The Colorado Classic was a four-stage cycling race that was first held in 2017. First organized with both men's and women's races, the men's race was discontinued after the 2018 edition; the Classic was held as a women-only event in 2019.
The men's version of the race was designated as
2.HC The UCI 1.HC and UCI 2.HC were the second tier classification of road cycling races by the UCI, after the UCI World Tour (or its predecessor, the UCI ProTour). They are now replaced by the UCI ProSeries. The races were part of the various UCI Conti ...
and was part of the
UCI America Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
. In 2017, the race was long and was held in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver. In 2018, the first two stages were in Vail (August 16–17) and the last two were in Denver (August 18–19). The Denver stages were accompanied by a music and cycling fan fest extravaganza called Velorama.
In December 2018, the organizers announced that the Classic would become a women-only race from 2019 forward. As part of the change, the women's purse was increased from
$20,000 in 2018 to $75,000 for 2019—which was $5,000 more than the purse for the final men's Classic in 2018. The Classic became the only standalone women's stage race in the Western Hemisphere included in the official
UCI UCI most commonly refers to:
* University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States
* Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling
UCI may also refer to:
* Uganda Cancer In ...
calendar; the 2019 edition was the first to be part of
USA Cycling
USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability levels. ...
's Pro Road Tour
and is classified as a 2.1 race by the UCI. The race has not been held since 2019; the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and further races failed to attract a title sponsor.
Winners - Men
Winners - Women
See also
*
Coors Classic
The Coors International Bicycle Classic (1980–1988) was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor; the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in ...
, Colorado cycling race held in 1980–1988
*
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge, also known as USA Pro Challenge, was an annual multi-day professional road bicycle racing stage race that first took place in Colorado in 2011. Originally announced on August 4, 2010 by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter ...
, Colorado cycling race held in 2011–2015
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official site
Cycle races in the United States
Recurring sporting events established in 2017
2017 establishments in Colorado
Cycling in Colorado
UCI America Tour races