On Friday, August 24th, Colorado Springs hosted the thrilling conclusion of Stage 5 of the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The riders traveled 117.9 miles from Breckenridge to Colorado Springs. The terrain between was tough: a 10 mile climb up Hoosier Pass to 11,500 feet, a climb up the 9,500 feet of Wilkerson Pass, a sprint down Highway 24 through Woodland Park, and an uphill climb through the Garden of the Gods. The race concluded with a 3 circuit sprint through downtown Colorado Springs.
American Tyler Farrar won Stage 5 completing the grueling course seven minutes faster than anticipated. Mayor Bach welcomed the race to Colorado Springs and presented a specially designed Colorado Springs belt buckle to Tyler. Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Gray was one of the thousands of people who turned out to support this great race. The Mayor and his wife Suzi congratulate all of the racers on their achievements and look forward to taking in the final stage on Sunday with Governor Hickenlooper in Denver.





