Boulder Racing Cyclocross Series: Westminster.

A few quick updates from today's race.  Today felt like a black and white day for the most part, but I've thrown in a few color shots as well.  Looking at the course, I'm glad I opted out today - those stairs looked brutal, and everyone looked pretty thrashed at the finish line.  Most of what we've got here is the 35/3s and the Mens Open.

Love these two shots, made hanging out by the stairs worth it.

The descent right after both stair sections.  Guys were railing this section, felt like watching a 4x race.

After the descent right after the stairs, the course hit a long paved stretch for maybe 400 meters.  It dropped right into a grass section with a few high speed turns that way made for awesome shots.  With all the photo crews on site today, I was shocked not to see any at this corner.

A few more shots from the race.  Tomorrow I'll be hitting the races out in Golden (no racing tomorrow) and will post a full update of pics from today and tomorrow's race.

USA Procycling Challenge, Stage 6 (preview).

A little something from Stage 6 in Denver.  This was one of my favorites, taken right outside the Denver Diner - Oscar Sevilla, on one of the doomed breaks, tearing around the corner.  This shot captures it for me.

USA Procycling Challenge, Stage 5.

Stage 5 was a classic in so many ways.  An early break, and hard chase at the finish, and some unfortunate tactical flubs at the finish that doomed any chance the break had. 

I had to pick my spots for watching the race, and figured not better spot would be Swan Mountain.  About ten limes from the finish, Swan Mountain was the only real chance for anyone to put any time in on the competition.  The 'mountain' itself is a short climb - probably about 3 kilometers long - and a pretty light grade, so if anyone was going to make a break it would have to be pretty explosive.  Andy Schleck very nearly put on that show.

We weren't the only ones thinking that Swan Mountain was the place to be, and the party was in full swing when we got there in the morning.  Throughout the day, a pretty steady stream of riders came up the hill.  By noon, a full blown dance party was rocking the summit, so much so that even the cops were having a hard time getting their cars through.

1km from the finish.  The grades ratchets up a bit from here, but the climb is still pretty modest.  Tough to put time into anyone.

A bit of patriotism on show. 

The famous ducks of Swan Mountain.

I rode Swan Mountain in the rain about a month after the race.  The ride started out great, but turned cold and rainy fast.  Between me and Oktoberfest on that ride was Swan Mountain.  Making my way up it, I past any number of Jens Voigt quotes still painted on the road from Stage 5.  If anything is going to make my HTFU, this was it.

There was a lot to take issue with in terms of the race coverage in the early stages, but it did improve through the race.  One point I still have contention with is the coverage of the Break on Swan Mountain.  The break group itself - Andy Schleck, Laurent Ten Dam,Ivan Basso, and Tom Peterson.  We were positioned at the last corner before the summit, maybe 300 meters downhill.  If anyone from the break was going to make a move, it was going to be there.  As expected, Andy jumped right at the corner and managed to put a few seconds in on the rest of the break:

Watching the TV coverage, through, you wouldn't have known it.  The best part of the race, lost.

Ten Dam, Basso, and Peterson, trying to catch Andy's wheel.

The main chase group.

The fans stuck around for the rest of the peloton as it shattered after the climb up Swan Mountain.  The stragglers probably had more fan support that day from the race leaders.  Whether or not that support was appreciated....

One last shot.  Yet another Tigger sighting, this time with Winnie in tow.

USA Procycling Challenge, Stage 4.

Stage 5 this year started in Avon and wrapped up in Steamboat, taking the less traveled route along 131.  The route itself was pretty casual, given the stages in the previous stages in Vail and Aspen.  I only had a chance to pre-ride the run in to Steamboat and catch the finish in town, and didn't take nearly enough photos.

That said, I'm pretty happy with what I did shoot.  I had a chance to stay in the Brooklyn neighborhood just south of Howelsen Hill and was about a mile from the course itself.  Getting out on the course was worth the trip itself.  My legs were still pretty thrashed from riding the Stage 3 course and getting in some long miles the previous day, so the chance to get some nice rolling miles in and bring along the camera was a nice change.

Given the relatively mellow nature of the stage, it was no surprise that it ended in a bunch sprint.  I haven't seen an event like this in while - crowds 4 deep all long the last 2+ kilometers leading into the finish line.  We were well placed - maybe 300 meters to the finish line - right where Viviani broke past his lead out man.  I didn't get alot of shots of the sprint, but I'm pretty happy with the ones I did.  This one really captures the action of the sprint.

 One last shot of the Schlecks riding back to their hotel post-race.  I believe this was Andy's last day in the Most Aggressive jersey, but he definitely went all out for it the next day...

USA Procycling Challenge, Stage 2.

Finally, after a day of talking racing and drinking Coors (because on this day, what else would you drink?) the race was on.  These were only a handful of shots, taken at the final switchback about a kilometer before the summit.  Still they tell a story of a long day in the saddle and don't quite convey how bad the descent into Aspen must have been.  The descent back to Twin Lakes was miserably cold and rainy and none of us were in it to win it.

US ProCycling Challenge, Stage 2. Pre-Race.

So I didn't get a chance to follow the USA ProCycling Challenge day three, which was a bummer given the insane finish.  I did what I could to make up for it by spending all day on Independence Pass for Stage 3.  I didn't get to check out the dirt roads of Cottonwood Pass, but Independence Pass and I have a long history of both cycling (a long story) and high anxiety (also, long story).  The day started out early (some would argue, 'stupid early') with a ride up the east side of Independence Pass, followed by a good day of talking racing with fans, twenty minutes of racing, and another twenty minutes of high speed descent in cold, cold rain.  Good times...

 Allez Snoop!  I don't know, either.  Snoop?

 Tigger.  I have pics of Tigger at every stage.  Brilliant.

 The worlds best bluegrass band over 10,000 feet.  These guys camped out over night the previous night, and had a good time doing it.

 A little more bluegrass.

 Can't get anymore Colorado than this.

 The road up to the penultimate corner.

 Lots of Schleck fans out that day.  I passed some Luxembourgers (Luxembourgans?..) on my ride up, who shouted encouragement and shared coffee.

 The summit.

Allez Snoop!

The next update in my (belated) Tour of Colorado coverage.  I blame Selinsky, my director sportif and consigliere, for pushing all sorts of booze (1, 2) on my and delaying my updates.  Jazz themed beer = kryptonite.

Consider this shot a placeholder until I can put together a more comprehensive picture of the Gunnison:Aspen stage.  Needless to say, Independence Pass was nuts.  I'm not sure who Snoop was, but he had to have had a good day this day: