Team RadioShack’s Levi Leipheimer Rises to the Top to Win the Inaugural 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in the Mile-High City
Daniel Oss of Liquigas-Cannondale Wins the Final Stage of the Race and Garmin-Cervelo Took the Overall Team Win
DENVER (August 28, 2011) – After seven challenging days of racing through the Colorado Rockies, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack was crowned the first-ever champion of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in front of a monumental crowd in downtown Denver. Daniel Oss (ITA) of Liquigas-Cannondale outsprinted teammate Elia Viviani (ITA) and took the final stage after an exciting battle for the lead on the route from Golden to Denver, which had an estimated crowd of 250,000 spectators.
“It’s hard to put into words and to describe the emotion and experience that I’ve had this week,” said Leipheimer. “Today has been the biggest crowd that I’ve seen in the U.S. and that is really saying something. This race really raised the bar for American cycling. This victory means so much to me because of the way we raced this week. It took every ounce of energy and motivation we had to pull it off.”
Another highly anticipated course, the final stage took the riders 73.8 miles on the route from Golden to Denver where a champion would be crowned in front of the State Capitol Building. Against bright blue skies under a blazing sun the race began with a short neutral start and a northern loop out of town. The riders went past the start line in downtown Golden a second time then headed out of town to make the challenging ride toward the first and only KOM of the day – Lookout Mountain.
Heading up the mountain, a group of 20 riders pulled off the front, including overall winner Leipheimer. At an average 6.1 percent grade and 1,300 ft. of elevation gain over more than 4.8 miles, this section provides an intense challenge on the race’s final day. A beautiful climb filled with twisty switchbacks, Rafael Infantino (COL) of UNE-EPM pushed the limits, showcasing his climbing skills and crossed the line first, followed by Rafael Montiel (COL) of UNE-EPM and Christian Vande Velde (USA) of Garmin-Cervelo.
After a fast descent at 40 mph down the winding roads of Lookout Mountain, the cyclists passed through the start line in Golden a third time, giving spectators another taste of the race action. A breakaway formed on the ride into Denver and included Oscar Sevilla (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia, Javier Megias (ESP) of Team Type 1-sanofi, Lachlan Norris (AUS) of HTC-Highroad and Matt Cooke (USA) of Team Exergy.
With fans lined up 5-10 deep along the entire route, those lining the finishing circuits in Denver were in for a great race as the route included six laps of a nearly five-mile circuit around the State Capitol Building.
With four laps to go, Megias made a move of the front of the break and took off leaving the others to get swallowed up by the chase group. Riding ahead of the group for a while, he eventually was reeled back in with two laps to go. Heading into the final laps of the race, Liquigas-Cannondale, HTC-Highroad and Team RadioShack lined up on the front to prepare to send their riders in for the win. Another small break formed, but was quickly reeled back. In a battle to the finish line between Oss, Tejay Van Garderen (USA) of HTC-Highroad and Viviani, Osstook the stage win.
And while everyone celebrated the race finale today, organizers had already been looking ahead.
“I just spoke to Steve Johnson (USA Cycling CEO) and he said the crowd was the largest he’d seen in any stage race in U.S. history – that makes this a great first-year event,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “We’re excited for the state and for the communities we visited and passed through over the last week. We will be back and we’ll be even bigger next year.”
The final jerseys were awarded to the following riders. Leipheimer retained the Quiznos Leader Jersey. Viviani took the Smashburger Sprint Jersey. Van Garderen kept the Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey, which he held since day one of the race. The Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey was awarded to Montiel. And the Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went toTimothy Duggan (USA) of Liquigas-Cannondale for his performance at the front of the chase group and his attack into the final lap.
For full results, archived footage, GPS data, course information, race play-by-play and more, please visit the official race website www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com.
STAGE 5: Leipheimer Retains the Overall Lead Heading into the Final Day of Racing
BRECKENRIDGE, COLO. (August 27, 2011) – Tour de France second-place finisher Andy Schleck (NED) of Team Leopard-Trek attempted to win his first-ever American race, but came 500 meters short as the riders sprinted into Breckenridge for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 5 finish where Elia Viviani (ITA) of Liquigas-Cannondale crossed the line first to take his second consecutive stage win. With crowds that continue to grow day after day, the 105.8-mile route from Steamboat Springs kept Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack in the overall lead and the Quiznos Leader Jersey for the third consecutive day. Heading into the final day of racing, the GC is lead by Americans with Christian Vande Velde of Garmin-Cervelo, Tejay Van Garderen of HTC-Highroad, Tom Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo and George Hincapie of BMC Racing Team rounding out the top-5.
“If you look at the crowds in a place like the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, that is really saying something,” said Leipheimer. “I would definitely like to win tomorrow. We’ve done a good job so far and we just need to carry the momentum one more day.”
In another scenic stage filled with rolling hills, gorgeous backdrops and lined with fans, the route between the two famous ski towns – Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge – included the category 2 Rabbit Ears Pass and the category 3 Swan Mountain, as well as two intermediate sprint competitions.
As the riders headed toward the first KOM at Rabbit Ears Pass, just about 12 miles from Steamboat Springs, the group spread out and a lead group of approximately 20 riders formed. With huge crowds lining the road to the top of the KOM, Rafael Montiel (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia crossed the line first, followed by Beltran and Laurens Ten Dam (NED) of Rabobank Cycling Team.
On the descent and then the subsequential climb, a breakaway of five riders formed, including Schleck, Tom Peterson (USA) of Garmin-Cervelo, Ivan Basso (ITA) of Liquigas-Cannondale, Ten Dam and Javier Acevedo of Gobernacion de Antioquia that would stick for the rest of the race, with a lead of up to four minutes at times.
As the riders continued on their route to Breckenridge, they went through the first Smashburger sprint line of the day in Kremmling with Peterson hitting the line first, followed by Basso and Schleck. With the riders in the break taking turns pulling at the front, they crossed the second Smashburger sprint line of the day in Dillon with Schleck first, followed by Ten Dam and Basso.
The riders continued over a couple of rolling hills with great scenic views before making a sweeping right turn and heading toward the second and final KOM of the day on Swan Mountain, just about five miles from the finish. Lined with some of the biggest, most enthusiastic crowds the race has seen thus far, Swan Mountain is a short, but difficult climb that would provide one last obstacle before the stage finish. With different teams taking the lead in the field on the chase behind the break, Schleck attacked the group and crested the mountain first to take the KOM, followed by Basso and Ten Dam, some of the most notable climbers in the sport.
On the super-fast descent, the riders flew down the mountain at speeds of up to 60 mph, only a couple of miles from the finish line. Schleck broke away from the group for a bit, but was rejoined by the other breakaway riders and soon Peterson fell back to the chase group, but in an impressive move rejoined the break again shortly after.
With each of the three remaining riders making a play for the front, they were finally caught by the peloton in the final stretch to the finish line in Breckenridge. In an all-out bunch sprint to the finish to the roaring cheers of fans, Elia Viviani (ITA) of Liquigas Cannondale crossed the line first with his hands in the air for his second consecutive stage win. Following closely behind were Jaime Castaneda (COL) of UNE-EPM in second and Daniel Oss (ITA) of Liquigas Cannondale in third.
“The crowds have been getting bigger and bigger with each day of the race and I believe tomorrow will have phenomenal attendance,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “They’ve had a weeklong celebration in Golden and we all know the significance of Lookout Mountain. I think Denver is going to be phenomenal with the circuit finish. “
Heading into the final day of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge the jersey leaders are as follows. Leipheimer retained the Quiznos Leader Jersey for the third consecutive day. Viviani kept the Smashburger Sprint Jersey for the second day in a row. Van Garderen kept the Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey for the sixth straight day. The Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey was once again awarded to Walter Pedraza Morales (COL) of UNE-EPM. And the Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went to Schleck.
STAGE 6 TOMORROW:
Sunday, August 28 – Golden to Denver (70.9 mi/115.9 km)
Start Time: 10:45 a.m. MT
Estimated Finish Time: 1:30 – 1:45 p.m. MT
Satellite Feed Time: 3:30 – 3:45 p.m. MT
The final stage takes us along another highly anticipated route – the climb up and the descent down the treacherous Lookout Mountain, where the overall King of the Mountain winner will be decided. The riders will start under Golden’s famous “Howdy Folks” welcome arch, take a northern loop out of town, ride past the start line a second time, and then make the challenging ride up Lookout Mountain. At an average 6.1 percent grade and 1,300 ft. of elevation gain over 4.8 miles, this section provides an intense challenge on the tour’s final day. After a treacherous descent down the winding roads of Lookout Mountain, the cyclists are back again for a third time past the start line in Golden. With three opportunities to see the cyclists test their strength and strategy, the Golden start line will be one of the most coveted viewing spots of the entire race. The racers then speed toward Denver, where they take six laps of a nearly five-mile circuit along Speer Blvd. before heading past the original Quiznos store at 13th and Grant to reach the finish line in Civic Center Park. An exciting five-mile circuit and the monumental finish line will create the most-watched day of the race, leaving nothing to be desired as the first winner of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge is crowned in the “Mile High City” on August 28.
Media parking at the start in Golden will be on 10th St. in the lot just west of the library on the left hand side. There is no specific designated media parking at the finish in Denver.
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.
STAGE 4 RECAP BELOW
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO. (August 26, 2011) – Clear blue skies and remarkable crowds welcomed the riders to the Stage 4 finish in Steamboat Springs, as 22-year-old Elia Viviani (ITA) took a strong lead-out from teammate Daniel Oss of Liquigas-Cannondale and outsprinted the field to take the win. After another impressive day of racing, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack retained the overall lead and will wear the Quiznos Leader Jersey heading into the penultimate stage tomorrow, which takes the riders from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge.
“Today was a nice day because it was a little bit shorter and flat, and I think all the riders were looking forward to that – it’s nice to have a mixture of stages,” said Leipheimer. “While I was riding I had the chance to look around and it was just breathtaking. Through all the communities you could tell that the entire population had come out to cheer us on and that was really nice.”
With beautiful weather against a stunning backdrop, Stage 4 of the race, which would take the riders on an 82.8-mile route to Steamboat Springs, began with two neutral laps around the city of Avon. Although there were no categorized KOMs on this stage, it was filled with rolling hills through beautiful ranching country that would still prove to make a challenging route.
A breakaway of three riders formed early in the stage and included Stefen Denifl (AUT) of Team Leopard-Trek, Cristhian Montoya (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia and Janier Acevedo(COL) also of Gobernacion de Antioquia. They were chased and soon joined by a duo from Team Type 1-sanofi Vladimir Efimkin (RUS) and Rubens Bertogliati (SUI). The breakaway of five managed to maintain a two-minute lead over the peloton for a good part of the race.
In the only sprint competition of the day, Denifil crossed the line at Oak Creek first, followed by Acevedo and Bertogliati. With no KOMs in the stage, the riders would focus on the stage win for the rest of the day.
With the entire Liquigas-Cannondale squad leading the chase at an average speed of 25 mph, the break was swallowed up with 4.5 miles to go to the finish in Steamboat Springs. With a wide, open road ahead the pack was spread out across the road. In the final stretch heading into the finish various riders and teams went to the front to go for the win, but ultimately the Liquigas-Cannondale team was able to get Viviani across the line first, followed by Michael Morkov (DEN) of Saxo Bank SunGard and Kenny Van Hummel (NED) of Skil-Shimano.
“Of all the events I’ve ever attended that was the most energetic finish I’ve seen,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “Today’s crowd was by far the biggest of the week and we keep growing – this race is only going to get bigger and bigger.”
Leipheimer retained the Quiznos Leader Jersey. Viviani took the Smashburger Sprint Jersey. Van Garderen kept the Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey for the fifth straight day. The Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey was once again awarded to Walter Pedraza Morales (COL) of UNE-EPM. And the Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went to Efimkin.
The official energy partner of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and sponsor for today’s stage, Exergy is known for their projects and technologies that put the earth’s clean forms of renewable energy to good use. The company also sponsors the 2011 Exergy Most Aggressive Rider Jersey, which is awarded each day to the rider who best asserts himself in the peloton and tackles the challenges of the day. The jersey is currently being worn by Efimkin for his outstanding performance in today’s breakaway.
STAGE 5 TOMORROW:
Saturday, August 27 – Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge (105.8 mi/170.2 km)
Start Time: 11:20 a.m. MT
Estimated Finish Time: 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. MT
Satellite Feed Time: 5:30 – 5:45 p.m. MT
The celebration in Steamboat moves to Werner Mountain, where the cyclists will take off under the watchful eye of Steamboat’s primary ski hill. This will be another opportunistic stage with ample opportunities for breakaways and aggressive racing, but this time with a true mountain pass. Following US 40 south and east out of town, the double-summit Rabbit Ears Pass will host a King of the Mountain line and ample viewing opportunities. After a sprint line in Kremmling the riders will travel alongside the scenic Green Mountain Reservoir on Colorado Route 9. After winding through Dillon, Keystone and the final KOM on Swan Mountain the cyclists will enter Breckenridge and race to the finish line downtown at Main and Wellington St., ending 106 miles of racing in what may prove to be the fastest road race finish during the seven day tour.
Media parking at the start will be on Pine Grove Rd. At the finish it will be in the South Gondola Parking Lot off Watson St.
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.
About Exergy Development Group
Exergy Development Group is one of the major independent renewable energy developers in the United States. Exergy’s focus is on deploying commercially successful, socially beneficial and environmentally responsible renewable energy projects. The company moves its projects from conception to commercial operation, and is developing new and advanced renewable energy technologies as part of this comprehensive strategy. Exergy has assembled a renewables projects queue of over 4,000 MW across the Western and Midwestern United States. The company’s veteran team is set apart by its commitment to advancing renewable energy by mitigating utility concerns about renewables integration and orienting its projects towards local people and landscapes. Exergy believes that sustainable economic prosperity is inextricably tied to the well being of our communities and natural environment. For more information, visitwww.exergydevelopment.com.
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