Colorado Classic (cycling)

The Colorado Classic is a four-stage cycling race that was first held in 2017.[1] First organized with both men's and women's races, the men's race was discontinued after the 2018 edition; the Classic continues as a women-only event.[2] The men's version of the race was designated as 2.HC and was part of the UCI America Tour.[3][4] In 2017, the race was 313 miles (504 km) long and was held in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver.[5] In 2018, the first two stages were in Vail (August 16–17) and the last two were in Denver (August 18–19).[6] The Denver stages were accompanied by a music and cycling fan fest extravaganza called Velorama.[7]

Colorado Classic

Race details
Date	August
Region	Colorado
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI America Tour (2017–2018) USA Cycling's Pro Road Tour (2019–)
Web site	www.coloradoclassic.com
History
First edition	2017
Editions	3 (as of 2019)
First winner	Manuel Senni (ITA) (men)  Sara Poidevin (CAN) (women)
Most recent	Gavin Mannion (USA) (men)  Chloé Dygert Owen (USA) (women)

In December 2018, the organizers announced that the Classic would become a women-only race from 2019 forward. As part of the change, the women's purse was increased from $20,000 in 2018 to $75,000 for 2019—which was $5,000 more than the purse for the final men's Classic in 2018. The Classic became the only standalone women's stage race in the Western Hemisphere included in the official UCI calendar; the 2019 edition was the first to be part of USA Cycling's Pro Road Tour [2] and is classified as a 2.1 race by the UCI.[8] The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

Winners - Men

Year	Country	Rider	Team
2017	Italy	Manuel Senni	BMC Racing Team
2018	United States	Gavin Mannion	UnitedHealthcare

Winners - Women

Year	Country	Rider	Team
2017	Canada	Sara Poidevin	Rally Cycling
2018	United States	Katie Hall	UnitedHealthcare
2019	United States	Chloé Dygert Owen	Sho-Air Twenty20

See also

• Coors Classic, Colorado cycling race held in 1980–1988
• USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Colorado cycling race held in 2011–2015

References

1. "Lance Armstrong returns to pro cycling at Colorado Classic, this time with a mic, not a bike". 2 August 2017.
2. Meyer, John (December 12, 2018). "Colorado Classic is now a women-only pro cycling race". The Know Outdoors. The Denver Post. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
3. "The Colorado Classic will bring international, national and local cyclists to the RiNo Art District to celebrate cycling - Denverite". 1 August 2017.
4. "Colorado Classic UCI stage race announced as part of 'Velorama' - Cyclingnews.com".
5. "Colorado Classic announces route for 2017 cycling race".
6. "Colorado Classic reboots with a time-trial climb up the 10,662-foot Vail Pass". The Denver Post. 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
7. "Velorama Colorado | Music Festival & Bike Race | August 11–13, 2017". www.veloramacolorado.com. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
8. https://www.uci.org/road/calendar
9. https://www.coloradoclassic.com/2020-race

External links

• Official site