Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

USA Pro Cycling Stage 3: Cyclists ride town, then sprint uphill on famed Vail time trial course

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Created on Thursday, 25 August 2011 13:54

Written by Dena Rosenberry

It is far from a long course - only about 10 miles - but don't be fooled: This will be a tough day for cyclists at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Thursday's Time Trials in Vail follow a fabled course last used at the final Coors Classic stage race in 1988.

It's 10 miles - uphill. From about 8,400 feet to about 9,700 feet. The day after a 103-mile stage where riders crossed Cottonwood and Independence passes, each topping 12,000 feet.

Fresh legs for a tactical ride and then a sprint, uphill, at more than 9,000 feet? Hardly.

The course record is 26:33 set by Andy Hampsten in 1987.

Thousands are expected to line the course from west Vail through town and up the west side of Vail Pass. It has been 23 years since Coloradans turned out in droves to cheer on Davis Phinney, Alexi Grewal, Greg LeMond, and even Bernard Hinaut.

Say organizers: This is the "beast" reborn.

The National Weather Service predicts a high of about 75 degrees in Vail on Thursday with a 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms and a west, southwest wind of 5 to 10 mph.

The first rider starts at 1 p.m. and a rider will push out of the start at 1 minute intervals, just like in Colorado Springs' prologue. The final 10 cyclists will leave at 2-minute intervals.

Cyclists will tackle the course in reverse order of their standings. Yellow jersey holder Tejay Van Garderen will race last.

Here's a list of cyclists known for their success at time trials:
David Zabriskie, Los Angeles, CA (Team Garmin-Cervelo)
Christian Vande Velde, Lemont, IL (Team Garmin-Cervelo)
Levi Leipheimer, Santa Rosa, CA (Team RadioShack)
Jens Voigt, Germany (Leopard Trek)
Stef Clement, Netherlands (Rabobank)
Cadel Evans, Australia (BMC Racing)
Tejay Van Garderen, Bozeman, MT (HTC-Highroad)
Rory Sutherland, Australia (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
George Hincapie, Greenville, S.C. (BMC Racing Team)
Gustav Larsson, Sweden (Saxo Bank-Sungard)
Ben Jaques-Maynes, Watsonville, CA (Bissell Pro Cycling)
Chris Baldwin, Boulder, CO (Bissell Pro Cycling)
Dmitriy Muravyev, Kazakistan (Team RadioShack)
Jason McCartney, IA (Team RadioShack)
Hayden Roulston, New Zealand (HTC-Highroad)
Stefan Denifl, (Leopard Trek)
Jeremy Vennell, New Zealand (Bissell Pro Cycling)
Bernard Van Ulden, (Jelly Belly Cycling Team p/b KENDA)
Valeriy Kobzarenko, Ukraine (Team Type 1 – sanofi-aventis)

There's still time to catch the action - if you hurry.  Take a bike to get around or plan to park, walk and catch a shuttle along the course. To get to the top of the course, park on top of Vail Pass and bike or walk or bike from the bottom.

You can catch a shuttle from the start in West Vail to the start of the climb up Vail Pass.

The East Vail exit off I-70 will be closed.

See photos, videos and stories from each stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge at OutThereColorado.com.

Did you watch a stage?  Share your photos and stories at OutThereColorado.com.