KWalker wrote:I'm still waiting to hear why they avoid the most challenging summit finishes and mountain passes in the USAPCC or Tour of Utah. Everyone locally that lives in either location that I know is as well. Instead, we get criterium stages.
HUMP DIESEL wrote:Do those finishes you are writing about KWalker finish near a town? Money is the main deal with where most any stage finishes.
HUMP
Interesting topic to me. I've also heard comments about USAPCC not being "challenging". Yet, riders seemed to be dropping like flies. Dombrowski quits because of nosebleeds. Froome finally abandons after the first lap in Denver. Yet KWalker has a point, and Hump's answer is probably spot on for USAPCC at least. There are no towns or even buildings at the most challenging summits in CO, so the concern is to get spectators. Stage 6 was the first time such a race had ever come to northern CO, and the organizing committee had many local riders giving input, but they had to put as many towns on the route as feasible, for the money factor. Loveland - Windsor - Loveland - Estes Park - Fort Collins is how it worked out. 115 miles and 11,855' climbing perhaps not challenging enough I guess, and it was amusing to locals how commentators Phil and Paul seemed dismissive of the five "rollers" at the end of the course, then were surprised when it shattered the peloton, when we all know them as ballbusters. But perhaps the overall success this year will inspire more interesting summits in the future. Stage 6 for example they closed the road along our reservoir where the later "rollers" were, the night before the race, and it's quite a long and strenuous hike or ride to get there, and yet thousands of people made the trek up from town to line the course (http://www.coloradoan.com/videonetwork/ ... nge-riders). Organizers may rethink the fan base next time in designing the courses.