Colorado ski resorts spending big on improvements for new season

It’s an “arms race” out there for ski resorts, which must add new features and upgrade services often or risk being left behind by other resorts.

While that might be an expensive proposition for resort owners, it’s music to the ears of those who ski, ride or just come to hang out at the resorts during the upcoming winter season.

The Denver Post took a look at what Colorado resorts were working on from Vail to Winter Park, Solvista to Crested Butte, Aspen to Durango Mountain Resort. See what’s new.

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Race wrapup and up-close look at the peleton on the final day of USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The peleton spins out of a turn at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge during the final stage in Denver.

Levi Leipheimer won the inaugural  USA Pro Cycling Challenge, which concluded Sunday. But the bike-crazy fans of Colorado felt like winners as well, flocking in large crowds to each stage, with as many as 250,000 coming on the final day in Denver. What was the scene like? Check out this “homemade” video to hear and see the excitement at a turn on the course.

Need a update on the race that included the likes of Christian VandeVelde, Tejay VanGarderen,Tom Danielson, George Hincapie, Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, as well as Andy and Frank Schleck? Here are reports on each stage:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.
• Stage 2: Veteran George Hincapie rides to a surprising stage win while Tejay Van Garderen takes the yellow jersey.
• Vail Time Trial: A record run by  Levi Leipheimer by the American regains the yellow jersey.
• Stage 4: Elia Viviani wins the stage in a sprint finish in Steamboat Springs.
• Stage 5: It’s not a mistake, Elia Viviani won AGAIN in a sprint finish in Breckenridge.
• Stage 6: The peleton ran down all the breakaways as Levi Leipheimer rode to victory in Denver.

Complete stage and overall standings here.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Leipheimer the champion as first USA Pro Cycling Challenge concludes in Denver

USA Pro Cycling Challenge champion Levi Leipheimer

Denver — Perhaps we should have figured a Montana native by the name of Levi would tame the Colorado high country and win the inaugural  USA Pro Cycling Challenge. But it took a lot more than a birthplace for Levi Leipheimer to win, starting with his record run in the time trial on Wednesday on Vail.

And surprisingly, after several days of the yellow jersey moving from rider to rider, the final four days produced no changes in the order of finish or the time gaps. Which didn’t make Sunday’s final ride into Denver any less entertaining than the rest of the race, producing several breakaways in front of a huge crowd, estimated at 250,000, to watch this 518-mile race come to an end. And while Elia Viviani, who had won previous sprint finishes in Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge, could have won on Sunday, he worked to help his teammate, Daniel Oss, win instead.

And when it was over, Leipheimer hung on for the win, followed by Christian VandeVelde (:11 back), Teejay VanGarderen (:17), Tom Danielson (:21) and veteran George Hincapie (:53) to give Americans a sweep of the race’s top five spots.

Tour de France champion Cadel Evans acquited himself well, finishing seventh (1:18 back), but things didn’t go as well for his podium mates from the tour, Frank Schleck (13th, 2:17 back) and his brother Andy (33rd, 6:65). Find complete stage and overall standings here.

Check out stories on previous stages in the race:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.
• Stage 2: Veteran George Hincapie rides to a surprising stage win while Teejay Van Garderen takes the yellow jersey.
• Vail Time Trial: A record run by  Levi Leipheimer by the American regains the yellow jersey.
• Stage 4: Elia Viviani wins the stage in a sprint finish in Steamboat Springs.
• Stage 5: It’s not a mistake, Elia Viviani won AGAIN in a sprint finish in Breckenridge.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Where’s the crown? Levi hold his lead going into the final day of USA Pro Cycling Challenge

WATCH ONLINE: Catch a live stream of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is good and standings are updated dynamically on the page. Watch here starting at noon Mountain time on NBC to see Sunday’s 73-mile ride from Golden to Denver.

Breckenridge — It’s not an instant replay:  Italian Elia Viviani of Team Liquigas-Cannondale was again the winner in Saturday’s stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

The peleton tracked down a heroic breakaway that included Andy Schleck in the final kilometer, leading to Viviani’s second straight win. As a result, the overall standings unchanged, which means Sunday”s ride may well be a victory lap for current leader Levi Leipheimer.

Find complete stage and overall standings here.

And now it’s on to the final stage, a 73-mile stage race from Golden to Denver.

Check out stories on previous stages in the race:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.
• Stage 2: Veteran George Hincapie rides to a surprising stage win while Teejay Van Garderen takes the yellow jersey.
• Vail Time Trial: A record run by  Levi Leipheimer by the American regains the yellow jersey.
• Stage 3: Elia Viviani wins the stage in a sprint finish in Steamboat Springs.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Levi remains in lead as Viviani wins sprint finish in Steamboat Springs in USA Pro Cycling Challenge

WATCH ONLINE: Catch a live stream of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is good and standings are updated dynamically on the page. Watch here starting at 2 p.m. Mountain time to see Saturday’s Stage 5 ride from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge.

Steamboat Springs — You didn’t think every day of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was going to be wild, did you?

After seeing someone different in the yellow jersey four of the first five days, Friday’s race from Avon to Steamboat was mostly a group affair, with Italian Elia Viviani of Team Liquigas-Cannondale winning in a sprint finish while all the big names finished with the same time, leaving the overall standings unchanged.

That means Levi Leipheimer will remain in the lead, followed by Christian VandeVelde, Tejay Van Garderen, Tom Danielson  and George Hincapie to round out the top five. Tour de France champion Cadel Evans remained 7th, with Frank Schleck in 13th while brother Andy Schleck, who fell out of the competition after Tuesday’s Stage 2, in 39th.

Find complete stage and overall standings here.

And now it’s on to Stage 5, an 105.2 mile stage race from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge.

Check out stories on previous stages in the race:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.
• Stage 2: Veteran George Hincapie rides to a surprising stage win while Teejay Van Garderen takes the yellow jersey.
• Vail Time Trial: A record run by  Levi Leipheimer by the American regains the yellow jersey.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Levi Leipheimer jumps back into lead with record in Vail time trial at USA Pro Challenge

WATCH ONLINE: Catch a live stream of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is good and standings are updated dynamically on the page. Watch here starting at 2 p.m. Mountain time to see Friday’s Stage 4 ride from Avon to Steamboat Springs.

Vail — The second time trial in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was the reverse of the downhill Prologue, going up Vail Pass. It also reversed the overall standings at the top once again in this highly-competitive race as  Levi Leipheimer set a course record to take back the yellow jersey.

There was one definite similarity to the prologue: an early rider, in this case David Zabriskie of Garmin-Cervelo, put up a time (24:46) that was hard to match, though veteran Jens Voit did come within 3 seconds. Then all bets were off when Colombian rider Rafael Infantio blew away the field with a ride of 25:51.

When the big stars hit the road the times really started to sink fast. First came fifth-place holder Christian VandeVelde, who set a course record in 25:47. But moments later, amazingly, Leipheimer edged him by the scarecest of margins, 58 hundredths, to win the stage and re-take the overall lead, just 11 seconds ahead of VandeVelde. Other top racers:

• Young Tejay Van Garderen, the overall leader at day’s start, lost almost 52 seconds to Leipheimer and is now third, 17 seconds back.
• George Hincapie, winner of Wednesday’s Queen Stage and second overall at day’s start, turned in a respectable time and still stands fifth, just 53 seconds back.
• Pre-race favorite Tom Danielson was third at day’s start and finished the day fourth, 24 seconds back.
• Frank Schleck who started the day in 12th, had a strong ride of 27:22. And brother Andy Schleck, who had little to race for, still turned in a good ride, just 2:07 off the day’s fastet time.

Find complete stage and overall standings here.

And now it’s off to Avon on Thursday for Stage 4, an 82.8 mile stage race to Steamboat Springs.

Check out stories on previous stages in the race:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.
• Stage 2: Veteran George Hincapie rides to a surprising stage win while Teejay Van Garderen takes the yellow jersey.

Interested in more details about the race? Check out these links:

• The course: From Prologue to high country, here’s where the race will be contested in Crested Butte, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs and more. Get maps, elevation gain information and video.
• Teams: Who’s racing? The entire list of competitors.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

By George, Hincapie gets a popular win in Aspen; Van Garderen takes lead from Leipheimer

WATCH ONLINE: Catch a live stream of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is good and standings are updated dynamically on the page. Watch here starting at 12:50 p.m. Mountain time to see Thursday’s time trial in Vail.

ASPEN — The second stage race in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Wednesday featured two brutal climbs, so perhaps it figured that the old warhorse, George Hincapie, would claim the win in a sprint finish in rainy Aspen — as well as second place in the overall standings.

Young Tejay Van Garderen finished with the lead group to claim the overall lead in the race over Hincapie by 16 seconds, while pre-race favorite Tom Danielson leapt from ninth to third, just 22 seconds back.

The leader entering the day, Levi Leipheimer, was among the first to reach the top of the final climb on Independence Pass, but lost time on the descent and now is in fourth place overall (34 seconds back), followed by Christian VandeVelde (:45 back) and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (:51).

Frank Schleck now stands 12th (1:16 back), but brother Andy stumbled badly and is 5:22 back. Find complete stage and overall standings here.

After the race start in Gunnison, a breakaway developed on the way up Cottonwood Pass and maintained a 3+ minute advantage over the peleton as they reached Twin Lakes, the beginning of the long climb up Independence Pass. Riders in the lead group included Danny Pate (HTC-Highroad), Andre Steensen and, perhaps most ominously for the pelotion, two riders from the Colombian team Gobernacion de Antioquia, Rafael Montiel and Alejandro Ramirez. But Leipheimer, forced to respond by the talented young Van Garderen, reeled in the lead group by the top of the telling climb up Independence Pass.

And now it’s off to Vail on Thursday for Stage 3, a 10-mile time trial.

Previous stages in the race:

• Monday’s Prologue saw a surprise winner in Colorado Springs.
• Stage 1: American Levi Leipheimer found the strength to sprint to the win on the final climb.

Interested in more details about the race? Check out these links:

• The course: From Prologue to high country, here’s where the race will be contested in Crested Butte, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs and more. Get maps, elevation gain information and video.
• Teams: Who’s racing? The entire list of competitors.
• History: This isn’t the first pro cycling race in Colorado. Learn about the Red Zinger Classic and the Coors Classic.
• The jerseys: See what the leader, top climber and sprinters will be wearing.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Leipheimer leaps to big win on Stage 2 of USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Crested Butte

STAGE 2 VIEWING: Watch live streams of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is excellent and standings are updated dynamically as you watch. Watch here at 9:50 a.m. MDT on Wednesday, Aug. 24, to see the dramatic route over two 12,000-foot-plus passes en route to Aspen.

The first stage race in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge proved a long, hot day for some of the best riders in the world on Tuesday, but at the end Levi Leipheimer found the strength to pull away from the leaders in the final ascent to Mt. Crested Butte for the win.

Some of the biggest names in the sport came next, with Sergio Henao and Frank Schleck finishing 4 seconds back, followed by Cadel Evans and Christian VandeVelde seven seconds back.  In the overall standings, VandeVelde now stands second (11 seconds back) and Tour de France Champion Cadel Evans is in fourth (17 seconds back). Tom Danielson, a pre-race favorite, is in ninth (37 seconds back). Find complete stage and overall standings here.

After the start in Salida There was an early breakaway of four riders, which became the first to reach the top of Monarch Pass. The breakaway included Eduard Beltran, who claimed the first mountain points of the stage. Then Beltran slipped back, leaving Jay Thomson and Bradley White alone in the lead, 3:55 ahead of the peleton with 50 miles to go.

Against the odds, the pair remained more than 3 minutes ahead when they reached Gunnison, where the course turned north to Crested Butte. But the Peleton always wins, which was the case when the pack of riders reeled in the leaders with 8.6 miles to go, setting up the final climb. Read the race story in the Denver Post.

And now it’s off to Gunnison for Stage 2, a 99.4-mile race with plenty of climbing, including 11,318-foot Monarch Pass, before an uphill finish at Mt. Crested Butte.

WATCH ONLINE: Catch a live stream of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is excellent, standings are updated dynamically on the page as you watch. Watch here at 2 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Did you miss Monday’s Prologue in Colorado Springs. Results.

Interested in more details about the race? Check out these links:

• The course: From Prologue to high country, here’s where the race will be contested in Crested Butte, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Sprigs and more. Get maps, elevation gain information and video.
• Teams: Who’s racing? The entire list of competitors.
• History: This isn’t the first pro cycling race in Colorado. Learn about the Red Zinger Classic and the Coors Classic.
• The jerseys: See what the leader, top climber and sprinters will be wearing.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Gretsch gets surprise Prologue win; Vandevelde, Leipheimer, Evans and Schlecks not far behind

Patrick Gretsch, Prologue winner

STAGE 1 VIEWING UPDATE: Watch live streams of every stage on Shack Tracker. The quality is excellent, standings are updated dynamically on the page as you watch. Watch here at noon p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge got off to a blazing start on Monday. Blazing as in blazing fast and blazing hot. The riders were flying from the moment they left the start gate in the spectacular Garden of the Gods.

Second-year pro Patrick Gretsch of HTC-Highroad snatched the lead early and, amazingly, his time of 8:27 held up for the victory on the 5.1 kilometer course. Christian Vandevelde of Team Garmin Cervelo earned second place, 2 seconds back, with Brent Bookwalter of BMC Racing in third, just 3 seconds off the pace.

Some big names, like Ivan Basso, had extremely slow times in the 90+ degree heat. But other stars did quite well, including:

• Levi Leipheimer, just off winning the Tour of Utah, finished in 7th (8 seconds back);
• Cadel Evans might still be celebrating his victory in the Tour de France, but he still ran a strong race, finishing in ninth place, 9 seconds back.
• Brothers Andy and Frank Schleck both finished a few seconds outside the 9:00 mark, leaving them in good position as the race shifts to the mountains.
• Home-state favorite Tom Danielson finished 18 seconds off the pace, also a good result.

And now it’s off to Salida for Stage 1, a 99.4-mile race with plenty of climbing, including 11,318-foot Monarch Pass, before an uphill finish at Mt. Crested Butte.

Interested in more details about the race? Check out these links:

• The course: From Prologue to high country, here’s where the race will be contested in Crested Butte, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Sprigs and more. Get maps, elevation gain information and video.
• Teams: Who’s racing? The entire list of competitors.
• History: This isn’t the first pro cycling race in Colorado. Learn about the Red Zinger Classic and the Coors Classic.
• The basics: Visit the race’s official web site for all the details.
• The jerseys: See what the leader, top climber and sprinters will be wearing/
• Coverage: Keep up with the race on the Denver Post website.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.

Klaus Obermeyer still going 75 mph at 91 years old

Klaus Obermeyer teaching a class in 1948 in Aspen.

You’ve got to hand it to Klaus Obermeyer. Not only is the sporting goods legend who founded Obermeyer in Aspen in 1947 still going strong at age 91, he’s still skiing like a MANIAC.

Need proof? How else to explain that he was going 75 mph when he took a wicked fall last March at Tiehack and is itching to get back on the slopes as soon as his broken bone heals. Read more about the fall and what keeps this remarkable man skiing downhill in this great “30 Seconds With” feature from The New York Times.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter for updates on more adventures.