COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge starts Monday with a five-mile prologue in Colorado Springs.
Tom Danielson of Boulder, Colo., who finished ninth in the Tour de France, is among the favorites in the seven-day race across the Rocky Mountains and Colorado’s Front Range because of his experience riding at altitude.
The race, which concludes in downtown Denver on Aug. 28, features the podium finishers from the Tour de France. Yellow jersey winner Cadel Evans will lead California-based BMC in the grueling test.
The weeklong race features 17 teams of eight riders. Among the other favorites are Tour runner-up Andy Schleck and his older brother, Frank, who placed third in the Tour de France, and who are teammates on Leopard-Trek.
