Valley pulls off another successful Pro Challenge

Better than last year?

The weather was perfect, the crowd was big and the reviews were good for year two of the USA Pro Challenge coming through the valley for another Mt. Crested Butte finish. The race is of one of the state’s most impressive sporting events and in its second year the north end of the valley represented well.

“I think it was better than last year,” Aaron Huckstep, Crested Butte mayor and Local Organizing Committee chairperson, commented an hour after the race. “We expanded the team and the event and the coverage. It was great.”
“It’s incredible what you can do and build and when you develop partnerships with professional organizations,” added William Buck, Mt. Crested Butte mayor. “These guys are pros and our environment suits this race like no other. With the weather we’ve had the last two years and the exciting finish, I think everyone loves having a stage come up here.”
“The vibe from the organizers is that they really like this place,” said Crested Butte Mountain Resort general manager Ethan Mueller. “It’s a great event and we’d have it here every year if we could. I’m not sure that’s realistic but it never hurts to ask and we’ll ask again.”
Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte co-hosted the finish for Stage Two of the race that started in Montrose. The race draws the world’s best road bike racers and will travel throughout the state for a week. Gunnison hosted the start of Stage Three that ended in Aspen. The valley received a plethora of television coverage that extolled the virtues of the county.
“I have to say the shots of the university were fantastic. It was so green,” observed Gunnison County Commissioner Phil Chamberland. “All the pictures and coverage made us look pretty sweet. It was perfect. These guys love the way Crested Butte gets into it.”
While there wasn’t a repeat of the iconic Colorado shot of a local cowboy riding next to the peloton this year, the shots of the bikers riding by Blue Mesa and coming through the old town of Crested Butte were spectacular.
“And then there was the uphill finish into Mt. Crested Butte beneath the mountain,” said Huckstep. “Two guys duking it out made for a super-exciting finish. It was a great race.”
Hundreds of volunteers made for a smooth event that drew thousands of people to Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Several events at both ends of the valley complemented the race for days before the event.
“The block party Monday night was super,” said Huckstep. “Business owners, mothers and hard core partiers all said they had a great time Monday. It’s early but I feel good about next year. We will welcome this race to the community every chance we get and the organizers have indicated they appreciate the enthusiasm that comes from the valley on one of the middle stages. We work our asses off and the entire team does a fantastic job to accommodate the needs of this world-class race. Everyone should be proud.”
“The collaborative effort between the two towns and the race organizers is outstanding,” said Buck. “It’s a great day for the town at the end of the summer.”
“From the company standpoint, Annie, Laci and Erica put a lot of time into this along with a lot of company people. It’s a fantastic effort,” said Mueller. “The collaboration of everyone in the whole valley from Gunnison to Mt. Crested Butte makes it happen. Honestly, I think this race has paved the way for a new avenue to working together in the whole valley on a number of issues. Not to get to deep, but everyone coming together like this helps move the whole valley forward. This couldn’t happen without a good level of collaboration from everyone. We need to see more of this.”