Tour of CO 2015

[The SnowShow]

Host cities announced...A Basin finish could be interesting, but a Loveland Pass one would be better.
Western CO continues to be snubbed...pretty lame. So much potential out there and they just generally stick to the same old.

Still a really fun event, but just wouldn't mind more variety around this beautiful state.


http://www.prochallenge.com/news/hos...-pro-challenge

[smmokan]

There are very few interesting stages.... there's so much more potential, but unfortunately the start/finish cities are determined by bidding which ruins a lot of the awesome routes. The funny thing is, TV and online coverage sucks so bad that the first 2/3 of each stage aren't even shown so there's no point in bidding to be a starting location for a stage. Given the last stage always ends in Denver, they should make it a time trial but that's only happened once (I think).... otherwise it's a wasted stage because there's no challenge between Golden/Boulder and Denver.

I wonder how A-Basin "won" the right to be a finishing location? Did the ski area throw out a bid?

[The SnowShow]

Not sure how they won the right, but Al had a lot to do with it.

You can suggest a Stage 6 route in their website...I suggested Winter Park, over Berthoud, down to Id Spr, uo Juniper Pass, down to Evergreen, down Bear Creek Rd, finish with an uphill to the top of Red Rocks...

[Krash]

There is no longer a bidding process to be a host city, the organizers meet with local committees and make decisions based on location, logistics and finances.

The A-Basin finish could actually be a Loveland Pass summit finish, it is yet to be decided, but it will finish somewhere between A-Basin and the Summit.

The Breck Time Trial should be interesting, I'm curious what they decide on for a course.

[Name Redacted]

A-basin finish is awesome. Hope they have it finish further up on top of the pass though. That's gonna be a party, as will the Breck TT. Definitely a Summit County focussed race this year. I'm biking distance to 4 stages so I might have to make it out for some.

[The SnowShow]

I really hope they finish on top of Loveland but I'm guessing they won't bc there isn't enough room for all the fans, trucks and crap they need at the finish. Kinda of like last year at Monarch...it'll likely be in the Beach parking lot.

[The SnowShow]

Bumping this as the race has started. No NBCSN coverage, hardly any big names....is this the beginning of the end of the USPCC?

ABasin, Indy Pass and Breck TT should be pretty wild however.

[Lindahl]

It is road biking... about as fun to watch as golf or baseball... perhaps even less, if thats even possible

[joetron]

It is road biking... about as fun to watch as golf or baseball... perhaps even less, if thats even possible

I know, right? Especially when you have no idea what you're talking about.

[The SnowShow]

Well, nice finish by Phinney. Tomorrow over Ute Pass and up to ABasin should break things up.

[Shredhead]

I'll be somewhere on Indy tomorrow. Don't think I'll ride to the top.
I think I'd rather watch them descending thru the narrows.
Closer to the party in town too!

[bean]

Impressively bad job with the coverage again, is there some reason they're not starting until 2pm every day? Even if I were dumb enough to pay for TV service, I'd have to 1) be at home in the middle of the day and 2) use a satellite TV provider to be able to watch the race.

[smmokan]

They don't even have any TV coverage, do they? I didn't see it listed anywhere.... which may be a good thing, considering how absolutely horrible it has been the last few years.

[bean]

It's on Universal Sports, so apparently you have to have a top-level satellite package to see the whole thing. Otherwise you get to wait until 2pm when the stage is 2/3 finished. No OTA, no cable.

[jamal]

You can watch it live on tourtracker, although yeah, it goes from 2-4 pm or so.

[The SnowShow]

Good party at A Basin. That's a really good place for a finish.

[uglymoney]

It is road biking... about as fun to watch as golf or baseball... perhaps even less, if thats even possible

Wait what? TDF was amazing this year.

[montanaskier]

Strictly a parade through CO with the race pandering to host cities. I understand the money part is needed to make it go, but man I wish it was more about the race instead if the host cities.

[smmokan]

Strictly a parade through CO with the race pandering to host cities. I understand the money part is needed to make it go, but man I wish it was more about the race instead if the host cities.

I totally agree 100%. I wish they had real stages with fun mountain-top finishes (like today at A-Basin).... but instead, it's all about finishing in a bid-winning town so they can get the fake publicity that the tour promises with their shitty TV coverage.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Road racing is a parade dude. TDF is a parade, but it's also a race. Anytime you have a multi-day road race, it's going to be a logistical issue that ultimately requires many parties to provide input, funding and desire to be a part of it.

You better believe that the riders are in a race. They want to win.

[Hott Butt Mud]

I totally agree 100%. I wish they had real stages with fun mountain-top finishes (like today at A-Basin).... but instead, it's all about finishing in a bid-winning town so they can get the fake publicity that the tour promises with their shitty TV coverage.

huh, today was a mountain-top finish...?

Stop bitching dude. What do you honestly expect out of this? It is road bike racing man, it will never be the NFL.

I think for road biking in the USA, this is about as big as it is going to get.

[montanaskier]

I think it could be more like the Tour of Cali or Utah which are both better races.

That being said, glad to have em here at all and the comment about road racing in the US is true.

[The SnowShow]

Strictly a parade through CO with the race pandering to host cities. I understand the money part is needed to make it go, but man I wish it was more about the race instead if the host cities.

Agree.

Anyone know what the Tour of CA is like? Is it run the same or more about the race?

Maybe they need to move this race so it doesn't overlap with the Vuelta.

[Garth Bimble]

We'll see what tomorrow brings. One of the big issues this event has struggled with is shitty coverage when they go over the higher passes and the weather wreaks havoc with the signals. Seemed like most of the stages last year experienced problems and while I enjoy listening to Phil/Paul as much as the next guy I can only take so much and watching a bunch of people mill around the base of a ski resort in the middle of August doesn't exactly make for scintillating TV.

The entry list for this year's event was a big disappointment and doesn't bode well for the future. Only 4 UCI World teams showed up and only one rider (Rohan Dennis) from the top 50. (yawn)

[grskier]

Wait what? TDF was amazing this year.

1) I don't get that channel
2) It'll be another year or two before I can get back into it after all the bs with doping
3) It was, as far as I could tell from the little bit of coverage I saw on the intertubes.. but see above, I didn't seek it out this year
4) It's a couple weeks and only once a year.. which makes it hard to keep up with more than one or two personalities.