Pro Cycling Challenge bike race returning to the valley

Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte finishing stage 2; Gunnison
starting stage 3

Organizers of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge tapped Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte to host a stage finish of the fourth annual bike race in 2014, and Gunnison will kick off a stage the following day. But the route the race will take to get here, and where it will leave Gunnison County, remains a mystery.

According to press releases from the race’s organizers, the race will get its start on August 18 in Aspen, which has hosted stage finishes every year of the race. What happens next is still up in the air, but ultimately more than 150 professional cyclists from around the world and their support teams will arrive into the Gunnison Valley.
Riders could head north out of Aspen through Carbondale, then turn south for McClure Pass before taking the paved and dirt surface of Kebler Pass Road into Crested Butte. Another option would be to turn the peloton toward Buena Vista and Cottonwood Pass, ending with a charge toward Crested Butte and a Mt. Crested Butte finish, reminiscent of the race’s first two years.
Because the towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte have hosted a stage finish twice in the past, Mt. Crested Butte mayor William Buck knows all the pieces are in place for a successful event next year.
“It is big. It’s big because we have a great working relationship with the race and they really like it here. Year two went pretty smooth and we had made a few changes from the first year,” Buck said. “There are always improvements to make, but between [town manager] Joe [Fitzpatrick] and [public works manager] Pepe [Valian], at this point I think they’ve got it pretty well dialed in.”
Fitzpatrick agreed, saying the town’s staff is ready for race day, although some of the final budget decisions still need to be made.
“The race organizers feel very good about coming here. They like places they can work with and we like having them,” Fitzpatrick said. “Both communities did a great job and I think it’s great for us. It’s just huge.”
Crested Butte mayor Aaron Huckstep had his attention diverted by town business on the day the host cities were announced, but wrote, “We are very pleased to once again host a stage finish of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in 2014. We look forward to working with the Pro Challenge team to showcase our Paradise to the world, and to create a wonderful experience for locals and visitors alike.”
The final details of the third leg of the race, leaving Gunnison on August 20, are also undecided, although both of the options being considered will finish at Monarch Mountain ski area.
One option is to send riders up Taylor Canyon and the west side of Cottonwood Pass to Buena Vista and Highway 285, where the route would turn toward Highway 50 and Monarch Pass.
Another option being considered would send riders west from Gunnison to Highway 114 toward Saguache. Then the course would turn toward Poncha Springs and head up Monarch Pass to the finish line. Final race routes will be released within 90 days, race organizers said at a news conference in Aspen on Monday, November 4.
Gunnison city manager Ken Coleman is pushing for the Cottonwood route, pointing out that it would give organizers, racers and spectators just what they want from a mountaintop finish. But whichever way the race leaves Gunnison, Coleman is happy to see the race start there.
“It’s wonderful. We’re thrilled,” Coleman said. “We are happy to be back in the mix. I feel like our valley has an incredible location for this type of event and we are communities that do what we say we’ll do. We can always fine-tune things, but we have our machine pretty well oiled. We understand what the commitments are and know what it’s going to take to get it done right.”
Only two of the host cities, Aspen and Breckenridge, have been chosen all four years of the race, with Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Gunnison and Vail getting the nod three of the four years.
“It’s tremendous,” Buck said. “It’s a testament to the partnership we have that they wanted to come back.”