Photo by Scott Franz
Andy Schleck signs the back of Zane Worrell's jersey Monday morning before more than 100 Steamboat Springs cyclists joined Schleck on a community bike ride.
About 150 ride with Andy Schleck in Steamboat
Pro cyclist leads popular community ride Monday
Updated August 15, 2011 at 11:04 p.m.
Community ride with Andy Schleck
About 150 local cyclists went on a short ride Monday morning with Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck, who is in Steamboat preparing for the Pro Cycling Challenge.
Past Event
USA Pro Cycling Challenge public information meeting
- Monday, August 15, 2011, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Centennial Hall, 124 10th St., Steamboat Springs
- Not available / Free
Steamboat Springs — The crowd of anxious cyclists gathered next to Steamboat Ski & Bike Kare on Monday morning pushed forward en masse as the man they were all waiting to see appeared suddenly to lead them on a community bike ride they wouldn’t soon forget.
Andy Schleck, a 26-year-old professional cyclist from Luxembourg and a three-time runner-up in the Tour de France, arrived at Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue around 10 a.m. Monday and wasted no time signing jerseys and water bottles for the anxious crowd.
“Today I’m an Andy Schleck groupie,” said Johanna Hall, who rode downtown on an early lunch break from her job at the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association. “I’m a huge fan.”
Steamboat resident Jack Trautman rode downtown Monday to join what he called a flash mob-style gathering.
“To have a chance to ride with a pro is always fantastic,” he said.
Schleck arrived in Steamboat Springs last week to train, acclimate and relax before the upcoming USA Pro Cycling Challenge that will bring other top pro cyclists from around the world to Steamboat on Aug. 26 and 27 for the race’s fourth and fifth stages.
After chatting with several of the 150 cyclists like Hall who surrounded him and telling the crowd how much he was enjoying riding and fly-fishing in Steamboat, Schleck led the riders on a community ride down River Road and on to Routt County Road 14 and beyond.
The riders departed Steamboat Ski & Bike Kare and rode with Schleck, and at times behind a police escort, to the historic schoolhouse at Hilton Gulch before Schleck stopped to chat with the crowd again. The cyclist for the Leopard Trek team then went off at his own pace, pulling away from most of the riders he had in tow.
Trautman said the pack of cyclists moved at a fast pace along Routt County roads 14 and 35 as they completed the approximately 25-mile ride.
“Everybody wanted to ride next to Andy, including me, so everyone in the back started to ride like it was a sprint to the finish,” he said.
Trautman said one of the highlights occurred as he coasted up to Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue after the ride, where he was able to shake Schleck’s hand and chat with him as they waited for the light to change.
“He told me he was having a lot of fun in Steamboat,” Trautman said.
As rider Grace Curé arrived back downtown, she said she enjoyed her first ride in a peloton.
“It was exhilarating,” she said. “I can’t wait for the Pro Cycling Challenge to come through.”
For more information and to view a map of the race route of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and road closures in Steamboat during the event, visit www.steamboatprocycling.com/community.
Comments
Dan Hill 1 year, 9 months ago
Very cool. Especially like the smile on the face of the kid in front!
jk 1 year, 9 months ago
I am hoping Mr.Schleck did this as a nice gesture, a way to reach out and promote cycling. Yet in the back of my mind with all of the BTUSA marketing crap that has been shoved down our throats lately, it makes me skeptical about how genuine this whole ride was? It seems like a payed off promotional sham.
JustSomeJoe 1 year, 9 months ago
jk - 150 people got to ride up close with the guy who has come in 2nd place in the Tour de France 3 years running. Who's getting shammed?
exduffer 1 year, 9 months ago
The people who were not invited until they read about it in the paper this morning.
1999 1 year, 9 months ago
of course he's getting paid.
schleck is a paid professional. he does not do appearances for free.
I imagine the money that the City Council gave to BTUSA went to pay Schleck for this promotion.
I would bet ski corp kick in some moolah too.
1999 1 year, 9 months ago
oh and the money given to BTUSA was our tax dollars.
bcpow 1 year, 9 months ago
Or maybe he is training here before the race and went for a ride with some locals.
1999 1 year, 9 months ago
my guess is he is getting paid to be here, paid to race here, paid to ride the promotional ride today.
nothing wrong with that until you think about where he money might have come
Zed 1 year, 9 months ago
I was embarrassed (and scared) by how reckless people were riding on this ride. I understand the excitement of meeting Andy and wanting your kids to touch him, but I don't understand crossing the yellow line into the wrong lane on blind hills and corners. One bad accident is not what our cycling community needs, it was an eye opener for me.
Re:$, His team is sponsored by Trek, and as such he makes appearances on behalf of his team and sponsors, for example at the local Trek dealer in town. I highly doubt anyone in the city/ski area paid for this ride as much as some wish that was the case so they can throw stones.
mtroach 1 year, 9 months ago
Total forum BS. Noone paid Andy to ride today and he was as suprised as anyone how many showed up to participate. I asked him. He was really impressed with everyone that showed up and how big cycling was in this small town. He wanted to give us a chance to ride with him officially so that he could be left alone while out doing his job, training on our great roads for his next big event, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. We should be proud that an athlete of this standard chose Steamboat to prepare for the USAPCC. I'm no BTUSA supported but his choice to come to Steamboat does say quite a lot about our town's friendly drivers and great riding.
Thanks to Andy Schleck and everyone who put this ride together.
George Fargo 1 year, 9 months ago
If this was a promotional event, then the person who "promoted" it should be fired. I am a big fan of Andy (and the Tour) and would have loved the chance to meet him. But I read about it after it was over. It was posted in the Pilot at 11 PM last night. It appears that it leaked out rather than being announced. Sad. Note to Andy - have them announce any future opportunities more in advance. Note to self - check Pilot calendar hourly to be in the know :)
steamboatsprings 1 year, 9 months ago
Geez People please relax. We live in a great town with friendly people, incredible biking and some great things to come if you are unhappy just move somewhere where you can be or find something to like, most people think this is a great place.
dave fisher 1 year, 9 months ago
Andy really was a good sport to go out on that ride, taking time from his regular training schedule to lead the event and sign autographs for all of the local enthusiasts and racers. he demonstrates the qualities and class of a great champion- dignified and respectful of his competitors whether he wins or not, and also by giving back to the cycling community by being approachable and patient before and during events such as this one. it is no wonder that so many turned out to ride with him. our resident curmudgeons would do well to watch a bit of Matt Sensland's video at the top of this article- check out all of the local groms riding with Andy at the front of the bunch and the smiles on all of their faces (Andy's included). i see nothing but good stuff there and a lot of young people enjoying a ride that they will never forget. locals who have never ridden in a group on road bikes can learn the skills and etiquette needed by participating in the tuesday night ride from Orange Peel Bicycle Service on Yampa ave. there are generally groups for riders of all abilities- lots of fun and you won't get dropped (hint: ride in a group suited to your skill/fitness level). see you there tonight!
dave mcirvin 1 year, 9 months ago
Thanks Andy. Likely under Leopard-Trek contract to "do" appearances....Like the above 'steamboatsprings' comment says, relax.
Hey he didn't select Aspen, Vail or Breck. Celebrate that he picked SS to relax, ride and fish. Glad he didn't crash, run off the road by some impatient driver or suffer a flat on the beat up River Road surface. We're not a cycling mecca yet but the strides (pedal strokes) over the past 5 years have been impressive.
some thanks to Lance, Bill Ritter et al.
housepoor 1 year, 9 months ago
No good deed should go unpunished in our friendly town.......
I just happened to be out on 5th St before the ride and there was definitly a buzz and this was just a practice ride
the race should be awesome
JustSomeJoe 1 year, 9 months ago
in terms of "leaking' the event, I saw invites about the ride on Saturday on Facebook from Routt County Riders. The Pilot may be a newspaper in town, but don't rely on it for every bit of news or your Steamboat Google. Sorry you didn't get a personal invite to fit within your schedule George Fargo.
Nicole Miller 1 year, 9 months ago
The ride was posted on our Facebook page at 1 p.m. Sunday and in our Twitter feed shortly after. If you missed it, consider following us on either site for updated news alerts.
Facebook: Steamboat Pilot & Today Twitter: steamboatpilot
Nicole Miller news editor 970-871-4246 nmiller@SteamboatToday.com
Jeff Kibler 1 year, 9 months ago
Zed, you participated in this ride? You found some aspects unsafe? Reckless? The original photo for this article showed many riding seven abreast, some crossing the double-yellow. I watched both videos. Someone mentioned something about safety that was pretty much ignored.
Zed seems to be the lone wolf who pointed out the danger, and particularly the wrong message we're sending to kids about safe/defensive cycling with this irresponsible behavior.
But I know nothing of cycling. What's Seattle to Monterrey along an incredible coastline only to be run off the road thrice along the way.
rhys jones 1 year, 9 months ago
Technology has been shoving itself down this old curmudgeon's throat since he was a kid; to this day I program computers for the sporadic dime. Computers are not for fun; they are to make money. For relaxation I want anything BUT -- my Trek is a great escape. So if I'm going to have to Facebook or Twitter to hear of it, I'll miss it.
Bikerchick 1 year, 9 months ago
It was posted on FB by Ski & Bike Care on Sunday as well. It wasn't a secret at all. Wish I could have participated. Looked like a lot of fun.
George Fargo 1 year, 9 months ago
Joe and Nicole - you are correct. I only have myself to blame for missing this and I did kick myself pretty hard. But I don't do twitter and I only go to facebook rarely. I do depend on the Pilot. But someone early in the comments called this a "payed off promotional sham". My point was to argue against that, because if it was, it would have been all over the news and other outlets for a week or more. The way it came out told me it was indeed a genuine spontaneous gesture by Andy to the community. And that is how I view Andy and why he is one of my favorites in the Tour.
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