My best friend is one of those cyclists. It's a passion sometimes bordering on madness depending on your point of view. But for those who love the sport, the exhilaration of flying along at high speeds on unfathomably light high-tech frames that can cost thousands of dollars is a soul-enlivening experience they find a challenge to express in mere words.

I never had a real appreciation of the sport until said friend and I were dating a few years back. I've come to know that the riders who compete professionally are some of the most highly trained and gifted athletes in the world, and even though there are some who succumb to performance-enhancing "doping" to increase their edge, the majority simply have such physical mastery that you'd swear they aren't human! I'm now on a first name basis with the world's top cyclists and the events they ride in—way beyond Lance Armstrong and The Tour de France. As I type this, the first major race of the 2006 season, the Milan-San Remo (or "La Primavera" as it is also called), the longest one-day course at 180 miles, was just won by 24-year-old Italian Filippo Pozzato, and more exciting races will soon follow, many televised on cable station OLN.

Road cycling events often find riders in a close pack.

I admit I once thought cyclists were a nuisance—at least those who acted like they owned the road and caused near misses with themselves or other vehicles. But those were mostly arrogant urban cyclists. The collection of road riders I have come to know who live in Pagosa Country are mostly a very respectful bunch, and the arrogant ones are the drivers who delight in trying to intimidate them.

Even though our roadways are not congested like they are in larger cities, riding a road bike can be a very dangerous sport. I've heard stories of truckers passing cyclists at breakneck speeds, locals who toss items from their vehicles at riders, and many drivers who just give them the finger for no apparent reason. Both cyclists and drivers should review the road rules as they pertain to cyclists in the State of Colorado, available on the Colorado Department of Transportation website: http://www.dot.state.co.us/BikePed/BikePedManual.htm

Sadly, a few years back, a Pagosa woman many of us knew and loved was killed while cycling on vacation by a driver who allegedly was too distracted with what was going on inside her car to even notice the bicycle and its rider. Still, this has not kept devoted cyclists from putting rubber to the road in Pagosa Country.

The most devoted take part in local and regional events, such as the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic out of Durango, celebrating its 35th year of competition in 2006. The course takes riders 52 miles from Durango to Silverton each Memorial Day Weekend, with 8500 feet of climbing through the San Juan Mountains before they descend into the historic mining town. Fans and friends cheer riders along the entire route, and the road is cleared of automobile traffic from 8:15 AM to 12:15 PM to help ensure a safe ride for the cyclists. To learn more about this race, visit the official Iron Horse Class site at http://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com/.

The Denver Post-sponsored Ride the Rockies is an annual six- to seven-day race across the Rocky Mountains each June that averages 60-65 miles of roadway traversed each day. The Post created the event in 1986, and has had riders from all 50 states as well as foreign countries, with its 2000-participant limit chosen by a lottery. The course varies each year, and sometimes the route passes through Pagosa Springs, as it does in 2006 during its 419-mile run from Cortez to Cañon City. It's an extremely challenging course with a lot of vertical climbing feet, and is only recommended for exceptionally fit and experienced cyclists who can train at altitude. When the riders come to Pagosa Springs on the second day of the course this year, locals will be able to cheer them on as they end their day downtown at the RTR headquarters which will be set up at Pagosa Springs High School. To find out more, visit the RTR site: http://www.ridetherockies.com/default.asp.

The Bicycle Tour of Colorado is a week-long cycling event through the Rocky Mountains. This year the ride begins in Pagosa Springs on June 25th, climbing over Wolf Creek Pass and continuing on through Creede, Gunnison, Montrose, Telluride, and Montrose, ending back in Pagosa on July 1st. Riders come from all over the US and Canada as well as Mexico, Europe, Australia, South America, and Asia. Come watch the riders as they take off bright and early on the 25th and return triumphant a week later. For more info, take a look at the BTC site at http://bicycletourcolorado.com/index.php.

Cycling events in Colorado draw crowds of cheering supporters.

The 2006 Children's Hospital Courage Classic is my friend's favorite of the summer—not for the ride itself, but for its greater purpose. This three-day ride couples competition with a noble cause, with riders collecting donations from their local community to benefit Children's Hospital in Denver. According their website, "The Children's Hospital Courage Classic has raised $13.5 million for Children’s since it began 17 years ago, providing valuable resources for the only hospital in the Rocky Mountain region that is dedicated 100 percent to caring for kids." The 2006 event, held from July 22-24, will cover 155 miles from Leadville to Summit County and back, and even though it's not held in our neck of the woods, Pagosa Country road cyclists attend the event each year. If any of your cycling friends hits you up for a donation, please give as generously as you can. Visit the Courage Classic site at http://www.couragetours.com/site/pp.asp?c=huIWLdMTJtE&b=1197005. Even if you aren't a cyclist, you can be a volunteer.

Wishing all road cyclists many safe and fun-filled rides in Pagosa Country and beyond, and drivers, please, be aware of and respect cyclists on the road.

 
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