Published August 3, 2016 12:22PM
Colorado Pro Challenge race appears to be gone for good
The Colorado-based USA Pro Challenge stage race is effectively dead with the resignation of race chief Sean Hunter.
Phil Gaimon led the break as the riders climbed Independence Pass in the 2015 edition of the USA Pro Challenge. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | <a href="http://www.cbgphoto.com">www.cbgphoto.com</a>
The Denver Post reports that USA Pro Challenge chief Sean Hunter has left the event, which was cancelled for 2016, effectively ending the Colorado tour’s chances of carrying on in 2017.
“We are going to continue exploring opportunities in the sport and certainly opportunities here in Colorado when they arise,” Hunter said Tuesday afternoon. “But all the elements were not there for us to put it together for 2017.”
The race suffered a major setback in September 2015 when the Schaden family stepped down from its role as the race’s backer to allow for a new ownership group to take over the five-year-old race. However, in February, organizers announced that the race would not be held in 2016, despite having grown into Colorado’s largest sporting event, with an estimated economic impact of $130 million, according to their estimates.
This news comes only one day after the UCI included the Amgen Tour of California in the WorldTour, a move that further pinches domestic Continental teams seeking high-profile race opportunities.