Hundreds of Front Range cyclists pit themselves against Lookout Mountain above Golden every weekend, and this Saturday, pro riders will have a go on its grinding climbs and steep switchbacks on Day 3 of the Colorado Classic.
The four-day event starts Thursday in Vail and concludes Sunday in Denver. The men will race 245 miles and the women 106 miles. Races will be televised locally, streamed online and shown around the world on Eurosport.
The Lookout ascent is part of a 100-mile men’s stage that starts and finishes in Denver’s RiNo district with more than 8,100 feet of climbing. After Lookout, the course proceeds to Red Rocks Park, Evergreen, Conifer and Kittredge. It takes a second pass through Red Rocks, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge back to RiNo. The women will be racing a timed criterium in RiNo that day
The Lookout Mountain climb was part of the old USA Pro Challenge, which incorporated it three of the five years it operated (2011-15). If those years are any indication, there will be thousands of spectators in Golden, at the switchbacks above Windy Saddle and at the top of the climb just below Buffalo Bill’s Grave at 7,300 feet. The cheers at the top will be deafening and spectators will crowd onto the two-lane road leaving a narrow corridor for riders to pass through in a scene reminiscent of alpine ascents of the Tour de France. Most of them will have ridden up the mountain themselves to get in position hours in advance.
Looking to catch the race this weekend? Here’s a rundown of what you need to know:
Route:
Thursday: Circuit races in Vail for the men (64.1 miles with 4,390 feet of climbing) and the women (35.2 miles, 2,567 feet), with the women beginning at 10 a.m. and the men going at 12:15 p.m. Where to watch: The start is at Mountain Plaza, near the terminal of Gondola 1 at Vail Village. This will be a great place to watch because in addition to putting you at the start line, you’ll see racers come through there multiple times (eight for the men, four for the women), and they have to climb up a steep dirt road there each lap. The finish line at the Vail Athletic Fields will be good, too.
Friday: Vail Pass time trial (9.9 miles, 1,574-foot ascent), women at 10 a.m., men at 12:30 p.m. Course starts in Vail’s Mountain Plaza, heads to East Vail and then halfway up to Vail Pass. Where to watch: Find a place on the climb between East Vail and the finish. You might also consider parking at Vail Pass and biking down to the finish (about 4.6 miles).
Saturday: The men ride 100 miles starting at 10:30 a.m., beginning in RiNo and heading for the hills. They will climb Lookout Mountain, descend to Red Rocks Park and climb Bear Creek to Evergreen. They will then head to Conifer and climb to High Grade Road, descending Deer Creek and Turkey Creek to Indian Hills and on to Kittredge. They’ll hit Red Rocks Park again, climb Dinosaur Ridge and swing along the south side of Green Mountain before heading to 32nd Avenue for a brisk descent back to RiNo. Where to watch: In Golden near the Coors brewery, 19th Street where it crosses U.S. 6, Lariat Loop Road on Lookout Mountain above Windy Saddle (four steep switchbacks there for those biking up), the top of the Lookout Mountain climb just before the road swings to the south before Buffalo Bill’s Grave, Red Rocks Park (riders enter at Entrance 2 and exit at Entrance 3), Cragmont Drive between Evergreen and Conifer on county highway 73 (the high point on the course at 7,700 feet), Dinosaur Ridge (the hogback east of Red Rocks), Union Blvd. between Alameda Parkway and Sixth Ave.
The women will race a timed criterium around the Velorama festival in RiNo, racing 50 minutes plus five laps (approximately 26 miles) beginning at 12:30 p.m. Where to watch: Anywhere in or around the festival as the riders do laps around it.
Sunday (Aug. 19): Circuit races unfold in RiNo, downtown Denver and City Park with the women (34.8 miles) beginning at 10 a.m. and the men (71.2 miles) going at 12:15 p.m. Where to watch: City Park, 17th Ave. between City Park and downtown, along Blake Street near the finish.
Video coverage:
There will be numerous options. For the men’s races, there will be two hours of live coverage every day online, on Altitude TV (1-3 p.m. each day), and via the Colorado Classic Tour Tracker app. Telecasts will include recaps and highlights of the women’s races. Altitude will replay its coverage nightly. Replays, highlights and recaps will be available on demand online. Races also will be shown on Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
Velorama Festival:
The festival takes place Friday through Sunday in RiNo on the Lot B parking lot used for Rockies games, northwest of Blake Street between 28th and 33rd streets. The official fan fest will include music, bike events, the start and finish of weekend races, an interactive bike expo, craft brews and 25 food trucks. Admission is $55 Friday and Saturday, $10 on Sunday. Fourteen bands will play, including Modest Mouse, The Growlers, Cold War Kids, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Matt and Kim. Get tickets and band lineups here.
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