Mead Roubaix Prepares Coloradans for European Racing

In Paris, France on April 10th the top bike racers in the world will gather for the Paris-Roubaix race.  Known as the "Hell of the North" the Paris Roubaix is a grueling road race that challenges the handling skills of the racers as they finish up on the cobbled roads of Roubaix.   In Mead, Colorado on April 10th, the same day as the Paris-Roubaix, over 700 racers will gather to start the Mead Roubaix, part of the Colorado Roubaix Series.  This race is as close as many will come to terrain of the Paris-Roubaix.  But for some racers it is the Mead Roubaix that will help prepare them for a future as professional cyclist. 

 

Alexi Grewal is an Olympic gold medalist and former professional road racing cyclist. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Grewal became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in road cycling. His winning bicycle is now at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.  At age 50, Alexi, a Loveland Colorado resident, has decided to make a comeback to the world of professional cycling.   He has chosen to race the Mead Roubaix in preparation for future multi-day stage races.   

 

Robin Eckmann, a recent Boulder High School graduate, now races on Lance Armstrong's  U23 Trek/Livestrong Development team.   Robin first rode the Colorado Roubaix Series in 2006 as a Junior cyclist.  Robin is very excited about racing the Mead Roubaix as it will help prepare him for the Espoire Paris Roubaix this May. 

 

"Mead Roubaix will help me to accomplish some of my goals in preparing for European road races. For example the dirt, although not true cobble stones, will provide some of the challenges of the Paris-Roubaix"   explains Robin, as he talks about the course " I think the Mead Roubaix is a very challenging course and it should be an interesting race.  I have a feeling that if we get a crosswind on the course it will be extremely hard and the race will split up like an European race"! 

 

Tom Zirbel, an well known professional cyclist and national champion, was sidelined in 2008 with a USADA suspension.   His suspension was recently lifted and he, like Alexi, is working to rejoin the professional peloton.   When discussing the Mead Roubaix Tom commented, " I just spent a week on a beach in Mexico so I feel like I'll be specially prepared for the 4" deep sand/gravel sections that the Mead Roubaix course has to offer." 

 

As evidenced, veteran cyclists revere the Mead Roubaix. Not only does a win in the event help make and define a rider's career but it provides the type of training that is rarely found in the US.   

 

The 2011 course has almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain per lap during the 19.4 mile circuit.  Top riders will complete 4 laps for a total of 77.6 miles with winners clocking times around three hours.  First-time competitors and the youngest juniors will do a single lap.  

 

'I'm proud to do this course," says Grealish.  "We include the unpaved sections in honor of the race in France, which is regarded as the hardest one-day event in the world.  We recreate a bit of that here with the dirt. This race is not for everybody, but for the ones that do participate it becomes the best race of the year!"

 

 

The Town of Mead and the Mead Chamber of Commerce have worked closely with DBC Events, building the Mead Roubaix Festival around the bike race.  The Festival will provide a Kidz Adventure Zone, a Doggie Dash, a 5K Run/Walk, the Boulder Beer Garden and many expo vendors.  

 

Sponsors for the Mead Roubaix Road Race  include Boulder Beer, Clif Bar, Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Mead Chamber of Commerce, Podium, Primus Mootry, Singletrack Maps and Victory Circle Graphix.

 

For more details on the race - www.dbcevents.com

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