What is the course record?

The old Coors Classic Time Trial Route on Vail Pass

The old time trial course once used in the Coors Classic is again being used in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. This route has not been laying dormant all these years, it continues to be an active race route. 

I was told by Eric Smith of Medalist Sports (the organizer of the USA Pro Challenge) at the Volunteer meeting in Denver, that Andy Hampsten held the course record, but this evening I read that this same course has been used for the last six years in the Teva Mountain Games and the record holder is not Hampsten, but Ben Day of Kenda-5 Hour Energy Pro Cycling. The course record is 25:48. 

The official route of USA Pro Challenge Stage 3 begins in the town of Vail and finishes at the cul-de-sac on the frontage road on Vail Pass (not at the summit which is 5 miles up the road). Some claim this record will be broken next week as the pros take on the famous climb. I am curious to see what kind of bikes the teams decide to use for a 10-mile mountain time trial, and whether the valley winds will pick up as expected in the afternoon. Bicycling.com predicts, "the overall leader here is likely going to be the winner." A Route for All-Rounders by Bicycling.com 

Who is the record holder? To clarify I sent off an email to Kenda 5-hour Energy Pro Cycling Team and promptly received an email back from Chad Thompson, stating that Ben Day is in fact the record holder for the route that is Stage 3 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Now why Ben Day and his team are not coming to this race, no one seems to know, but I think the record holder should have been given a chance to defend his record.

Ben Day the fastest man on Vail Pass  Photo found on Glendoramtnroad.blogspot.com

Andy Hampsten might be cute but he is not the fastest.

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