Pro Cycle Challenge passes up Western Slope

The U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge will return to Colorado next August but it won't be coming to any towns on the Western Slope.

The Grand Junction Visitors and Convention Bureau and city officials worked hard to bring the race here but the host cities were announced yesterday and Grand Junction, like other western slope communities, didn't make the cut.

This year's seven-stage race will cover new territory in Vail, Loveland and Fort Collins.

A committee in Grand Junction submitted a bid for the race to come to town. Chris Brown, of Brown Cycles in Grand Junction, sits on that committee and says it's disappointing that the race will be passing us up.

“It pulls in, you know, 20,000 people for a day to two days when those things land into town. So, that's a huge economic boost for gas, hotel, food, tricks down on main street, knick knacks and things like that. So not having it is definitely a disappointment to us”, explained Brown.

Montrose was home to a start stage for the race earlier this year but they won't be seeing those cyclists return in August. In addition to Grand Junction and Montrose, Telluride, Gunnison and Crested Butte were also passed over.

Brown says the committee will put together a new bid and they hope the race will choose to pedal through in 2014.