The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Peloton chasing the rainbow…
“People will talk about that stage for days,” said television USA Pro Challenge bike race commentator Phil Liggett. “It was a bit of chaos out on the course in nasty weather conditions.”
Stage 2 of the 2014 USA Pro Challenge slopped into Crested Butte Tuesday afternoon from Aspen over a sometimes muddy and slick Kebler Pass. It got so muddy, in fact, that race officials “neutralized” the race because of poor weather (and lightning) conditions. That means they stopped it a few miles west of Crested Butte to let the rain slow down. They then sent race leader Robin Carpenter out for a 45-second head start—the lead he had when the race was stopped.
As Carpenter climbed the final hill accompanied by Crested Butte’s running pink bunny, yellow banana and a bunch of guys in too-skimpy underwear, the stage ended in a great finish for the crowd lining Gothic Road in Mt. Crested Butte. The 22-year-old won by just seven seconds in the pounding rain during the stage that took about four hours and 18 minutes.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) has tackled the event three of the last four years. Some of the kinks they experienced in 2011 are definitely gone. “It was definitely the smoothest year for us as a team,” said LOC co-chair and Crested Butte mayor Aaron Huckstep. “The block party on Monday was a huge success, with the Center for the Arts collaboration and the Alpenglow concert on Elk Avenue.
“This stage was all Crested Butte,” Huckstep continued. “The video from Kebler was unparalleled. It was just beautiful. Obviously the weather played an interesting role, but our team and the Pro Challenge team adapted to the situation well.”
Mt. Crested Butte mayor Dave Clayton said the event turned out great and showed the real party spirit of the two towns. “Where else do you see the Queen and King of something like Flauschink on the stage with the race winner,” he said. “The rain didn’t dampen spirits of the locals as people were out to watch the race and party in the rain.”
LOC co-chair and Crested Butte–Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce director Dave Ochs said the scenes of Kebler were the highlight of the day and may be the highlight of the whole 2014 Pro Challenge. “Never has the pro peloton seen such a road as Kebler. The scenery was incredible, the aspen groves were just amazing to be seen from above and we had the rain to boot,” he gushed. “It was just an average day in Crested Butte, with the pro peloton chasing the rainbow.
“While the rain was cool, it is the Rockies after all, the race stoppage stopping up top brought some frustration,” Ochs continued. “I guess it should have been expected with such unique terrain and the unexpected conditions on that road.”
Huckstep summed it up with his take on the vibe of the race. “All in all, not only was it a truly memorable stage, it was a heck of a lot of fun.”
Ochs agreed. “It was totally awesome, really, and another reason to remember Crested Butte,” he concluded.
And as the van following the last bikers through Crested Butte passed by with a sign proclaiming it was the “End of Caravan,” the sun came out.
