Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

Cyclists pour it on as they head to the finish line in Breckenridge during Stage 5 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in August.  Dena Rosenberry, The Gazette

By John Henderson, The Denver Post

Shawn Hunter, CEO and co-chairman of the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge, says 27 cities have submitted bids to host stages in next August’s race.

Included are: Aspen, Avon, Beaver Creek, Boulder, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Crested Butte, Denver, Durango, Golden, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Lakewood, Montrose, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Salida, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Vail and Winter Park.

Race organizers likely will announce the stages during the third week of December.

Vail Valley Partnership is offering the sister trio towns of Vail, Avon and Beaver Creek with three options: a return to the historic Vail time trial, an Avon start or a Beaver Creek finish.

“We’d go up Bachelor Gulch, go down Strawberry Park and up Beaver Creek Road,” said Adam Lueck, operations manager for the Vail Valley Foundation. “It would be a spectacular finish.”

Pagosa Springs is trying to sell Wolf Creek Pass as a possible finish.

“As successful as the tour was there wasn’t a true mountaintop finish,” said Morgan Murri, chairman of Pagosa Springs’ local organizing committee. “With all the great ski areas and all the great resorts in the state there aren’t many with a mountain summit. We’ll have that. In addition the layout on top of the mountain is just phenomenal.”

Montrose is hoping the tour goes to southwest Colorado for the first time. Durango is competing with Grand Junction for the overall start.

“Being a central location in southwest Colorado, we just feel it’s an ideal location for any of the stages,” said Jenni Sopsic, executive director of the Montrose Association of Commerce and Tourism. “It’s quite a ride coming over Red Mountain Pass and Coal Bank and Molan Pass as part of the San Juan Skyway. You could potentially have a race into Montrose.”