The incredible organization known as 5 Gyres is about to embark on its latest outreach project: Last Straw Plastic Solutions Bicycle Outreach Tour. The Tour will take the team of 5 Gyres staff on a cross-country bicycle route where they’ll share stories of their 5 Gyres expeditions along the way; “doing trainings on how to enact common sense plastic mitigation policy, sharing film, networking, and… running a cleanup contest throughout the tour for a chance to win prizes from all our awesome sponsors!,” according to the 5 Gyres blog.
Check out the poster above for dates and details of the tour. And feel free to email 5 Gyres with any questions along the way!
Talon flaps his wings for the crowd at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge
As an “Official Partner of” and the “Official Backpack of” the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, a team of us from Osprey Packs got the amazing opportunity to follow the race from its start just over the hill in Durango, CO all the way to the finish in Denver.
There were some very long days, and a lot of hard work went into full scale participation in the race festivities and expos at each stage. But we quickly became part of the traveling circus following the race across the state, visiting eight different cities in just seven days. The experiences we had and people we met along the way were absolutely amazing! Each day we encountered celebrity personalities from the cycling world and beyond, but the true heart of the event was the hundreds of thousands of spectators that came out to take part and cheer on the riders. Some were avid followers of cycling who planned their annual vacations around the race, while others just happened upon the crowd and joined in without really knowing exactly what was going on. To see the roads lined with people and to hear the deafening roar of yelling, cowbells and stomping when the racers passed was enough to make anyone want to hop on a bike and ride. It has been a long time since we have had this kind of cycling fever in the USA. Yet based on the tremendous growth and success of the Pro Challenge in only its second year, I think it is here to stay. Here is a photo gallery with some images of highlights of our journey. Enjoy!
Cruiser parade kickoff in Durango
Bontrager/Livestrong team at opening ceremonies
Special edition FlapJack for riders and VIPs
Talon flaps his wings for the crowd at Pro Challenge
Talon hanging out with Bob Roll on Independence Pass
Osprey team hanging with Ted the marmot from Crested Butte MBA
Party on top of Independence Pass
New Osprey fan in Beaver Creek
Large crowds gather at the expo in Colorado Springs
Fans watching the race on the iPad “RaceTracker” app
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and we brought you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge stayed exciting from its start at Stage 1 all the way through the monster climb of Stage 4 and into the final flat and fast moments of Stage 7 when American Christian Vande Velde sped his way through Denver to win the 2012 race. As Vande Velde himself put it, “The opportunity to participate in a race like this, of this caliber is a beautiful thing. As long as there are races like the USA Pro Challenge in America, I want to race as long as I can. The crowds are so positive and so happy.”
From the USA Pro Cycling Challenge site: “We have some of the best cyclists in the world racing in Colorado,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the Pro Challenge. “This is one of the biggest stage races in the history of our country. We call this America’s race, and it really is. The crowds were even bigger than they were last year; Golden to Boulder was pretty magical. I can’t wait for 2013 and we are already talking about routes.”
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
Tyler Farrar clinched the win in Colorado Springs today and Tejay van Garderen defended his Yellow Jersey. Exciting times as the Pro Cycling Challenge heads into the weekend!
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
Tejay van Garderen reclaimed his lead at Beaver Creek this afternoon! The cyclists started off Stage 4 with a monster climb, heading back over Independence Pass for a second time and getting a second look at the thousands of enthusiastic fans lining the road up and down. Elevation was the name of the game today, with much of the 97-mile course above 9,000 feet. And finally, faced by a steep climb to a difficult finish at the Beaver Creek ski resort.
We were lucky enough to be joined by Shannon Galpin of Mountain2Mountain—a cause near and dear to Osprey’s heart—and her furry friend, Bear. Digging the Osprey puppy love!
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
Congratulations to Tom Danielson! He blazed through the finish line first to a roaring crowd in Aspen today. The epic Gunnison to Aspen stage features two of the highest climbs in professional racing, the 131-mile Queen Stage—the longest stage of the entire week—and a monster 12,000-foot summit on the famed Independence Pass before a wild descent into Aspen. Needless to say, it was an exciting day of racing!
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
Tejay Van Garderen won the second Stage of the Pro Cycling Challenge, speeding through the finish line in on Mt. Crested Butte. Stage 2 was one of the shortest stages of the week—at 99 miles. Riders first had to tackle 65 miles of short, but challenging climbs over Cerro Summit and Blue Mesa Summit, which made for early launch pads for the breakaway specialists. Then the cyclists visited familiar territory with a Sprint Line in Gunnison, a second Sprint Line in Crested Butte and finally the nasty 2-mile climb to the dramatic finish on Mt. Crested Butte.
Today marks the start of The USA Pro Cycling Challenge — so it’s only fitting that we have what Osprey Packs Assistant Product Line Manager Chris Horton calls “Osprey’s hippy van” all set for this year’s cyclists to ride up Lizard Head Pass for Stage 1 of the race!
Tyler Farrar crosses the Stage 1 finish line in Telluride, Colorado. Photo: Chris Horton
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.
Tyler Farrar won Stage 1 of the second annual USA Pro Challenge today. The opening stage was anything but tame, with challenges hitting cyclists right away. Starting with a 5-mile loop that encompasses most of Durango, Colorado, the riders headed up hill and out of town and toward Telluride. After a second Sprint Line in the town of Dolores, racers started the gradual canyon climb that lasted more than 30 miles, eventually taking them up and over Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet. After the climbers’ first test of the week, they blazed down a 15-mile descent into the narrow streets of Telluride to finish stage one and the first 125 miles of the race.
Congratulations to Farrar and all of the riders who showed us what they had today, we’re excited for a full week of these kinds of performances!
Tyler Farrar crosses the Stage 1 finish line in Telluride, Colorado. Photo: Chris Horton
Last year marked the first-ever USA Pro Cycling Challenge — the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. On August 20th, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities.
The 2011 inaugural event was captivating, to say the least. “Nearly 1 million spectators viewed this race from the roadsides along the route while 161 countries and territories broadcasted the race on television, including NBC and Versus. The USA Pro Cycling Challenge was one of the largest cycling events in United States history,” says the USA Pro Cycling Challenge website.
This year, of course, will be no different — and will see riders make their way from Durango to Denver.
The race kicks off next week, and because Osprey is the official pack sponsor of the event, we’ll be giving away a few prizes during next week’s exciting festivities (check out the rad socks and jersey below to get stoked on winning)!
Getting ready to head to the event? Expect big name cyclists, big crowds and a big event for Colorado — and the world itself.
The incredible organization known as 5 Gyres is about to embark on its latest outreach project: Last Straw Plastic Solutions Bicycle Outreach Tour. The Tour will take the team of 5 Gyres staff on a cross-country bicycle route where they’ll share stories of their 5 Gyres expeditions along the way; “doing trainings on how to enact common sense plastic mitigation policy, sharing film, networking, and… running a cleanup contest throughout the tour for a chance to win prizes from all our awesome sponsors!,” according to the 5 Gyres blog.
