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Published: August 23rd 2014
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This blog is dedicated to the many Travelbloggers who are bikers (if that is the correct term for those who travel on bicycles as opposed to motorcycles).
The US Pro Challenge comes second after the Tour de France in the bicycling touring world...at least according to their organizers (they also call it America's Race). This year the tiny town of Woodland Park, which just happens to be where I live, is the beginning of Stage 5 of this event which ends in Breckenridge. Understandably, we feel honored and are doing everything imaginable to be great hosts for this event.
For our TB biker friends, here are some names of the participants (not being a biker, I don't know any of them): Tejay van Garderen (fifth place finisher in last month's Tour de France); Rafat Majka (KOM...or King of the Mountain jersey winner for the first racer to reach the highest point for that stage) who also won two stages of the recent Tour and his teammate and stage winner Michael Rogers; two additional participants placed in the top twelve of the recent Tour de France...Leopold Konig (7th) and Frank Schleck (12th); previous Tour podium finishers Ivan Basso and Jens
Voigt, and national champions Eric Marcotte, Fred Rodriguez, Hayden Roulstein, and Riccardo Zoidl. I could go on as there are 128 world class riders from 30 countries and sixteen teams. Before the start the crowd had an opportunity to meet the athletes and get autographs. I just got a picture of Thomas Dekker of the Netherlands holding a spectator's dogs.
Starting at 8 am I manned the Woodland Aquatic Project booth together with other members of our Board. The evening before City Council approved an ordinance authorizing a ballot initiative in the forthcoming November election requesting voters assent to issuing about $10 million in municipal bonds to fund the project. This event starts our campaign to educate our citizens about the benefits the project will bring to residents of our city and county. We handed out brochures with information about the project and answered many questions. It was great to see families come to us in amazement that such a facility might be possible in our town. Dozens signed up to be volunteers.
At 11:20 am we all abandoned our booth to see the start of the race. First came the motorcycle police escorts, then the lead cars,
USA Pro Challenge - Early Morning in the booth area
The Woodland Aquatic Project booth is to the far right. the the racers, followed by the team cars with bike racks with spare bikes, and then the ambulances. They circled our downtown several times at a sedate pace, and then they were off! Fortunately, the rain held out until they were safely away; and then the heavens opened up. We huddled in our booths, which also provided us with a captive audience of those attending the race who also didn't want to get wet.
As a City Council member I had a VIP pass for me and Linda, and as she didn't want to spend the day there, I was able to use the extra pass for another Board member. This provided us access to the hospitality area where we were served great food and drinks.
By about 1:30 the crowd began to dissipate as the rain fell harder, and we were informed by the organizers that we could pack up our displays. All in all it was a very successful day. Not only did we see the start of Stage Five and all the great racers, we also started the buzz about the Woodland Aquatic Project, which is sure to spread across the community.
Later that
day Linda and I drove down to the Springs where we bought Thai food for a birthday dinner with my Mom. She is 93 today.
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Paul Drielsma
non-member comment
Bikers
Oh... and Happy Birthday to your mum. Now where I come from 'bikers' is a tamer word for those who ride motorbikes who do not want to be tainted with the label 'bikies' (which has connotations of illegal and bandit type rough bearded sexist criminal tatooed types). We call those who ride bicycles 'cyclists'. Anyway.. after that little piece of being pedantic...... nice to have such an event and be part of it. Well done.