Best town:
Salida.Hosts April Prout-Ralph and Greg Ralph were outstanding.They made me feel like I have new best friends and they were lots and lots of fun.
Besides taking care of me in Salida, we met up at the top of Independence Pass. April had bought a box of doughnuts that she tried to peddle to every state trooper or park ranger who came by.
Greg had an enormous jar of Cheese balls that he was trying to share with everyone who passed by.I just had a handful or two and then noticed later in the day that my cuticles were orange and the nail polish was eaten away.I don’t even want to know what was in that formula!
Also in Salida, I stumbled across an art gallery run by Paulette Brodeur.Her work is outstanding.
Crowds:
The best crowds-pretty close to Tour de France mountain stages minus the drunks and traffic jams.Independence Pass, Vail Pass, Breckenridge, Rabbit Ears Pass and Denver were especially fun.
Fans:
Lots of fun costumes.Here’s Gumby, a fat lady on a bicycle, kids with streamers on their bikes, and lots of crazy guys!
Even the state patrol enjoyed themselves.
Suggestions for next year:
Mountaintop finish
Loveland Pass
Red Mountain Pass
Ouray/Telluride/Durango/Grand Junction/La Veta Pass/Mt Evans
Have the finish at Civic Center Park go the other direction.Everything was backlit.Also would be nice to use the grassy hill in front of the capitol for fans to be able to see the race.Would make a good photo op as well.
Most beautiful drive: nearly everywhere
Best restaurant: Marchitelli’s in Crested Butte
Educate the cops and the cycling fans on bikes.Too many of them don’t seem to know the protocol in big races.If you’re descending a mountain after the race on a bike, even after the broom wagon, expect more race vehicles coming down.There will be press cars, sponsors, vips, and more accredited vehicles that need to get down ahead of the tourists because they still have work to do.Keep to the right and be respectful.If a car is honking, it’s because you’re too far to the left. The road is still closed but it’s still not exactly the same rules during normal driving conditions.
