Topsfield Circuit Race Results

Topsfield Circuit Race Results

Harrison Harb, 4th place, same time as winner in a Pro cat. 1&2 race. Congratulations!

US Pro Cycling Challenge

Colorado is a great place for a bike race, breath taking scenery, wonderful roads, great mountain roads for climbing, but the TV coverage was disappointing.

Phil and Paul's,  descriptions were redundant and trite. Very little perspective for the true nature of the race came through. I followed the race, know the roads and then watched on TV. The TV coverage was poor, the sponsors need to demand better, and get better advice about how to run the TV presentation.

The Tour de France has many years of experience in bringing cycling to the public, the US Pro Challenge TV producers, have much to learn from the Tour de France coverage. The racers were great, the quality of the racers was superb, to bad the coverage was so poor. I hope they do it for many more years, maybe they'll get it right next year, let's hope. Why waste such a great opportunity to show the world, a great race and our beautiful country, at the same time?

The actual on the road phases of the race were well organized. The state and local police did a great job. Congratulations to the towns and the sponsors for their efforts. 

Major Bike race in Colorado on last big climb, on last day.

NBC did a terrible job of covering the race, three times they rehashed the week, during the last day of TV coverage, no looks of the final climb, they totally missed the great road up Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado.

The road up Lookout mountain

Lead riders near the top

Ride with Geoffda, up the west side of Loveland Pass from Dillion.

Top of Loveland Pass from the West side

Geoff is a good rider, he's tough and hangs in there even on a heavier bike. We did 3800ft in three hours. And we didn't talk about skiing or skis once, right!

Peloton on Cottonwood Pass

Tour of Colorado, USA Pro Cycling Tour scenes

View from the camping spot on the road

Car and tent camping all the way up Independence Pass.

You can pick out Levi in Yellow

                                  Andy,  not having one of his better days.

One of the best climbing days! Serious Business 3 pitches, 3rd, on a 5-11c

First thing, never look down!

Second thing, don't make this Sport confusing.

Diana, fixing the mess

Is that the Highway down there?

On the Way down after a great climbing day.

Dumont to Loveland Pass: One of the most beautiful rides in the world

Gary rides the last big corner to the top of Loveland Pass. It's about 23 miles, over 3000 feet of climbing on roads with no traffic. Sections are on bike trails in beautiful forests. It's cool and fresh, whereas Denver can be 96 degrees, it's in the 60ies from Silver Plume to the top. This can be done in 2 hours, with moderate fitness. Riding it in under two hours starts to get interesting.

Ride to the top of Loveland Pass, 4,000ft climb.

We ride higher than the Tour de France everyday.

Harald                                    Gary

Perfect Colorado day, riding with friend, skier and my dentist Gary. 

Riding to the top of the Rockies, Squaw Pass.

This is a great ride to 11,000ft, 54 miles total round trip, 4 hours, 3000 calories burned and 4700ft of climbing. To day felt like my first real bike training day of the summer.

Serious climbing at the 5-12 level at Rifle.

Diana on Fossil Family a 5-12

                                 Very steep over hanging climbing

                                  Time to clip the draw.

One arm rest

Click on the photo for full view.

Another sled "leg press" type machine

This is another safe leg building machine, it is controlled by weights and a cable. As with any of these exercises start with very light weights. You should warm up with 30 reps easy and slowly feeling all your leg muscles working.

The farther you bring your feet back to your hips the more glute (butt) muscles you will use. This is good for skiing as the are really important stabilizers of the hips and thigh.

My right leg is the surgically repaired Achilles Tendon, the muscles are slowly coming back.

Leg Press, important muscle group for skiing well.

Since I am working on my calf, push off muscles, as well as my legs, my feet are lower than normal to put pressure on the toes and ball of the foot. If you want more glute (butt) and quad training, move your feet forward or up the ramp.

This is just one of the many types of lower back "safe" leg press machines. It works reasonably well and you don't need a spotter or years of squat technique training..