An overnight snowfall in the mountains around Durango left 2,500 bicyclists all dressed up with no place to go on Saturday morning for the 37th annual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
The Colorado State Patrol cancelled the popular bicycle road race and bike tour from Durango to Silverton after a foot of snow was measured at the finish line in Silverton and daytime temperatures were only expected to reach the high 30s.
Said race director Gaige Sippy: “We can not have 2,500 cyclists and their friends in Silverton with those weather conditions. Hypothermia in these conditions is a high risk.”
There is a no refund policy in effect and the rides cannot be rescheduled. Other weekend events were not affected as of Saturday morning.
Q & A
Racers can transfer to a time trial or criterium slot later in the weekend, but those spots are limited. More details at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic cancellation Q&A on the website.
VeloNews reports this is only the second time that the bike tour has been cancelled.
Cancelled rides
As in previous years, the Iron Horse was to feature a 50-mile “citizens bike tour” from Durango to Silverton, passing over Coal Bank Pass and Molass Pass. About half of this ride is on winding roads that are closed to traffic for this specific bike ride.
This year, the citizens bike ride field was limited to 1,300 cyclists.
The citizens ride dovetails with the 47-mile UCI-sanctioned road race, which is limited to 1,200 cyclists.
Racers can take one of the limited spots on the criterium race around Durango on Sunday morning or the 13.7 time trial on Monday.
Check Events at the website.
Background
The bicycle classic grew out of a challenge among local cyclists to mark the annual spring return of the Durango & Rio Grande Western Railroad (a narrow-gauge railway that winds through the mountains). The event has turned into a major weekend event over 36 years, drawing some 2,300 riders in 2006.
Ride director Sippy explained that the ride cannot be rescheduled to later in the weekend because the State Patrol road closures permits cannot be reinstated on such short notice. Also coordination with more than 300 volunteers and emergency personnel cannot be handled.
Even though the ride has been cancelled, Sipply said the registration fees cannot be returned. All the costs associated with the rides — permits, law enforcement, t-shirts, bags, food, volunteer perks, insurance, buses, drivers, and staff — have been spent.
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