USA Pro Challenge Cyclists speak on this year’s race and more…

The USA Pro Challenge kicked off the week on Saturday with a rider press conference.

Here’s a few of their thoughts on this year’s USA Pro Challenge, last year’s race and more.

Tom Danielson on Durango “I’ve only been here a few hours and I’ve tried to stay calm and chill out but since I got here it’s just fantastic.”
	Vincenzo Nibali on Colorado “This is the first time I have come to Colorado and it is pretty beautiful regarding the welcome I have received so far.”
Jens Voigt on retirement “Ah, retirement. That’s not even in my vocabulary.”
	Taylor Phinney on riding in his first USA Pro Challenge “I’m excited for this race, you know this is my home race. I missed it last year. I was struggling in the Vuelta. It was like 110 degrees every day and I’d go to bed every night and just be crying as I watched all these guys on my iPad going up Independence Pass with huge crowds.”
Cadel Evans on racing last year in the USA Pro Challenge “I just thought of it as such as great place to have a race and the whole concept and having a good organization. The race fits so well in the world of cycling.  We have the Tour de France and the World Championships but now we have a race on this side of the planet.  I was very happy as a fan of cycling to see it was so successful last year.”
	Tejay Van Garderen on the Tour de France and the Olympics “July was a fun month. It went better than I could have imagined. It’s one of those things that it was fun now that it’s over. Even during that whole month I still had in the back of my mind that I wanted to still be fit and ready for this race. I am definitely excited to be here.”
Christian Vande Velde on what the USA Pro Challenge means to him “Having the opportunity to race this caliber of race in the United States let alone in Colorado where we know most of the roads already means a great deal to all of us. This is something we always dreamed of as young professionals and even older professionals, so to actually have this come to fruition is an amazing experience.”
	Levi Leipheimer on the Inaugural USA Pro Challenge “Last year was fantastic. You could really feel that Colorado had been bursting at the seams and itching for a race of this caliber. It had been 23 years since the Coors Classic and they just came out with all that enthusiasm and it was amazing to be a part of. Last year’s race was epic.”

Kim Hull is a Partner with Chasing Light Media and publisher of the online magazines Cycling Perspective & Middle Aged Ski Bum.

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