Tour of the Moon, take 2
| August 12, 2009 | 4:40 PM
More journal entries from Hank Schultz »
Colorado’s foremost cycling resident, Lance Armstrong, has been talking with its second-most prestigious cycling enthusiast, Gov. Bill Ritter, about bringing cycling stage racing back to Colorado.
As many longtime residents will remember, Colorado was the scene of the Red Zinger Classic (later the Coors Classic), the first big, professional stage race in the U.S. Many local and international legends in the sport raced the Coors over the years, including Davis Phinney, Ron Kiefel, Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault.
Colorado’s climbs and views afforded a stunning backdrop for the race, and provided climbs that approached the difficulty of the epic stages in the Tour de France. Occasional grumbling occurred among visiting European pros about the altitude. Almost all of the racing in Europe — even the famous climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees — is below 8,000 feet above sea level.
One of the courses raced during the Coors Classic was the so-called Tour of the Moon, a climb up and through the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction. The catchy name, difficult climb and stunning scenery earned the stage an international reputation. The course was also famous for its role in the Kevin Costner movie American Flyers. (Don’t rush to find the DVD, though — it’s a true dud.)
Coors backed out of the race in 1988, and the event expired when no new sponsor could be found. A new race would be extremely expensive to put on, but with heavy hitters such as Ritter and Armstrong on board, this proposal might have a chance at success.
colorado national monument, coors classic, cycling, gov. bill ritter, grand junction, greg lemond, lance armstrong, red zinger, tour de france, tour of the moon
