The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Enter to win two seats in a Pro Cycling challenge team car
You could call it the official start to the summer road biking season: Ride the Rockies 2012 kicks off this weekend in Gunnison.
The stats alone are impressive—442 miles, five mountain passes, and 24,937 vertical feet as riders make their way to Ft. Collins over six days. But it’s also a great moment for the Gunnison Valley, whose reputation as a biking destination continues to grow. This will be the second year in a row that the valley has hosted the overall start; last year’s race started in Crested Butte.
“There is certainly a growth in cycling in general throughout the valley,” said John Messner, event manager for the city of Gunnison. “We’ve been lucky enough to have bits and pieces here and there, but we’re starting to see it concentrated. The Growler weekend, Ride the Rockies, the Bicycle Tour of Colorado, and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge have really highlighted the valley as a destination for both mountain biking and road biking.”
Messner expects the event to bring 2,500 to 3,000 people to Gunnison this weekend. The official sendoff takes place Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m., but Gunnison will host a kickoff celebration downtown from noon to 9 p.m. at the I.O.O.F. park on Saturday.
There will be music by Workin’ Progress, a beer garden hosted by Odell’s Brewing, bike and food vendors, and a raffle for two tickets to ride in a USA Pro Cycling Challenge team car during the Queen Stage from Gunnison to Aspen on August 22.
The winners will also receive passes to the VIP tent in Gunnison and the finish VIP tent in Aspen, a night’s lodging in Aspen and transportation back to Gunnison on Thursday.
At the north end of the valley, Crested Butte Mountain Resort is opening the Red Lady lift one week early to help celebrate Ride the Rockies. The lift will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
