterday. She got a bunch of TV time. She said that the riders were freezing at the finish, which the support didn’t really expect. I guess descending Independence Pass wet does that to you.
Yesterday Dennis and I decided to just ride. We went around Lake Dillion and up Swain Mountain Road and then to Breckenridge. We got some coffee in Breck and then skirted storms all day to get back to Silverthorne just a little wet.
Today is going to get away from me I can already tell. There is a Coor’s Classic Reunion going on here starting early this evening. If I watch the whole race, there isn’t going to be hardly anytime left to do anything else. I guess that is the definition of a full day.
Here’s so photos from yesterday.
Dennis climbing up Swan Mountain path.
Looking back towards Lake Dillon from the climb.
Dennis climbing up Swan Mountain path.
Here's a sign in Breckenridge saying to stay off the grass. Notice the bike rack on the grass behind.
I saw this at the Pearlizumi store yesterday. What is it?
Bromont ran around in the mountains for hours yesterday. This GPS is a mental relief.
Thumbs up on the GPS? I guess I better get one for Camo–for my mental relief.
Hey Steve,
Maybe you know if the ProTour Teams are 100% responsible for booking their own stay?
I recall reading somewhere that the race organizer has to provide the places to stay if you want a C2 or whatever the Tour de Sandwich finally got from the UCI.
That Pearl thing is for triathletes to wear over / with their halter tops.
I much prefer they just wear the halter tops.
Nipplewarmers?!
At races the level of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, the race organizer takes care of everything – booking the hotel rooms, meals, even providing vehicles if the team is not able to bring its own.
As for staying in one city or another after a stage, it’s built into the bid. Aspen paid nearly $250k to host the finish and house the race organization overnight, in addition to providing a specific number of hotel rooms, etc. It’s a competitive business.
But, like Steve alluded to, there’s nothing stopping a team from packing up and heading off to the next day’s start the night before. This happened at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California at the Big Bear finish. Few teams wanted to stay at altitude that night – and even more wanted to warm up early on the time trial course. So they packed up and left right after the stage.
The downside? Hotels prepared meals – and tons (and I mean tons) of food went to waste. Hotel rooms sat empty, etc. The town was NOT happy – and neither were the race organizers.