Steamboat Pilot & Today

Tom Davis is ready to return to the world of road racing and wants to bring interested cyclists with him.

In February, Davis began to lay the groundwork for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Cycling Club. Tonight, the first meeting for the new club will be held at 6 p.m. at Olympian Hall at the base of Howelsen Hill.

The club is open to anyone older than 12 and isn't restricted to SSWSC athletes. But the club for road and mountain bikers will adhere closely to the principles of the SSWSC, where Davis also is an alpine ski coach.

"It will be a synthesis between the Winter Sports Club mentality and a recreational club," Davis said. "The whole point is to have fun. It is a competitive club but is open to anyone that wants to learn more."

While Davis was seeking sponsorship, he learned quickly that a competitive cycling club fits a need in Routt County. More than 10 businesses or groups have agreed to help sponsor the club.

"It seems like it's just been waiting to happen," Davis said. "Sponsors were excited for someone to grab the steering wheel."

Or, in this case, the handlebars.

Routt County is home to a large number of cyclists of all levels, and Steamboat hosts the Town Challenge series, a successful and popular mountain bike race series. Members of the SSWSC Cycling Club will have the opportunity to take part in organized training rides and compete in races outside Steamboat, in addition to competing locally.

Davis envisions the SSWSC Cycling Club becoming a social club, as well.

Tonight's meeting will serve as an overview of the club. Interested people will have the opportunity to sign up for any of the five different membership levels and ask questions.

Davis is familiar with the competitive scene. He spent four years racing for the U.S. Cycling Team and was a 12-time national championship medallist while at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he also was a team captain in 1996 and 1999.

Davis focused more on ski coaching when he moved to Steamboat, but he said he is eager to resume road racing and share the team philosophies that he learned on previous teams.

-- To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com