Saturdays in 2019 just got that much better! VIDA has returned to showcases epic Colorado towns. Visit the website for all event details.

Saturday, April 27: Grand Junction
Saturday, May 11: Boulder
Saturday, June 1: Lakewood
Saturday, August 17: Snowmass
Saturday, September 7: Durango
Saturday, September 28: Golden
Saturday, October 19: Boulder

The 2019 Colorado Classic, August 22-25, will be the only UCI standalone women’s stage race in North America; raising the bar with quadrupled prize purse, team stipends, live streaming and longer, more challenging routes

(DENVER, CO—DECEMBER 11, 2018)— The 2019 Colorado Classic will become the only women’s stand-alone stage race in the Western Hemisphere on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar and USA Cycling’s Pro Road Tour, organizers of the race announced today, while raising the bar for pro women’s cycling around the world.

RPM Events Group LLC, organizers of the Colorado Classic, will offer unprecedented financial support to female athletes at the 2019 event, including a prize purse nearly four times the 2018 women’s purse and more than the men’s 2018 purse, along with stipends to support team travel and expenses.

With free live video streaming coverage each day of the race, the Colorado Classic will put women’s cycling and Colorado on a global stage. The live stream and on-demand replays will be syndicated to fans around the world through cycling and partner websites as well as though Facebook Live and the race’s Tour Tracker mobile app.

“From the inaugural race of the Colorado Classic two years ago, the organization has stood behind women,” said Kristin Armstrong, the most decorated female cyclist in U.S. history, having won gold medals in each of the last three summer Olympics. “The announcement today of a women’s-only UCI stage race truly shows the dedication and commitment the Colorado Classic has to women in sport. I was fortunate enough to have my start in a women’s-only event back in 2002 at the HP Women’s Challenge; I know first-hand the tremendous amount of impact this will have on women’s cycling by creating and providing opportunity for spectators and riders across the world.”

The third annual Colorado Classic will be a four-stage road race August 22-25, 2019 that will bring some of the best female teams and cyclists in the world for four days of racing over challenging Colorado terrain.

QUOTE FROM GOVERNOR-ELECT JARED POLIS “As a major sponsor instrumental in bringing pro racing back to Colorado, we are proud to support the Colorado Classic’s bold move in becoming a women’s race,” said Colorado Governor-Elect Jared Polis. “It’s a perfect match, as the Colorado Classic reflects what our state is known for – innovation and inclusion – while showcasing Colorado’s diverse outdoor health and wellness lifestyle.”

To focus on and expand the women’s race, the Colorado Classic will forego the men’s UCI race in 2019. Organized now solely around female competition, the 2019 Colorado Classic will unveil more challenging routes, longer race distances, and better start times for women than ever before, positioning the event as an ideal run-up to the UCI Road World Championships following a month later and the 2020 Olympics.

“With women’s cycling, we saw the greatest opportunity to fulfill our mission to create a world-class race in Colorado that is socially impactful,” said Ken Gart, Chairman of RPM Events Group. “By creating one great race instead of two average ones, we can shine a bright light on Colorado and pro women’s racing while affecting meaningful social change.”

More than a race, the Colorado Classic will act as a movement to inspire women, challenge and redefine female professional cycling, and ultimately, empower women of all ages to break the mold, and fight for their goals.

USA Cycling is including the women’s race in its Pro Road Tour (PRT), which showcases the premier domestic road calendar events in the U.S., including criteriums, road races, stage races and omniums.

“The Colorado Classic showcases both the beauty of Colorado and the remarkable talent of these compelling athletes. Both USA Cycling and the International Cycling Union (UCI) are proud to support this outstanding event that focuses on women who are exceptional cyclists. I applaud RPM for their commitment to building a world class event for women,” said Bob Stapleton, Chairman of USA Cycling and UCI Management Committee Member.”

“Because of the Colorado Classic’s commitment to pro women cycling, we expect a stellar international field of approximately 20 teams and world-class racers to compete,” said Sean Petty, Race Director for the Colorado Classic.

Since its 2017 inaugural year, the Colorado Classic has advanced women’s racing in several ways. The Colorado Classic was the first major USA Cycling race to go without podium hostesses, opting instead to celebrate male and female cycling legends, including Connie Carpenter Phinney. Last year, the race expanded the race to four stages and designed the routes similar to the men’s race. The Colorado Classic also has assembled an all-female team of public address announcers for calling the race, and will feature several female influencers and heroes spanning across women’s athletics.

“I am really excited to hear that the Colorado Classic women’s race is growing into a 4-day, UCI event,” said Katie Hall, pro cyclist and overall winner of the 2018 Colorado Classic women’s race. “Colorado is such a beautiful state and such a hotbed for American cycling that it seems like the perfect place to host a challenging UCI stage race that will feature the women.”

The Vail/Boulder Octopus is an endurance road bike event that tackles Eagle/Boulder County’s eight quintessential climbs. It is very challenging but for bikers who like to climb, this is one of the country’s ultimate accomplishments.  It is a group ride; not a race.  Participation fee is nominal. There is sag-wagon support. The Octopus alternates between Vail and Boulder biennially.  See web site for complete details.

The Lake City Alpine 50 Endurance Mountain/Gravel Bike Race starts in beautiful Lake City, Colorado, a small mining town located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains at 8,671 feet, and will follow the iconic Alpine Loop back to Lake City. The race distance will be a little over fifty miles and will include over 7,500 vertical feet of climbing. The race will head south out of Lake City on Highway 149 to some fun single track traversing the Lake City Ski Hill. The single track will continue along the Lake to Lake trail above Vickers Ranch and will head by the Legacy Lodge before exiting onto Hinsdale County Road 30 leading to Lake San Cristobal. Lake City’s namesake was formed by a rare natural earthflow called the Slumgullion Slide, which blocked the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, creating the second-largest natural lake in Colorado and one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire state of Colorado.

After about four miles, the course will then head onto Hinsdale County Road 33, a dirt road located on the East side of Lake San Cristobal. Be on the lookout for moose, osprey, and bald eagles as the sun starts to cast its rays across this gorgeous lake. Crossing the bridge over the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, the course heads back on Hinsdale County Road 30 skirting the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River for the next approximately sixteen miles before the climbing starts to get tough. Along the way, you will pass by three 14,000-foot peaks (Handies, Sunshine, and Redcloud) and various abandoned mining towns (Carson, Sherman, and Burrows Park). You will also catch views of American Basin, a stunning wildflower wonderland and one of the most photographed places in Colorado. For the next two miles, your lungs will be tested as you approach the top of 12,640-foot Cinnamon Pass.

You will then descend from Cinnamon Pass for about two miles into Animas Forks (11,200 feet), a ghost town, but once a bustling mining town and one of the highest mining camps in the Western United States. After Animas Forks, for the next four miles you will ascend the steep backside of Engineer Pass (12,800) before making a nearly nineteen-mile fast descent along Henson Creek, which includes passing through another ghost town, Capitol City (named because its founder had hopes of the town becoming the capital of Colorado), Nellie Creek (which leads up to 14,016-foot Wetterhorn Peak), the once booming Ute-Ulay Mine and Mill, and then back to Lake City to finish the race in Lake City’s Town Park.

Super fun and challenging Gravel Grinder. This course is sensational!! Phenomenal views, super challenging but brutally fun 63 miles, 80% Dirt, 20% paved and bike path. Starting at Criterium Bike Shop, following bike path to Garden of the Gods, thru the Garden, up Rampart Range Road to Mount Herman Road, down to Monument, back on path through the Air Force Academy and finishing at Criterium Bike Shop. 5400 feet of climbing!

The West Elk Bicycle Classic covers country that should be felt up close, like on a bicycle. There are several options for most any rider:

Do you want a shorter ride on the most beautiful road you’ll be on in some time? Try our 34-46 mi route on the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This route can be shortened or lengthened as it is a supported out-and-back ride…accessible to all ages and abilities!
Do you want something a little longer? With some gravel? Try our 52 mile Raghorn loop.
134 mile WEST ELK BICYCLE CLASSIC route that we all love and fear at the same time. Come out and tackle this course again, or for the first time, there is nothing like it anywhere!
Fully supported and full of fun…join us and register today!

Strade Bianche Boulder is inspired by two great Tuscan-Italian cycling races – the Strade Bianche and l’Eroica. This fall cycling event incorporates the best of these cycling traditions including gravel roads, Tuscan food and wine, and the relaxed but festive Italian culture.

Strade Bianche Boulder will start and finish at Cure Organic Farm. The 50-mile route will serve up the best gravel roads in Boulder County, and will include sag and mechanical support.

The Tuscan menu will be a highlight of the day! Riders will enjoy everything from coffee and pastries at the start, to Ribollita soup, Crostini, Salame and Formaggio, homemade cakes with Nutella at the rest stops, and finally Lasagna, Tiramisu, and wine from the Chianti region for lunch following the ride.

All types of bicycles are welcome: vintage, gravel, cyclocross, road, and mountain bikes. Inspired by Italian camaraderie, Strade Bianche Boulder is not a race, but rather an opportunity for local cyclists to come together and enjoy the day. The ride will be limited to the first 100 registrants.

The RED ROCKS EXTREME Challenge is an epic One Day Charity Bike Tour through the beautiful Front Range of Colorado including Red Rocks Park and Dinosaur Ridge to support the War On ALS. $ different routes including the “BEAST” 130 miles with 13,000 feet of climbing.Complete SAG Support available including luggage transfer, medical, mechanical and Aid Stations. Jersey is included as part of your registration.

Save the date for October 7th for this year’s Bicycle Colorado Summit! Organizers are hosting back in Denver after an exciting 2018 event in Steamboat. The Summit with bring in influential cycling speakers and focus on key issues facing our community.