Well...after months of preparation, June 15th is almost here! It's one week and counting until next weekend's Joe Lookingbill Denver-to-Aspen Classic, the inaugural event of the 2013 Colorado Triple Crown! Here's a few extra notes for next weekend's event:
Latest Info, 6/14/13:
1) Registration for the 2013 Joe Lookingbill D2A Classic is now closed. This is our last prequalifier for the other events of the Triple Crown. If you're interested in doing one of the events, please e-mail me about your cycling experience...mvlowe5@comcast.net.
2) Drop bags...a quick clarification...Riders should prepare 2 drop bags for this ride. Your primary drop bag (#1) will go in Charlie Henderson's truck and will be available in Conifer (19 miles) and Buena Vista (109 miles). Your secondary drop bag (#2) will go in Hunter Johnson's jeep and will be available on top of Kenosha Pass (50 miles). Some of the riders who are "savoring the experience" may also have access to their primary drop bags at Kenosha Pass (when Charlie catches up), but faster riders will not. In the past, we've tried to "shuttle" ahead the drop bags of the faster riders to Kenosha, but with a large number of riders and unfamiliar faces, this will be difficult to do this year. Riders will not have access to their drop bags after Buena Vista, so they should plan to grab their cool weather riding gear from their bags in Buena Vista. All drop bags will be available for pick-up at Woody Creek at the end of the ride.
3) Elevation profile for D2A can be found here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/879827
1) Weather: The weather forecast looks good for next weekend. There is now a 30.5657% chance of showers in Buena Vista and Aspen for Saturday. High temperatures for both locations are expected to be in the low 80s. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a repeat of last year's amazing weather (and even more amazing winds)!
2) Registration: Registration is now closed. You need to preregister for this event! If you don't see your name on the event roster and you think it should be, contact Mark Lowe ASAP: mvlowe5@comcast.net. Registration closes Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10 pm.
3) Check-In: Rider check-in begins at 3:00 AM at the Ken Caryl and C-470 RTD Park-n-Ride. The ride starts at 4:00 AM. Please arrive early and be ready to ride by 3:45 a.m.
4) Gear Bags: All riders may provide a well-marked (BIG letters, EASY TO READ) gear bag that can be placed in our primary and secondary support vehicle prior to the start of the ride. Each rider will be given a baggage tag prior to the ride that should be placed in an easy-to-see location on his/her drop bag. Small coolers are acceptable.
5) Course notes: As of June 9, 2013, CDOT is not reporting any delays from road construction on Hwy 285, Hwy 24, or Hwy 82. And so far, no forest fires to deal with--Oops! I spoke too soon!!
6) RMCC support vehicles: We are planning on having two primary support vehicles and two secondary support vehicles for this ride. The primary support vehicles, which will be used to transport rider gear, will be located at Conifer, Kenosha Pass, and Buena Vista. The secondary support vehicles will be stocked with beverages and will be located at Fairplay and Twin Lakes. All support vehicles will be stocked with extra water, Gatorade, Cokes, and a floor pump. The primary vehicle will be driven by Charlie Henderson (cell phone: 720-480-9714). Participants riding without private SAG support should plan to use this support vehicle to transport gear bags. These gear bags will be accessible at checkpoints along the course. Participants riding with private SAG support must register their support vehicle (name of driver, cell phone number, make/model of vehicle, and license number) with Charlie prior to the start of the ride. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Please e-mail Charlie (CharDi2528@aol.com) with this information by Thursday, June 13, or if it is last second, please bring a note card with this information and give this to Charlie prior to the start of the ride.
7) Checkpoints/Passports: After much debate, we have decided to use event passports again this year. This enables riders to record their times if they get ahead of our support vehicles. All riders should plan to have their event passports validated at the following official checkpoints: 1) Conifer (the RTD Park-n-Ride on the north side of Hwy 285), 2) Kenosha Pass Summit, 3) Buena Vista (the intersection of Hwy 24 and Pine Street along the right side of the road), 4) Twin Lakes (south side of road across from store), and 5) Woody Creek Tavern. Finishers should have their event passports validated by Charlie or RMCC staff at the Woody Creek Tavern.
8) Additonal Support Points: All riders with personal support vehicles can receive support at the above checkpoints AND at the following locations: 1) Bailey (Conoco station on the right) and 2) Fairplay (the Sinclair/Strip mall on the right as you enter town), 3) Independence Pass summit.
9) Special notes about support: 1) If the weather turns nasty, support can be anywhere! All riders should plan to grab their cool weather riding gear from their drop bags in Buena Vista. Riders will not have access to their drop bags at Twin Lakes. Remember: temperatures will likely be considerably cooler on top of Independence Pass! Additional supplies can be purchased at the Twin Lakes store, but not on Independence Pass.
10) Time cut-offs: Please note that there are a couple of errors in the pre-ride instructions that were mailed to participants this past week. The correct time cut-offs are listed below. To successfully complete Denver-to-Aspen, you must get to Buena Vista expeditiously! Riders should plan to take the shortest breaks possible at checkpoints and support points. To ensure rider safety, we have two time cut-offs: 1) Conifer: 6:20 a.m, 2) Kenosha Pass: 9:30 a.m., Buena Vista: 2:30 pm, 2) Twin Lakes store: 4:30 pm. If riders do not arrive at these checkpoints by these times, they will not receive official finishing time. Riders must reach the Woody Creek Tavern by 7:00 pm to receive Colorado Triple Crown credit and qualify for the other events of the Triple Crown. Riders who reach Woody Creek after 9:00 pm will not receive an official finishing time. It is RMCC policy to not have participants finish this ride by descending Independence Pass in the dark!
11) Safety: Please ride with extra caution during the event at the following locations: 1) Hwy 285, from Bailey to Kenosha Pass: this section has a very narrow shoulder! 2) Trout Creek Pass: the shoulder narrows considerably as Hwy 285 descends into Johnson Village. Traffic is fairly brisk! 3) Independence Pass (Aspen side): Hwy 82 is often littered with rocks and there are several large potholes on the descent into Aspen! The road is also very narrow in places and will have lots of traffic! (June 15th is also the same day as the Aspen Food and Wine Festival.)
12) Abandonment: If you need to abandon the ride for any reason, please call Charlie Henderson at 720-480-9714 as soon as possible to let him know! Additionally, if you are going to leave Twin Lakes after 4:00 pm or arrive in Woody Creek after 8:00 pm, please call Charlie to let him know! We don't want to spend all night worrying about where you are! Please note that we do not sweep the course!
13) Emergencies: If you have an accident or injury that requires emergent attention, please call 911. Please call Charlie ASAP to let him know!
14) Event Rules: Please review the event rules before the ride on Saturday:http://coloradotriplecrown.blogspot.com/2011/05/rules-regulations-and-safety.html
