USA Pro Cycling Stage 2: 2 killer climbs in 1 day; who will prevail?
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- Created on Wednesday, 24 August 2011 04:52
- Written by Dena Rosenberry
Two monster climbs highlight Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Wednesday.
While these aren't the steepest roads these cyclists have ever raced, they're the highest ever in competition.
In fact, aside from flying in an airplane, this stage's two passes - Cottonwood and Independence - will be the highest many riders have ever been in their lives, let along on a bike and in an international competition.
Stage 2 takes the riders from Gunnison to Aspen. They'll leave Gunnison at about 10 a.m. and the winner is expected in Aspen as early as 3:20 p.m.
The cyclists will ride through Gunnison National Forest, then climb 2,740 feet over 13.7 miles of mostly dirt road to the highest point in the race: Cottonwood Pass (12,126 feet). Riders will vie climbing points and the King of the Mountain jersey here.
After a descent and spin through charming Buena Vista, the riders will head north along the Arkansas to Highway 82 and then head west past Twin Lakes and over stunning Independence Pass (12.095 feet).
The climb features a 6.5-percent grade and many hairpin turns with hellacious drop offs. This is another King of the Mountain section. The descent into downtown Aspen is hairy - and beautiful.
In addition to featuring two passes topping 12,000 feet, the Queen Stage will be the longest stage - 131 miles - in the weelong race.
If you can't make to cheer cyclists on along the route, you can return to gazette.com or outtherecolorado.com for updates, video and photos (like the Stage 1 sprint photo, above, by The Gazette's Christian Murdock) or watch the race on Versus at 2 p.m. or watch live streaming via Radio Shack's Shack Tracker.
Riders noted as strong climbers (they just might be the guys to watch Wednesday):
Jeff Louder, Salt Lake City, UT (BMC Racing Team)
Alexander and Vladimir Efimkin, Russia (Team Type 1 – sanofi-aventis)
Frank and Andy Schleck, Luxembourg (Leopard-Trek)
Robert Gesink, Netherlands (Rabobank)
Philip Deignan, Ireland (Team RadioShack)
Brice Feillu, France (Leopard Trek)
Ryder Hesjedal, Canada (Garmin-Cervelo)
Tom Danielson, Boulder, Colo. (Garmin-Cervelo)
Peter Stetina, Boulder, Colo. (Garmin-Cervelo)
Jon Patrick McCarty, (Team SpiderTech Powered by C10)
Andreas Diaz, Colombia (Team Exergy)
Sergio Luis Henao, Columbia (Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia)
Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle, Columbia (Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia)
Daniel Navarro, Spain (Saxo Bank Sungard)
Jesus Hernandez, Spain (Sax Bank Sungard)
Davide Frattini, Italy (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
Christopher Jones, (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
Rubens Bertogliati, Sweden (Team Type 1 – sanofi-aventis)
Ivan Basso, Italy (Liquigas-Cannondale)
Juan Pablo Suarez, Columbia (EPM-UNE)
Freddy Orlando Piamonte, Columbia (EPM-UNE)
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