August is officially here and that means there will be plenty of bike races coming through Colorado. Maybe you are looking to do a race to end the summer. Or maybe you just enjoy cheering on cyclists.  Either way, I have decided to write about three races in the Denver area.

The Colorado Classic August 10- 13

This four-day race will hit three towns: Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver. It starts with a 150.4km ride in Colorado Springs. Then it goes to Breckenridge for a 130km ride. The race will end with two events in Denver. Day 3 will be a 130km ride that follows the Peak-to-Peak pass. Finally, day 4 will be a 120km ride through Denver. There are many great places to watch the event throughout Denver.  That being said, be prepared for possible road closures and don’t forget to share the road with the cyclists.

Photo By: Velorama-Admin

The Gran Fondo August 27

This race is open to anyone! So, if you want to challenge yourself, signup. Racers have three options to choose from: Gran Route (81 miles), Medio Route (53 miles), or Piccolo Route (18 miles). The race begins with a climb up Lookout Mountain. This is a great place to watch the cyclists and catch some spectacular views. From Lookout Mountain, the bikers will continue up 12,000 feet toward the Peak-to-Peak highway. After the climb, bikers will return to Golden. Again, be prepared for road closures.

Photo: Golden Gran Fondo GFNCS

Red Rocks Challenge September 2

This is a race for ALS and is open to anyone up for the challenge. It offers four options for your mileage: 62, 50, 30, or 5 for kiddos! It is part of the Death Ride Tour (but don’t let the name scare you off). The ride starts in the historic town of Morrison, climbs to Red Rocks Park, and exits the park through Dinosaur Ridge.  From there, riders will head up to Evergreen before heading back down to Morrison.

Photograph courtesy of Kevin Batchelor

Obviously, Colorado offers a lot more to cyclists than these three races; however, these are three of the larger ones near Denver. If you are a racer, Good Luck! If you are a spectator, cheer hard and enjoy yourself!

Christie is an outdoor enthusiast from Golden, Co that LOVES doing everything outside. She has an MBA with an emphasis in Sustainability from Brandeis University and a passion for helping others, which she turned into a consulting career. Whether you are looking for social media, marketing, or business strategy, Christie will help grow your business. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors and sharing her stories with others through blogs. Christie loves Colorado and hopes her stories help others see Colorado in a way they have never experienced before.