The USA Pro Cycling Challenge kicks off in just five days, showcasing the world’s best pro riders who will trek 683 miles across Colorado over seven days. This is the third annual race and New Belgium Brewing will once again serve as the event’s official beer sponsor. Race fans can visit New Belgium events along the race route, attend a viewing party at the brewery on the 24th or enjoy streaming live coverage of the race all week from New Belgium’s tasting room.
The race kicks off in Aspen/Snowmass on August 19 and finishes in Denver on August 25. It will cycle through Northern Colorado for the first time, going through Loveland, Estes Park and Fort Collins on August 24. The stage’s finish line will be at the intersection of College and Mountain in Ft. Collins. New Belgium will serve as the stage host and has the honor of awarding that day’s overall winner’s jersey.
“We’re incredibly excited to have the Pro Challenge finish right here in Fort Collins,” said New Belgium Spokesperson, Bryan Simpson. “The race itself and all the attendant media will really shine a light on what a world-class cycling community we have here. That’s something to celebrate and we know the crowd’s going to turn out in a big way.”
To welcome the race to Ft. Collins, New Belgium will host a party in the brewery’s front parking lot from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on August 24th. Three food trucks will be on-site and a giant LED screen will offer the best place to view the Northern Colorado stage.
Other race stages include:
Stage 1: Aspen Circuit Race – Monday, August 19
Stage 2: Aspen to Breckenridge – Tuesday, August 20
Stage 3: Breckenridge to Steamboat Springs – Wednesday, August 21
Stage 4: Steamboat Springs to Beaver Creek – Thursday, August 22
Stage 5: Vail Individual Time Trial – Friday, August 23
Stage 6: Loveland to Ft. Collins – Saturday, August 24
Stage 7: Denver Circuit Race – Sunday, August 25
Along the USA Pro Cycling Challenge race route, New Belgium will host a variety of events from a homebrew sampling showcase to an app-based scavenger hunt, bike-in movies and block parties. New Belgium will Tweet along the journey (@NewBelgium) and the brewery’s social media superstar, Juicebox, will once again travel the entire route, this year joined by Steve Kinevil of the blog All Hail the Black Market and crafter Amy Sheridan of the Etsy store Drop Dead Quirky. Amy has a knack for stitching and will create works of art with thread along the route, blowing minds along the way. Illustrator Roger Lootine, creator of Residue Comics, will also join the crew creating images to document all the shenanigans.
To learn more about the host cities and to view maps and elevation details, visit the race website at http://usaprocyclingchallenge.
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.