It was a windy day in OZ, but that didn’t stop over 400 racers from making their way to the Front Range Airport. Going into this season the OZ Road Race received a lot of hype; finally Colorado had a long road race that was a loop course. On Saturday, May 7th, the hype did not disappoint as racers battled the spring weather, the rolling terrain, and the mileage at the longest race on the 2016 calendar. In the professional fields Danny Summerhill emerged victorious, with Gwen Inglis taking the women’s crown. We hope to see this event return for many years to come! 303 caught up with Race Director Lance Panigutti of WOL to get his take on the day.
Picture of the peloton and oil derrick by Reid Neureiter
Lance Panigutti – Without Limits Productions: We might not have been in Kansas, but it’s a good thing we weren’t in the Front Range on Saturday. The racers did a great job bundling up to battle the winds, but I think we’re all thankful we did get hit with the torrential rains and hail that was pounding the foothills of Golden up to Ft. Collins.
Overall the event was really well received we can’t thank the racers and volunteers enough for coming out en masse. It goes without saying that we had to jump through some unique permitting hoops with the state, county, and airport, but post event they we’re all pleased with how things flowed out there. The Airport embraced the event so much that they’re agreed to open up the east side of their venue, an area that will have a much better parking and finish line set up for the racers. We’re already looking forward to 2017, but 2016 still has plenty of excitement to come with Superior Morgul and Boulder Stage Race!
Click here for OZ Road Race Results.
More OZ Road Race Photos from Reid Neureiter.
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