The RiNo Art District will serve as the stage this August for “Velorama Colorado,” an entertainment experience that will be part bike race and celebration of bicycle culture, part music festival, part craft-goods marketplace, and entirely entertaining, RPM Events Group announced today.
Hall-of-famer Bill Walton at the Velorama Colorado announcement Wednesday March 1, 2017. (Evan Semón Photography)
“With Velorama Colorado, we are re-imagining bike racing as the centerpiece of a large-scale community event,” said David Koff, CEO of RPM Events Group. “By locating the festival in the RiNo Art District and adding the right musical acts, a massive marketplace, criterium racing, ranging from the serious to the whimsical to the charitable, and local food and drink, we will broaden the appeal of an already wildly popular sport.”From Aug. 11-13, Velorama Colorado will feature some of the world’s bests cyclists racing in the Denver stages of the Colorado Classic; national music acts including Wilco and Death Cab for Cutie; and hundreds of vendors in a festival marketplace that includes a Bike Expo and is anchored by Denver Flea and the independent craft makers of beer, cider and wine in the RiNo Art District.
The innovative blend of bicycling, music and all-things-Colorado immediately attracted the attention of basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton, an avid cyclist and music lover. “Denver and Colorado are innovators, whether it’s celebrating what makes this place special, launching a new technology or re-inventing a bike race. I expect nothing but the same from Velorama Colorado,” said Walton, who flew in for the announcement.
“Coloradans’ love of cycling is matched — and maybe even exceeded — by their passion for great food, beer and music,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper. “Velorama Colorado is the kind of creative approach that Colorado is known for in that it creates a winning combination of those passions that will benefit our state and communities for years to come.”
The Colorado Classic will be held Aug. 10-13, with starts and finishes in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver. Sanctioned by Union Cycliste Internationale and USA Cycling, the Colorado Classic will feature the sport’s top squads.
Free live music and other festivities are planned for the exciting men’s and women’s start-and-finish areas in Colorado Springs and Breckenridge on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, respectively.
The ticketed Velorama Colorado festival is planned around the race’s Denver start-and-finish area, and will be headquartered in the RiNo Art District:
Friday night, Aug. 11: Women’s criterium; music headliner Wilco; and festival marketplace.
Saturday, Aug.12: Stage 3 men’s race (RiNo start/finish and Peak to Peak Hwy out-and-back); music headliner Death Cab for Cutie; and festival marketplace.
Sunday Aug. 13: Stage 4 of men’s race (RiNo criterium and city circuit) and closing ceremonies; Family Music and Fun Day; and festival marketplace.
The marketplace includes a Bike Expo of nearly 150 exhibitors, festival merchandise; food from local merchants; areas for beer, wine and cider provided by the independent craft producers located in RiNo; and an expanded version of the Denver Flea with nearly 200 craft vendors.
“Teaming up with Velorama Colorado is a special opportunity for Denver Flea. Our missions couldn’t be more aligned, as both of us are committed to enlivening places and building community while having fun doing it,” said Denver Flea’s Blake Adams. “I’m excited to combine a major bike race and amazing musicians with the region’s finest artisan and emerging brands.”
A limited number of early-bird daily Velorama Colorado tickets go on sale at www.VeloramaColorado.com for $25 each beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 3. Once those tickets are gone, advanced daily tickets will be offered online for $35 each. Walk-up prices will be $45 per day. VIP packages are also available.
“Whether it’s a general admission ticket or a VIP experience, a day at Velorama will be a great experience at a great price,” said Koff. “For less than the price of a concert ticket, you get a full day of music, food, beer, crafts and bike-centric fun — plus great views of the Colorado Classic.”
Moreover, a portion of ticket sales will be donated to Bicycle Colorado, the RiNo Art District and other initiatives as part of RPM Event Group’s mission to invest back in the community.
Velorama Colorado is bringing a new financial approach to pro bike racing in the United States.
“One of the challenges has been creating a business plan that is profitable and sustainable over the long run,” said Koff. “By imagining an event that is more than a bike race and bringing a ‘gate’ to the sport, we are confident that we can build an annual event that is anchored in Colorado and gives back to the community in meaningful ways.”
That approach was highlighted by Lindsey Hendershot, with the RiNo Art District: “This is the first major event of this scale to be held in RiNo. We love the mission to reinvent bike racing by bringing in additional creative partners from the neighborhood and to give back to the community,” she said.
About RPM Events Group: The Colorado Classic and Velorama Colorado are being produced by RPM Events Group, which includes civic-minded investors with a vision of re-inventing cycling events that are sustainable and fun, while providing a long-term positive social and economic impact to citizens and communities.
RPM Events Group announced today that professional bicycle racing will return to the Centennial State as the inaugural Colorado Classic rolls through Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver for four exciting and entertaining days this summer.
From Aug. 10-13, a world-class and international field of professional, men cyclists will race more than 300 miles in multiple, fan-friendly circuits, combining the exciting elements of each day’s start and finish into the same location. The Colorado Classic will also feature two days of professional women’s cycling, beginning in Colorado Springs on Aug. 10 and concluding the following night with a women’s-only event under the lights in Denver.
“From the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic, to the Coors Classic and on to the USA Pro Challenge, professional bike racing has become a part of our identity in Colorado. I can’t wait to once again show off this wonderful state to the world during the Colorado Classic,” said Ken Gart, Chairman of RPM Events Group, the organization formed to put on the race. “The Colorado Classic is being developed to appeal not just to cycling fans, but a wide array of Coloradans and visitors to the state.”
The schedule for the four-day stage race:
Aug. 10 — Stage One: Colorado Springs (men and women)
Aug. 11 — Stage Two: Breckenridge (men)
Aug. 11 — Denver circuit race (women)
Aug. 12 — Stage Three: Denver, start and finish RiNo Art District (men)
Aug. 13 — Stage Four: Denver, start and finish RiNo Art District (men) and closing festivities
“I raced in Colorado in 1977 for the first time in the race known as the Red Zinger which grew into one of the biggest bike races in the world. Now 40 years later, I’m excited to see Colorado once again leading the way forward for men’s and women’s pro racing,” said Connie Carpenter Phinney of Boulder, who won the first-ever gold medal in a women’s Olympic road race.
Each day of the Colorado Classic will showcase an interactive start/finish area; and the daily routes will combine downtown circuits of each city with the beauty of Colorado’s legendary terrain and landmarks.
The inaugural Colorado Classic, designated a 2.HC race by Union Cycliste Internationale (Aigle, Switzerland), will host 18 world-class, domestic and international teams, comprised of 6-riders each. The women’s field expects some of the top professional cyclists in the U.S.
“Coloradans love pro bike racing,” said Derek Bouchard-Hall, President & CEO of USA Cycling, “and we’re extremely pleased that the Colorado Classic will continue the state’s proud tradition with both men’s and women’s events.”
The Denver portions of the race will feature a companion festival of national music acts, a marketplace and much more. Details on those plans will be released in the coming weeks.
“We’re very excited to see professional cycling return to Denver and Colorado, and proud that our great city will play host to a lively and fun-filled event,” Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “Previous major races have been great showcases for the city and state, and we have no doubt the Colorado Classic will build upon that history, delivering an epic event for everyone.”
Said David Koff, CEO of RPM Events Group: “This really is a broad-based community event. The Colorado Classic wouldn’t be happening this year without the phenomenal work and support of Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and our community partners in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver.”
For seven days, hundreds of the world’s best cyclists roll through Colorado for the USA Pro Challenge. This year’s route, starting in Aspen and finishing in Denver, featured over 500 miles of riding, a high-altitude time trial in Vail, throngs of cheering fans as the riders raced through Boulder, Golden, and Denver, and 2013 winner and hometown favorite Tejay van Garderen finishing on the 1st place podium yet again.
OnSight had the opportunity to travel with the race for the full tour. Here are some behind-the-scenes shots from America’s Race!
Jens Voigt’s final race was both inspiring and tough for his biggest fans, including Ben. He spent the week turning Jen’s trademark phrase “Shut Up Legs” into “Shut Up Retirement”.
Every year the antlers get larger… first deer, then elk, now moose. That’s one heavy piece of head gear.
The finish in Colorado Springs was fantastic.
Finish line in Denver was well attended, with over 200,000 spectators downtown.
Since several of OnSight’s staff live in Golden, watching the pro’s climb Lookout Mtn (our local hill) was both exciting and humbling.
Overall, race week is a great reminder that we are truly blessed to live in such an amazing place. Cheers Colorado
OnSight’s Ben Davis participated in live-blogging of the Lance Armstrong confession last night.
One of the most-recognized names in sports has been much in the news the last week, as word of Lance Armstrong’s confession to ongoing use of performance enhancing drugs during an exclusive Oprah interview was publicized.
Part I of the two-part interview aired last night, and OnSight’s Ben Davis took part in a live-blog conversation on VeloNews, of the nation’s premier cycling news magazines, to give a Public Relations perspective to Lance’s performance.
Reactions to last night’s revelations were fairly tepid; will Part II tonight begin the long process of repairing the damage to Lance’s name, storied history, philanthropy, and the legitimacy of professional cycling at large?
With the USA Pro Cycling Challenge time trial on Sunday in Denver, the nation’s premier professional cycling event came to a close. Event organizers, local officials, and fans alike had rave reviews for the race.
The second go-round for the USA Pro Challenge is officially over, and what a treat it was to have had the world-class cycling event in our backyard for a second time.
Enthusiasm for the event was most evident in the number of spectators who lined the route up Flagstaff Mountain on Saturday. Some in the sport believe the stage that started in Golden and ended in Boulder drew the largest crowd for a single day of pro cycling in U.S. history (official estimates won’t be available for several weeks)…
[Sunday’s time trial] capped a week of great racing that brought spectators to a dozen towns — and to spots alongside the roads that link them — across the state.
You’ve got be be among the best athletes in the world to overcome the mountain terrain throughout Colorado’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and Team Type 1 fits the bill.
But as if racing across the Rockies by itself isn’t challenging enough, Team Type 1 racers manage to balance not just the race, but also their own diabetes, and doing their part to educate people with diabetes about living – in fact, thriving – with the disease.
Team Type 1 was organized by two competitive, diabetic riders and now competes all over the world, working with the community as they go.
OnSight has been working with local media to draw attention to TT1 as the riders trained in Boulder, and has been working with a local youth diabetes group in advance of the Pro Cycling Challenge.
