Boulder’s Taylor Phinney, pictured wearing the king of the mountain polka dot jersey during the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3
The first Colorado Classic will host cycling’s top 96 men and 75 women in professional bike racing’s return to Colorado.
Second-place Tour de France finisher Rigoberto Uran and his Cannonade-Drapac teammate, Colorado’s Taylor Phinney — fresh off a Tour de France debut that saw him donning the King of the Mountain polka dot jersey after Stage 2 — will be among the top names in the four-day race in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver.
“This is an exciting, new approach to bike racing in the U.S,” Phinney, the Boulder scion of Colorado cycling royalty who won the opening stage of the defunct USA Pro Challenge in Steamboat Springs in 2015, said in a news release. “I can’t wait to once again be a part of pro racing in my home state.”
Contenders for the overall title include Phinney, BMCRacing’s Brent Bookwalter — the American who propelled BMC teammate Rohan Dennis to Pro Challenge victory in 2015 — Rally Cycling’s Evan Huffman, Trek-Segafredo’s Gregory Daniel and Colombians Uran and UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling’s Janier Acevedo and Daniel Jaramillo.
The field of 16 men’s and 13 women’s teams includes athletes from 23 countries. The Colorado Classic will host cyclists at the top of the sport, with stage and overall winners from the Tour de France, Tour of Italy, Pro Challenge, Tour of Albertaand the Tour of California.
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