MT. CRESTED BUTTE, COLO. (August 23, 2011) – Enthusiastic crowds welcomed the field of 130 cyclists to Mt. Crested Butte for the Stage 1 finish of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge today, as Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack showed an impressive finish taking the stage win and claiming the lead in the general classification and sprint competitions. Known for his climbing skills and after a first place finish in this year’s Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Utah, Leipheimer is a fan favorite in American cycling.
“I am very happy to get the win and get the Quiznos Leader Jersey,” said Leipheimer. “We’re all proud to get this jersey and win the first stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.”
Leipheimer attacked out of the lead group on the steep mile-long trek up to Mt. Crested Butte ski station, as he out-climbed Sergio Luis Henao (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia by four seconds and Frank Schleck (LUX) of team Leopard-Trek by seven seconds. By winning, Leipheimer added a 10-second bonus to his overall time and leads fellow American Christian Vande Velde of Garmin-Cervelo by 11 seconds. American Tejay Van Garderen of HTC-Highroad and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (AUS) of BMC Racing Team remain in third and fourth respectively.
With warm weather, blue skies and a picturesque backdrop, Stage 1 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge got underway in Salida this morning with an outpouring of support from local residents and visiting fans. After a neutral start that included two laps through the city, the race headed out of town on a 99.4-mile route to Mt. Crested Butte.
Early in the stage, Bradley White (USA) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, Will Dickeson (AUS) of Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team, Jay Thomson (RSA) of Bissell Pro Cycling Team and Eduard Alexander Beltran (COL) of UNE-EPM formed a break that would stick for a good part of the race and in the first 25 miles built more than a five-minute lead.
After heading over rolling hills the route took the riders to their first climb of the race – Monarch Pass (11,315 ft.). Lined with throngs of cheering fans, some of whom had camped out to catch a glimpse of the top riders in the world, the first King of the Mountains (KOM) competition of the race was taken by Beltran. Following the KOM, Dickeson and Beltran eventually fell back, leaving White and Thomson in the lead.
“There was a bit of a headwind and I was kind of in the break,” said White. “We dropped the first two guys in the descent and we weren’t sure if we should wait for them. We decided to ride and were going to see if they would come back, but they didn’t.”
After a fast decent on which the riders reached speeds of 60 mph on one inch of rubber, they crossed a slightly uphill, windy valley leading into Gunnison, all while battling strong, up to 20 mph headwinds. Once in Gunnison, the location of tomorrow’s start, the riders faced the first Smashburger Sprint Line, which was taken by White, at which point they took a sharp right and headed north to Crested Butte. A gradual climb, the course then wrapped around the historic town heading up a steep, but short climb to the small ski community.
With 15 km to go, the peloton caught the break and the race was on to the finish. At 5 km the riders reached the second and final Smashburger Sprint Line of the day and the points went to Elia Viviani (ITA) of Liquigas. Heading up the hill to the finish line the group saw several attacks, which eventually lead to a first place finish for Leipheimer.
“Today was a great day of racing that really gave the riders and fans a taste of what’s ahead in the coming days,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is going to take everyone to new heights, allowing us to showcase all the state has to offer while pushing the riders to their limit.”
Leipheimer claimed the Quiznos Leader Jersey and the Smashburger Sprint Jersey. Van Garderen kept the Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey. The Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went to Bradley White (USA) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team. And the Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey was awarded to Beltran Suarez for his performance on Monarch Pass.
STAGE 2 TOMORROW:
Wednesday, August 24 – Gunnison to Aspen (130.3 mi/209.8 km)
Start Time: 10 a.m. MT
Estimated Finish Time: 3:20 – 4:30 p.m. MT
Satellite Feed Time: 5:30 – 5:45 p.m. MT
The Queen Stage is the crown jewel of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The journey from Gunnison to Aspen will be the hardest, longest and highest of the race, summiting two 12,000-ft. peaks in one day. This promises to be the toughest stage in America, and the toughest day of racing of the entire year. Starting at Main St. and Virginia St. in the authentic Western town of Gunnison, the cyclists will travel through Gunnison National Forest and then ascend 2,740 ft. over the course of 13.7 miles to reach the first King of the Mountain line of the day on top of 12,126-foot-high Cottonwood Pass, the highest point during this seven-day race. In a unique twist, the ascent up Cottonwood Pass is on a dirt road, an extra challenge for these racers’ thin road tires.
After a tough climb and a fast descent comes another beautiful, but grueling climb up Independence Pass. The road is narrow and steep with a 6.5 percent gradient and numerous switchbacks. This second King of the Mountain line will certainly separate the true competitors from the peloton. At 12,095 ft., the oxygen level is only 60 percent that of what athletes inhale at sea level. After 131 miles, this take-no-prisoners stage ends in downtown Aspen on Main St. at Galena, in the shadow of the Maroon Bells, Colorado’s most photographed mountain peaks.
Media parking at the start will be on Virginia Ave., between N. Wisconsin St. and N. Pine St. At the finish it will be in the Rio Grande parking garage at the intersection of Mill St. and Rio Grande Pl. Please note that there is no access to this garage from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. due to a road closure for the women’s pro race.
How To Watch the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Fans can view the race on the daily VERSUS broadcasts. Stage 2 will air live on VERSUS tomorrow at 2 p.m. MT.
In addition to the broadcast, fans can follow the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge with THE SHACK Tour Tracker. Available on the race website, as well as through a free app in the Android Market and the iTunes store, the 2011 THE SHACK Tour Tracker includes:
Live video coverage of every stage
Up-to-the-minute text updates during the race
GPS tracking and interactive maps
Daily results and overall standings
Photo feed from the race
Stage previews, including overviews, maps and profiles
Team and rider listings
For full results, archived footage, GPS data, course information, race play-by-play and more, please visit the official race website www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com.
About the USA Pro Cycling Challenge
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is expected to be the largest spectator event in Colorado history and one of the largest sporting events to ever take place in the United States. For seven consecutive days, 136 of the world’s top athletes will race across 518 miles through the majestic Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure, more than two miles in elevation. It’s the best of the best in professional cycling, competing on a challenging course through some of America’s most beautiful scenery, including cities such as Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.
Referred to as “America’s Race” the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge will take place August 22-28, 2011. With more than one million spectators expected at the event, as well as national television exposure on NBC and VERSUS, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be one of the largest cycling events in United States history.
Spectators of this race will see Olympians, World Champions and Tour de France competitors. Fans worldwide will have access to the competition and riders like never before with the most advanced, interactive online, Smartphone and broadcast television experience presented to date in professional cycling.
More information can be found on the website www.USAprocyclingchallenge.com and Twitter page @USAProChallenge.
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