(Update: June 20 — Ride the Rockies cyclist recovering from car collision; wildfire won't interrupt bike ride)
Organizers of the 2007 Ride the Rockies might be forced to detour 2,000 bicyclists around a wildfire on Wednesday on the 36-mile stage from Rifle to Glenwood Springs.
The so-called New Castle fire, which started Sunday, has scorched 350 acres about 10 miles west of Glenwood Springs. Some 200 firefighters, with air tanker support, were expected to be fighting the blaze by Tuesday night because it is threatening hundreds of homes.
The route for Ride the Rockies passes right through the fire zone, reports Greg Moody with CBS4 in Denver, and tour organizers were considering two options.
The easiest would detour the bike riders onto I-70 going into Glenwood Springs (according to a Ride the Rockies guide, the last 5 miles on Wednesday uses I-70 anyway); the other involves somehow packing up all the cyclists and moving them some 190 miles around the fire zone.
Their decision will depend on how much of the fire can be contained on Tuesday and which direction the wind is blowing.
The 22nd annual Ride the Rockies is a supported bicycle tour sponsored by the Denver Post. This year's ride, which started Sunday, covers 422 miles and visits host cities Frisco, Steamboat Springs, Craig, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, and Leadville before returning to Frisco.
News reports and some bloggers mentioned stiff headwinds crossing Rabbit Ears Pass the first day. The Steamboat Pilot&Today reports a male cyclist was struck by a car on Rabbit Ears Pass on Sunday, but was concious and breathing when taken to Yampa Valley Medical Center.
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