2007 Tour of Colorado
Brought to you by guest blogger, Dave Billard.
Friday, June 22: Day 1
7AM: Dave and Sue pick me up to go to the airport. Kate has just returned from Project Graduation and we hug in passing.
No incident getting to the airport. John had an earlier departure, but was delayed and actually arrived in Denver just after us.
Cool airport! Problems with the rental company-no van. It took awhile, but Mike’s keen skills got us a van and a one day discount.
Now for the packing of the van. It was never in doubt. Pictures were taken to document it.
Off to Steve Sahaj’s after a few directional changes. A better welcome and better food are rare. Steve, his wife Linda and two young children are doing great and living in a great house in Boulder, Colorado. After some good conversation and a few Belgian ales, it was time to hit the road.
Next stop was the home of Fred and Kathleen Carrico (Mike’s brother- and sister-in-laws). They have a beautiful place with a great view of the valley below. Again, we were welcome with open arms; a great meal, beer and fine wines greeted us. Fred and Kathleen are great hosts and have a very active social life with many friends and relatives visiting.
We can already feel the altitude-dry mouth, headaches, etc. at 9,000 feet.
Saturday, June 23: Day 2
We woke up to a great breakfast, cooked by one of the other guests. I think it was Howard. Fred and two friends then went off to play golf at his local country club. Kathleen took us out for our maiden bike ride at altitude. We rode down the hill from their house and out onto the highway and then quickly crossed over and onto a side road. After a mile flat we eased into a hill about the difficulty of the climb from the Watchung circle to where we turn off Sterling road to relax. We were all hyperventilating and coming to a reality check. The rest of the ride was a learning experience in how to pace ourselves. The fifteen mile road was quite enough to start with.
Of course we had to reassemble the bikes for the training ride and left the bike boxes in the garage. Because John couldn’t fit his moustache handlebars assembled into his case, he had a messed up brake cable and had to ride with only the front brake on the training ride. John and Dave N. went down and picked up some new cables then we took our leave and headed over to Steamboat Springs with Christine, Mike’s niece, as our pilot. We were very fortunate to have her along and she was great fun.
We went to register and saw all kinds of people and bikes on a very hot afternoon. From there we went to check in at the Trapper’s Resort, a very nice four bedroom condo. Only two problems-six bodies and four beds. They brought a fold-out bed. Mike slept in the ball and Dave B. on the couch.
We dropped off Mike to get groceries and went to a local bike ship to get extras. Dave N. found several copies of his book and autographed them. Christine, who will be teaching fourth grade this year, promptly bought them.
We then went back to the place and after a brew or two Mike made us a great spaghetti, salad and baked chicken dinner. Dave N. repaired John’s brake. Then we were off to bed still getting used to the altitude and perhaps a little anxious.
Sunday June 24: Day 3
We begin the day by getting up a bit slow and packing everything back into the van. The consensus was a coffee and bagel start, but we messed up the timing and didn’t start until 9AM, possibly being the last ones on the ride to leave.
Mike begins the gradual flat to the first climb at around 20 mph. Whoa, big fella. We regroup for a bit before breaking up on the climb with John setting his own pace and the other four forging ahead. The main climb began after 7 miles with between a 6 and 8% grade followed by a steady 7% on the upper section. Tough climb! We started into the climb fast, actually too fast and Dave N. was quoted as saying “this isn’t so bad” around the midpoint. The total climb was around 3000 vertical feet over seven miles and we soon learned that the air gets thinner as you climb. With the increasing altitude it becomes all about pace and keeping within yourself. Mike and I went a bit ahead and tried to keep this a 1.5 hr climb at about 5 _ -61/2 percent.
John was riding his pace and when we crested the climb Dave N. was a bit behind and Eric had stopped to address a blood sugar issue. The first aid stop was at the top of the climb and there was almost no food left when we got there and were told it was closing up. We were worried that John would be left with no support. Christine had gone on before us to the next stop and Mike called her to come back and check on him. It was smokin’ hot out! John was ok as it turned out and made all the stops. Excellent ride!
Our ride from the first peak was made more interesting by Eric being worried by the police escort being in the traffic lane. The way back for us was not too bad overall except for the heat. Start early from now on, we said. We maintained a fast paceline through the arid area.
Christine was waiting for us in Walden with the camping gear. We set up the tents. Everyone had their own except Dave B. who shared one with Eric. I don’t think the camping thing worked out for everyone. Dogs barking and coyotes howling weren’t for everyone.
The five cowboy steaks with fixins were great and the “fried pickles” were a great success. After dinner we roamed town for dessert. The ice cream place needed our help to load 30 lb bags of ice cream mix. Mike purchased a small stuffed moose (Walden, Colorado has the greatest number of moose sightings) and promptly attached it to the handlebars of his Aegis. A helmet for the mini-moose was crafted from a beer bottlecap.
Monday, June 25: Day 4
Riding out of Walden around 7:45 was a much better start to the day. We were all packed up and ready to go and Christine was there early with the van to move our things back to winter park and we were on our way. We started out of Walden in a paceline with a pretty good cross wind and after the first ten miles, John dropped off. Soon after that we met up with two really strong girls and one other guy. The cross wind was perfect to set up a two or three across echelon and we played with that to the first rest stop.
Willow Creek pass wasn’t too bad and we pretty much stayed together until the last half. Mike and Dave B. kept going at the top thinking Dave N. and Eric would catch right up, but didn’t get back together until the second rest stop. A gradual climb and a windy descent took us to Route 40. Then one more stiff climb to the last aid station on a hot afternoon, followed by the last leg to Winter Park. As always, the last climb to the condo is the worst. John came in a bit later in very good shape and shared in the complaining about the climb.
Once again, our hosts outdid themselves and after a great dinner and a few glasses, we retired. Four other riders stayed there that night as well-Kathleen’s friend Susan, her daughter Danielle, Ken and Paul.
Tuesday, June 26: Day 5
We didn’t quite finish yesterday’s route so after packing, we rode an additional six miles to the start ot the day’s 76 mile ride. John started out at 5:30 to get a good jump on the ride. The rest of us started out around 7:00 and headed off to Winter Park Resort and Berthoud Pass. The climb was around 3000 feet in about 12 miles at 5 - 6% grade overall. A tough climb, but we stayed together and fueled up at the top.
A great downhill followed as Dave N. and Eric took off at 52 mph with Mike going at a moderate pace and Dave B. stopping for pictures on this 18 mile downhill. We regrouped toward the bottom and started out toward Loveland pass on a very rough stretch of road. After going through scenic Georgetown with it’s steam railroad, we started the ascent. We caught John just before the aid station at mile 36. We stopped in to refuel and John stayed to have a wheel trued.
We left the aid station and for a short while stayed on a main highway to the base of the final ascent. Dave N. and Eric started out a bit quick then fell back while Dave B. and Mike kept going up to the Loveland pass summit at 12,000 feet. As soon as we got there Mike who had been telling us about imminent storms said to hurry because a thunderstorm was about to hit. We quickly took off down the mountain with the rain, wind and sleet chasing us. We managed to keep ahead of the worst of it, but took a terrible soaking. Eric and Dave N. got caught in the worst of it. By the time John got there, they weren’t letting anyone up the pass due to the bad weather.
Mike and Dave B. rode the last 30 miles through Breckenridge and over a small pass into Copper Mountain in intermittent soaking rain. After arrival we tried calling to see where everyone was. We got hold of Eric and Dave N. and found they were 30 miles out. They told us about the closing of the pass and John getting sagged around. In typical fashion we settled into a local Mexican restaurant for some beers and snacks. We saw Ken, Susan, Danielle and Paul there. Kathleen came in a bit later with the van and they all sat down for dinner.
At around 5 PM Eric and Dave N. came in and then we really heard about the sag and I went out looking for information on John. He was sitting on the van when I rode by and it turns out the sag brought him back around the same time as us but he couldn’t use his calling card. In the future we’ll check at the help area as soon as we pull in.
From there we drove over to Leadville to the next condo where we’ll spend three nights. Out for a nice dinner at the restaurant where the menu is limited but the filet is excellent. Five 12 oz filet mignons and only Dave B. didn’t finish his.
Wednesday, June 27: Day 6 (Day off from the Tour)
Mike got up early and picked up Kathleen in Copper. They came back to Leadville and picked me up to take them over to Twin Lakes which is about 20 miles away so that they can ride Independence pass. It is interesting country and I take some pictures on the way back. The other guys are up when I get back and we all decide to ride back to pick up Mike and Kathleen in Aspen.
We left on time and stopped in Leadville to check out a few stores before heading out. The trip to Aspen started with a quick stop at Twin Lakes for a few postcards and the like. The road up to the pass was awesome with many photo opportunities. It was our day off and we took quite a few.12,600 ft. up the side we went with no guardrails which was a little unnerving. Quite steep and very dramatic drop offs. Eric had his camera out of the window to take a shot and I said “If it falls, it’s gone”. The top had a beautiful view and we stayed there for awhile getting some group shots. Then down the back side over to Aspen which was also beautiful. We stopped there for a bit and had lunch in a pub before heading back over the pass and back to Leadville. Mike took Kathleen back over to Copper where Fred was waiting to pick her up. When he got back we went out to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner.
Thursday, June 28: Day 7
Mike took this as a rest day and drove us over to Copper for the start. The day began on the bike paths on an uphill climb out of Copper and then continued on the back side of a windy, fun descent. You couldn’t lose concentration on this one with hard braking and switchbacks.
At the bottom, we cruised through Vail which is a pretty good sized ski area. We were all together at the start of Vail pass but separated on the climb. It wasn’t long but we had some pretty steep sections. The back side descent was great with fairly high speed cornering and a very nice bridge near the bottom.
We then rode through a long flat section and stopped to see Camp Hale where the 10th Mountain Division trained during WWII. Dave N. joined us there and we began the long climb together to Tennessee pass. It was only around 7 miles back to the condo and we flew back in.
Mike had spent much of the day working, but had also picked up and prepared an excellent meal of grilled chicken salad, baked potatos and tomatos. It was a great way to finish off a ride.
Friday, June 29: Day 8
We rode right out of the condo this morning. For the first time we are taking turns driving the van. We switch about every 15 miles.
The first part of the ride was pretty flat but of course it led to a pretty steep climb up to Fremont pass and the first aid station and first van switch. The next section was mostly downhill and we flew to the next change where Eric was waiting, Starbucks coffee in hand. At this stop Dave N. kidingly asked if anyone wanted a Bloody Mary and practically handed an open bottle of vodka to a State Trooper. He smiled and declined.
The ride then returned us to Copper and back on the bike paths. The first part was the reverse of what we’d done in the rain and was much more enjoyable than the first time. We cruised through this curvy section and rode down some very enjoyable switchbacks through Breckenridge along the paths. Then it was time for the next changeover and the beginning of a long windy, wide open and hot section of road. Dave B. drove this section watching the guys flying along in a paceline. At the second aid station John pulled in only 15 minutes behind the group. The ride to aid station three was hot and windy. It starts to wear you down. John took over the van after aid station three. Dave B. started out 30 minutes behind the group and hooked up with a fast paceline of tour volunteers.
At around 4 miles from the finish red jerseys were spotted off the road and we pulled over to check it out. Mike had gotten off the road and then crashed before he could get back on. Nasty cut on his arm and some shredding of shorts and hip. They let him finish with the promise he would get attention in Kremmling. Mike showered off and went to the aid station where they finished cleaning and bandaging him up. We then had a few road sodas on the way back to Winter Park where we showered quickly.
Dinner was at a local pizza place where we learned the local custom of saving the crust and eating it separately with honey. Fred and Christine joined us for dinner and we had another great evening.
Saturday, June 30th: Day 9 (Last Ride)
We got an early start this morning as we had to get back over to Kremmling for the start. Christine was up early and waiting for us and we got there at a decent hour of 7:20 in order to beat the heat later in the day. We formed a paceline almost from the start and Mike said there was about 20 riders with us until a few moderate climbs peeled them off. We regrouped at a turn and headed off toward the last major climb of the tour. Gore pass is only 9,527 feet, but it is a steady 5 – 61/2% for 11 miles and has a false top or two before reaching the summit.
Mike was riding well for having been beat up so thoroughly the day before and we crested first. Dave and Eric came in soon after. Mike wanted a head start on the downhill so he took off followed by Eric. Dave B. and Dave N. left at different times and regrouped down in the valley after a really nice series of downhill turns. We mostly worked as a group for the remainder of the ride with Eric often straining to hold back. He was in a go fast mood. There were some interesting rock formations on the way to the finish.
There were a few incidents on the road today. A kid threw an apple that whizzed right by us, a truck pulling a boat continuously on the horn all the way through the line of riders and one other honking idiot.
Dave N. had his best ride today and was really flying. Mike was riding in pain and doing very well for being so stiff. When we were nearing the end we were taking it easy when these annoying girls came up to pass us. On your left, on your left like we were stupid. Well you know what happened next. Mike goes to the front and blows by them keeping a 20+ mph paceline. Don’t be rude!!! We pulled into the finish area and saw Christine waiting. Excellent.
John came in about 45 minutes lateer with his fastest time on a hot, testing day. After a sub to tide us over, we were on our way back to Winter Park for the last night. Mike and John went shopping for supplies, wine, salad and steak for a nice thank you dinner for Fred and Christine. Kathleen is away on a bike seminar along with some other cancer survivors.
Sunday, July 1: Day 10
Last night while loading the van we ripped the seat. Ooops. We’ll worry about that later on after Avis sends us the tab. Successfully packed after much carpet cleaning for grease. We said goodbye and after a brief T-shirt and postcard stop we headed on our way. The only stop on the way to the airport was for a group photo on top of Berthoud pass. We made good time and got to the airport early and got a few beers and a good lunch.
