Peddling Colorado: Pro Challenge economic impact pegged at nearly $100 million.

• Author: Peterson, Eric

About 25 cities bid to host Pro Challenge stages in each of the first three years, says event official Shawn Hunter, and there's a reason the competition is fierce, or, rather, millions of them. The research consultants at IFM North America pegged the economic impact of the race on Colorado at $99.6 million in 2012, up from $83.5 million in 2011.

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"There's a huge impact on the state, but at the end of the day it's private dollars that are creating that impact," says Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Hunter calls the 30 hours of television exposure, "A postcard for our state and communities that host the Pro Challenge."

Hunter also points to a key facet behind designing the race route each year: "One of our goals is to showcase new places in the state." After a southwestern swing to Durango and Telluride in 2012, the route keeps largely to the state's northern half in 2013.

The city of Loveland had unsuccessfully bid on the 2012 race, so the committee took a new tact for 2011 It teamed with Fort Collins, Estes Park, Windsor and Latimer Comity to put together a regional package for northern Colorado km the 2013 USA Pro cycling Challenge, slated for August 19-25.

"We're the only virgin in the group," says jay Hardy, who worked on the local organizing committee that put together the bid 1br Northern Colorado.

In May 2012, the committee brought together stakeholders from local governments and businesses to prepare a bid for the race's sixth stage on August 24. "We were able to get live government entities to agree and--more importantly--bring their checkbooks," says Hardy.

With $225,000 in commitments toward an estimated $500,000 budget, local leaders hopped on Their bikes to courier the regional bid 49 miles to the USA Pro Cycling Challenge office in Denver. "We had 52 people show up to ride together," says Hardy.

It worked. "They were very unique in their approach and we were impressed," says Hunter. The race's sixth stage will begin in Loveland, head east to Windsor, then loop through downtown Loveland before the racers take to the incline to Estes Park and finish in Fort Collins.

"It will give us an opportunity to promote what is unique about Loveland," Hardy says, citing the sculpture gardens and local lakes. "It is only an international opportunity...