Yesterday we did a pretty great ride.  It was the Copper Triangle except instead going down to Minturn and up through Vail to Vail Pass, we rode to Leadville, then Tennessee Pass and when we got down to Red Cliff, we turned and rode gravel up to Shrine Pass, which is just above Vail Pass.  It is shorter than the Copper Triangle by 10 miles, but climbing Shrine Pass from Red Cliff is super scenic and pretty challenging sometimes, especially on road bikes.

In Leadville, I didn’t realize that it was the Leadville 100 Trail Run.  I got sort of excited about seeing the hoopla, but Leadville seemed completely dead.  At least dead compared to the Leadville MTB race last weekend.  It was 9 1/2 hours into the race, so maybe everyone, the support, was out on the course somewhere looking after their people.  I don’t know, but I really didn’t see that many athletic-type people strolling around.

I’m heading down to Arvada to watch the last bit of the Pro Challenge.  The race is less than 5 miles from Vincent’s house, so it is easily accessible.   The women’s race starts in an hour and I’m hoping to catch the tail end of it.

Brian Jensen finished 2nd in the “Gravel World Championships” yesterday.  It was 150 miles and he said fell apart with 7 miles to go.  Neil Shirley won the race.  Brian said the heat, over 90, killed him.  He’d been staying in Colorado a month, so I’m sure it felt extreme.

Okay, here are some photos from yesterday.  I really find the mountain houses interesting, especially in the small towns.

Leadville run finish line yesterday. Pretty barren.

This house looked super Swiss. It is in Red Cliff.

A couple more houses in Red Cliff, right where the gravel starts.

Same canyon in Red Cliff.

Leadville house. Some of the houses in Leadville look barely habitable. I think it is a hard life there in the winter.

Wow, how about the stock market this morning.  Makes you think it is all fake money and people are manipulating the average persons life’s saving for their own benefit.  I understand the importance of China to our economy, but question the extreme value fluctuations of US stocks in relation to worry about the future of perceived problems.

Then Nibali getting booted out of the Tour of Spain.  I officially don’t like that guy at all, not that I was any fan before.  He said, “What happened in the Vuelta happens in every race.”   No wonder he wins races.  Then he apologizes and says getting kicked out was too severe.   That guys has lost his mind.  In more than one way.  First, doesn’t he realize that he’s most likely being “filmed” at all times.  2nd, the dude is the current Italian National Champion, plus past Tour de France winner, and that guy doesn’t “get to” hold onto cars to get back up to the front.  Plus, the nerve of him, riding away from a huge group.  Notice how the group just sits up.  I would love to hear what was said when Nibali just disappeared up the road holding on car.  I bet most of them probably were thinking it was all hunky-dory and that the penalty was too severe.  Crazy. Watch the video below and make your own decision.

Yesterday was good.  We rode over to the start to see Trudi and just enjoy the whole race start.  We tried to ride up Lookout Mtn. to watch the field go by, but 30 minutes before the start the authorities were turning spectators back.  That seemed really way too early.  People were really bummed.  I didn’t really care, but races really need to be fan friendly or the fans will cease to come.  That isn’t good.

Then we rode down to Denver and caught the last lap of the circuit.  The finish was good.  We didn’t hang there because there was too much commotion and we wanted to ride.  I went by to visit Trudi at the BMC team dinner/celebration party, but didn’t hang because there were way too many people and, once again, too much commotion.

Trudi is working this morning and might not be done to later this afternoon.  I am going to drive back up to Steamboat Springs to visit the Eriksens for a day or two.  Vincent is driving to Salt Lake City to get a new car and trade in his old one, so it seemed like a good time.   Trudi usually sleeps the next two days anyways, so she might as well be doing that in a beautiful place up in the Aspen trees.

I might ride over to Boulder this morning to check it out.  I was planning on getting breakfast there, but Vincent made his egg special and I can’t turn that down.

Okay, it is a little less smokey here, but it is still visible.  It is very hard to believe all this smoke is from the West coast.  Must be a ton of fires going on.

Joseph was in the early break heading up Lookout. He is the last guy in line.

Trudi working yesterday morning.

Here is Huge Walton and Eric Heiden, old friends for a long time.

BMC guys before the race taking a photo.