New route will feature popular local rides

Much like its musical counterpart Velorama, the Colorado Classic has shaken things up for its second ride.

The pro bike race born last year announced on Wednesday details of a four-stage lineup that will unfold Aug.16-19.

The Vail-to-downtown-Denver race has added a stage that local cyclists will recognize when two of the Front Range’s most popular rides are combined. The tour will begin with men’s and women’s circuit races in Vail on Aug. 16, followed the next day by time trials from Vail to Vail Pass. While the men are climbing Front Range mountains on Day 3, the women will have a race in downtown Denver. Both genders will conclude Sunday with downtown Denver circuit races.

New to this year’s Colorado Classic: The 100-mile men’s Stage 3 race on Aug. 18 will begin downtown, then take riders out 32nd Avenue to climb Lookout Mountain, followed by a descent on U.S. 40 and through Red Rocks Park to Morrison, a highly popular weekend ride for recreational riders.

The course will then take the pros up Colorado 74 to Evergreen and over to Upper Deer Creek, including the notorious High Grade road, which is another challenge many avid recreational cyclists enjoy tackling. Then the course heads back to Denver via Colorado 74, Red Rocks, Alameda Parkway and Union Boulevard in Lakewood to 32nd for the dash back downtown.

Last year, the race began in Colorado Springs and went to Breckenridge for Day 2 before weekend races in Denver.

Colorado Classic lineup

Over the four days, the men will cover more than 245 miles with 15,486 feet of climbing. The women will ride 80 miles, climbing 4,818 feet.

Aug. 16: Vail circuit races on an 8.8 mile course, men doing eight laps (4,390 feet of climbing) and women doing four (2,567 feet). Aug. 17: Vail time trial to Vail Pass, both genders riding 9.87 miles while climbing 1,574 feet. Aug. 18: Men ride 100 miles over Lookout Mountain and Upper Deer Creek (8,133 feet of climbing). The women will ride a criterium for 50 minutes plus five laps in RiNo. Aug. 19: Both genders ride a Denver circuit starting and finishing at the Velorama Festival in RiNo. The men will ride eight laps (71.2 miles) and the women will ride four laps.