USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is coming to Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. CB - Mt. CB will participate in the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge, hosting the first stage finish on August 23rd, 2011.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the most demanding professional bike race ever held in America, with racers experiencing breathless altitudes and nearly 600 mountain miles, for seven straight days. The inaugural 2011 Quiznos Pro Challenge will take place August 22-28, traveling through some of the world’s most famous and beautiful destinations and featuring 128 of the world’s best professional cyclists.

The USAPCC is expected to be the largest spectator event ever held in Colorado. Fans will have a special opportunity to see the racers up close and watch as they speed through historic downtown Crested Butte and finish at the base of the resort in Mt. Crested Butte. 

This stage will be the only mountain top finish of the race and is sure to be the stage to watch.  Couple that with a host of typically Crested Butte events and the grueling Gunnison to Aspen stage the following day and you have the Super Bowl of Cycling right here in the Gunnison Valley.

To keep in touch with the latest news and updates, visit www.USAprocyclingchallenge.com.

Lodging Info
Stay Just Steps from the only Mountain Top Finish

Crested Butte Mountain Resort is the official lodging partner for the Crested Butte - Mt. Crested Butte stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. 

Rooms are going fast for the event of the summer so reserve now
888.280.5727 

Where to watch the action:

The entire course from Crested Butte to Mt. Crested Butte is ideal for spectators with jaw-dropping 360 degree scenery and the opportunity to see Cadel, Andy, Frank and all your favorites from the Tour de France race head to head just steps away. Besides the obvious vantage points of the Elk Avenue Sprint Line and the Stage Finish in Mt. Crested Butte, spectators are encouraged to line the entire course from the Crested Butte city limits to the finish line, to cheer on the pros as they whiz by, whether on a breakaway to the finish or in the peloton.

Here are a few of our recommendations -

Stage 1 - Tuesday, August 23

Whiterock and Gothic – Racers turn into Town at high speed

1st and Whiterock – a second 90-degree high-speed turn

1st and Elk – Racers jostle for perfect position coming into the Sprint Line on Elk Avenue

Post Office Parking Lot – See all the action as racers cross the Sprint Line in Crested Butte, plus beer garden and jumbotron.

The 4-way – Wide enough for racers to reach high speeds on the last serious corner before the finish

Gothic Road and Washington Gulch/Rec Path – Watch racers crest the first ramp headed to the finish, then watch them complete the climb up to the finish area

Pitchfork – Join locals on their front porches as riders suffer through one of the steepest  sections of the climb to the finish

Finish Line Festival – watch from right beside Gothic Road as racers edge closer and closer to the finish

VIP and Hospitality Area – for a small cost, see the racers fight to the finish from the perfect venue, complete with included food and drink.  Contact Aaron Huckstep at huck@hucksteplaw.com to obtain tickets for the VIP area.

Stage 2 - Cottonwood Pass
After all the action of Stage One, spend the next day watching the racers climb to the highest point in the entire race, the summit of Cottonwood Pass at 12,126 feet above sea level, and 14 miles of dirt road.  Bring your bike and ride to the summit, or take shuttles from Taylor Park.  Please note that Cottonwood Pass will be closed to all traffic at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 23 and the Taylor Canyon road (up to Taylor Park) will close in Almont at 8:00 a.m. the morning of the Stage Two start in Gunnison.  Plan accordingly and know that shuttles will be the only way to get to the summit of Cottonwood Pass by car. The shuttles, which leave Taylor Park at 7am, 8am and 9am, have limited seating available, so make your reservation now by contacting Laurel Butcher of the Western State College Cycling Team at lbutcher@western.edu to book a seat.

Downtown Events

In addition to the exciting racing, the towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte have organized a full schuedule of events starting with free live music the night before the race.

Alpenglow featuring Old Californio
Monday August 22, 2011, 5:30
Crested Butte Town Park

Alpenglow is the Center for the Arts free outdoor concert series on Monday evenings during the summer. With Crested Butte Mountain and Paradise Divide as the backdrop, come enjoy the sounds of a variety of music. Bring along your chairs, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Join friends and family as we enjoy the best that summer in Crested Butte has to offer. Please leave your pets at home. Old Californio , so called because while they don't try to intentionally recall an earlier time in music history where California had a unique sound of its own, Old Californio certainly harkens back to it.  It should be a great Alpenglow, perhaps touching on memories of the older generations and sparking some new ones for the younger folk. The sound crosses quite a few generations, and that's what Alpenglow is all about!

Townie Crit
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 11:45
Elk Avenue Sprint Line

Kick off the day Crested Butte style by participating in the much anticipated return of the Townie Criterium!  Watch or participate as racers speed around town, and through the legendary Talk of the Town on their most coveted bikes of all; their townie bikes.  As with all great events in Crested Butte, costumes encouraged!  Rumor has it that Ben Preston has been doing double-secret training to “defend” his long-lost title.  To participate, register on the Brick Oven deck after 10:00. The cost is $10.

US Handcycling Criterium
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 1:15
Elk Avenue Sprint Line

As a part of the U.S. Para Cycling Challenge, and in partnership with the Adaptive Sports Center, Crested Butte will host the US Handcycling Criterium on August 23, 2011. Handcyclists will participate in a 30-minute timed race on an 8/10 mile circuit. The race will start at 1:15 p.m. at the Sprint Line for the Pro Race (Elk Avenue between 2nd and 3rd). The competition is expected to draw 15 – 20 top Para Cyclists from all over the nation. Awards will take place at 2:00pm. For more information about the race or to register, please contact Ian Lawless at ian@ushf.org or call 303-459-4159.
 
Crested Butte Sprint Line Beer Garden
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 11:00am – 11:00pm
Crested Butte Sprint Finish Line

Enjoy libations from Sierra Nevada and Avery Brewing Company while watching the race action unfold all day on the jumbotron.  Located on the Elk Avenue Sprint line, the beer garden also boasts premier viewing of the Sprint Line, Townie Crit and US Handcycling Criterium. From 7pm to 10pm, challenge your buddies to a simulated 500 meter sprint. Participants will race side by side on stationary bikes for their own taste of victory. Spandex is optional yet encouraged.

Strider Cup
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 1:00
Mt. Crested Butte Finish Line

Even the littlest of riders can experience the thrill of racing across the finish line.  Stop by the Strider tent in the Festival to register or at the finish line 15 minutes before the race. A very limited number of bikes will be available, please bring your own to ensure a spot for your child. Little racers can race across the finish line at 1:00 or on a special course within the festival throughout the entirety of the day.

Mt. Crested Butte Finish Festival
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 11 – 5
Mt. Crested Butte

In Mt. Crested Butte, the finish line will come alive with a Finish Festival including live music and a “Taste of the Town” planned from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., where you can see the race unfold via live video feeds all while enjoying beverages from Sierra Nevada. Take advantage of food and product vendors, a kids area, two jumbotrons, beer garden, and a live music stage with multiple acts throughout the day. The live music starts at 11:30 with the Fiddling Foresters. Known as the “official old-time string band of the US Forest Service” the Fiddling Foresters are a musical group composed of Forest Service employees and volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Region.  Combining toe-tapping music and the message of natural resource conservation, the Foresters are sure to be fun for the whole family. Between sets , enjoy a dance performance from the Crested Butte Collective. At 1:30 Doctor Robert takes the stage.  A new generation of Beatles Tribute band, Doctor Robert brings a youthful energy and fresh perspective to an amazing catalog of music. The Finish Festivals are the highlight of the finish cities throughout the race with vendors traveling to each city. The finish festivals feature not only the latest bike technology but also a fun-filled atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy.

Red Lady Stage special performance
Tuesday August 23, 2011, 5:00, following awards ceremony
Red Lady Stage, Mt. Crested Butte

After the awards ceremony, make your way to the Red Lady Stage for a performance from folk/pop songstress Megan Burtt.  Megan was recently honored as one of only 6 2011 NewFolk Competition winners. She has performed at the legendary Red Rocks Ampitheater, shared stages with Braddigan (of Dispatch), Brendan James and Toad the Wet Sprocket, toured listening rooms, clubs, living rooms, prisons and military barracks and is hard at work on two side projects (Travel By Skylark and The Dance Cards) as well as her sophomore recording with The Cure For Love (due early 2012). Bring your lawnchairs, family and friends and enjoy one of the last outdoor concerts in Crested Butte for the summer. Outside alcohol and pets are not allowed.

Chase the Race
Wednesday August 24, 2011, 7:00 am
Crested Butte to Aspen

After watching the spectacular Stage 1 finish in the town of Mt Crested Butte on Aug 23rd, take part in the inaugural 'Chase The Race' stage to watch the next day's finish in downtown Aspen, CO. On August 24th, as Stage 2 of the USAPCC leaves Gunnison, CO to race over both Cottonwood & Independence Passes en-route to Aspen, we will follow in the tire treads of history, by riding from downtown Crested Butte over historic Pearl Pass, and on into downtown Aspen to catch the Stage 2 finish. Being dubbed 'Chase The Race', this event is a chance to experience the early rides of some of mountain biking's great pioneers, like Gary Fisher, Tom Breeze, Don Cook, and more, when they used this route as one of the inspirations to help develop the beginnings of the modern day mountain bike. An annual event every September to this day, this will be a special and unique way for cycling enthusiasts to be a part of the sports history and its future.  For more information or to save your spot, go to 970 349 5430 or go to www.crestedbutteguides.com

Travel Information

The fun begins the minute you get to Crested Butte, but make sure you get here in time. Rolling road closures will be ongoing throughout the entire day of Stage One, timed approximately one-half hour before the racers ride through. In order to see the Elk Avenue Sprint Line, we recommend arriving in Crested Butte no later than 1:30 p.m. If you would like to watch the finish, we recommend giving yourself an additional half hour to park and catch the bus up to the mountain. Road closures and detours in Mt. Crested Butte are extensive through the day and parking is extremely limited. All viewers are asked to park in downtown Crested Butte and utilize the Mountain Express Shuttle, which leaves from the four-way stop in Crested Butte every 20 minutes.

Click here for detailed information on Gunnison County road closures August 23 - 24, 2011.

Click here for an event map of Crested Butte

Click here for an event map of Mt. Crested Butte