Changes To Be Announced For Upcoming Colorado Classic

By Jeff Todd

DENVER (CBS4) - Professional cycling will be back in Colorado in 2018, but the Colorado Classic and the associated festival are taking on new territory.

"We're looking at two days in Vail and two days in Denver," said David Koff, CEO of RPM Events which organizes the Colorado Classic and Velorama festival. "Both Denver and Vail will activate a race and lots of activities cycling-related, music-related around the race itself."

The Colorado Classic filled the void left by the defunct USA Pro Challenge, which hit financial issues and folded before the 2016 race.

The 2017 Colorado Classic raced men and women teams at events in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, and Denver. Koff says the long-term plan for the races in August will rotate around the state.

"We want to create events where they're really fan-friendly, and if you build circuits or a time trial where people can watch this thing develop, and there's a lot of activity and excitement all day long. Then it's a better fan experience," said Koff.

The festival Velorama was a three-night concert series in Denver's RiNo Arts District. A similar event is planned in 2018 with some improvements.

"The goal is to push (the races and festival) together more closely and integrate them more closely," Koff said. "We want this thing to be a celebration of cycling in Colorado. It's so in our DNA. It's about all kinds of ways people use a bike in Denver and Colorado."

More details about the 2018 event are expected in the spring including routes, teams, and bands playing in the concerts.

Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.