By Matthew Beaudin
Telluride Daily Planet Editor

Imagine: A pro road bike race finish streaking down the Spur and
flashing into downtown, the world’s top sprinters elbowing one another
at the San Miguel County courthouse for the win.

It could happen, and somewhat soon: The Telluride region submitted a bid to play host to
a stage of the Lance Armstrong-championed Quiznos Pro Challenge, a
seven-stage contest ripping across Colorado in late August of 2011.

“It looks as if it could end up barreling down the Spur into town,” said
Telluride’s Mayor Stu Fraser of the potential bid. “…Beyond awesome.”

Telluride, though, finds itself pitted against qualified competition, however, as
towns like Aspen, Steamboat and Crested Butte are hoping for a piece of
what will amount to enormous media exposure and plenty of visitors.


“I feel good,” Fraser said. “There’s absolutely no way to tell at this point.”

No, but there is a way to speculate. The race organizers weren’t shy about
hopes of a southwest Colorado stage, and Durango could be considered a
frontrunner in this bike-racing sweepstakes. The other towns in
southwest that submitted proposals were Pagosa and Crested
Butte/Gunnison. If a stage were to include Durango, Telluride is
positioned well: Pagosa is too close and Crested Butte is too far.
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