The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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In Monday’s Mailbag, Mike Brunken of Morrison, Colorado, in applauding the announcement of an upcoming Tour of California, posed the question: “How do we get something similar in Colorado?” We thought it was a good one, and passed it along to USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia and American Cycling Association executive director Beth Wrenn-Estes, whose organizations sanction events in the state. Their responses – and yours – follow. – Editor

Beth Wrenn-Estes: Marquee events demand tons of money and time
Editor:
I have been promoting bicycle races in Colorado since the mid-1970's. I was the race director of the 1999 Red Zinger Bicycle Classic, which was a huge success and was hoped to develop into a Tour of Colorado. Alas, the sponsor decided to go with another promoter, turn it into a one-day event, and after a couple of years that event is no longer with us.

It is incredibly difficult to do anything like the old Coors Classic without money. Sponsorship on this level is difficult to find and then to keep. The Front Range has changed dramatically since the days of Coors, and it has gotten increasingly expensive to secure quality road courses due to the impact that a multi-day race creates.

Not to say that people haven't worked on concepts over the last several years, but without the $1 million to $2 million it would take to do a race of this stature in Colorado, and do it right, I don't see it happening. There are many events trying to build up to a multi-stage format, but it takes time - time to develop relationships, time to develop sponsorships. It would be a wonderful thing to see the State of Colorado itself come on board and provide all the necessary police to do an event of this nature, but in the light of their economic woes that may not be possible.

Is there interest out there for a major bicycle-racing event to come back to Colorado? An overwhelming “yes” is what I say to that question. Please don't think people aren't working on it, because they are. It took me three years to sell the concept for the Red Zinger and alas, after only one year the five-day race was gone.

Check out our website at www.americancycling.org and see the many dedicated individuals, clubs and promoters attempting to put on cycling events in the state. I would suggest you call and speak with them directly to hear the pros and cons of what they face in their race promotions. It is a huge task to put on an event like the Coors Classic, and Mike Aisner was a genius at both the sponsorship procurement and the courses he chose. It was also a full-time job with office staff and office overhead for him. He still lives in Boulder and I am sure would love to comment on then and now as far as a major tour hitting Colorado again.

As for me, I can still dream of having a big event back.

Beth Wrenn-Estes
Executive Director, American Cycling Association
Race Director, Bob Cook Memorial/Mt. Evans Hill Climb

Gerard Bisceglia: Find a sponsor and it will come
Editor:
Mr. Brunken is right - California should be congratulated. Cycling has been fortunate to find a sponsoring organization anxious to expand our sport in their state. Events of this nature are very expensive and require a sponsor willing to take the risk. California is the home of 35,000,000 people, great course potential, national media exposure and two of the great cities of the world.

Colorado, having already hosted the Coors Classic, has proven to be a great home for an elite stage race. I have at times spoken to different promoters about bringing another stage race to Colorado. The answer is always the same: "When we find a sponsor." When that happens you will see the race we all hope for.

Gerard Bisceglia
CEO, USA Cycling

Tour of Colorado could tap (and replenish) ski-town coffers
Yeah, why is there no Tour of Colorado? If organizers got each big-time ski town to sponsor one stage we could have a six-stage race. Think of the PR Vail, Aspen, Steamboat, Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Telluride would get.

The number of Europeans skiing this year has been big - why not get them back here next fall for a great race? And it will remind those folks to make their ski reservations earlier. Plus it would let us take some more Colorado Front Range tourist dollars during the non-skiing season.

Phil Struve
Avon, Colorado

Phil, the most recent attempt to get a ski-town race weekend going in Colorado - last year's proposed three-day, $1.6 million, Labor Day weekend Rocky Mountain Classic in Vail - failed after organizers were unable to land a title sponsor despite a commitment to appear from Lance Armstrong. - Editor

Ask not what the feds can do for you …
Editor:
With all due respect to Mr. Brunken and the editors, forwarding a request for a large pro event in (insert city or state here) to USA Cycling or the ACA will yield nothing. USA Cycling does not front cash for large pro events. Typically it's the other way around.

Speaking as a resident of Minnesota where the wonderful Nature Valley Grand Prix is held, I can say with a large degree of certainty that what you need to hold a large, NRC-caliber race is:

1. A dedicated promoter - David LaPorte is the NVGP's director and is instrumental in ensuring this is a smooth event, as well as being involved with the Yoplait women's series.2. Promotion company and/or volunteers - the NVGP happens only with the force of an army of local volunteers from many of the local cycling club teams.3. Corporate sponsorship dollars. Our race bears the name of General Mills' granola bar product line and without their financing as title sponsor, I am sure it wouldn't happen.

Sitting back and requesting that someone else bring a race to your area won't make anything happen. Getting involved will - which holds true for local and national-caliber events.

Andrew Kruse
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Quit being a consumer and try producing for a change
Editor:
As a former resident of Colorado and a child of grass-roots-racing programs, both in Oregon and Colorado, I can appreciate the enormous amounts of time and effort put in by those like ACA Executive Director Beth Wrenn-Estes and Candi Murray of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association.

As for Mr. Brunken's question - "How do we get something similar in Colorado?" - there's a simple answer. Don't just ask - do something.

I believe that this sport can't survive, and indeed is having trouble doing so, because people are simply consumers, and not producers. I know for a fact that you can call any number of clubs, or associations and offer help in their events. They will not turn you away.

In doing so, you are helping to answer your own question - you are aiding an organization to create an environment that will attract the needed sponsors for large events like the Tour of Georgia, the Tour of California, Tour Dupont, Coors Classic, Redlands Bicycle Classic or Cascade Cycling Classic - races that have not only happened once, but have been sustained by a great cycling community, not only by corporate sponsorship.

Races like Cascade and Redlands each have existed for more than 20 years not only because of consistent corporate sponsorship, but also the dedication of the cycling community and the community at large.

Nils Tillstrom
Portland, Oregon

Pose this question to the promoters
Editor:
Instead of asking USA Cycling head Gerard Bisceglia and ACA head Beth Wrenn-Estes, why don't you ask the former promoters why they quit putting on races?

Is it because the ACA riders threatened promoters they would boycott a race if it were a USA Cycling race? Is it because USA Cycling racers said they wouldn't come to a race if were sanctioned by ACA? Is it because the two organizations helped create a mass of paperwork for the promoters?

Or are there no races because no racers want to travel more than an hour to a race site? Or because a race is too long, or - God forbid - a stage race? Is it because the promoters all wanted the same weekend for their event? Or maybe it's because the racers don't want to attend award ceremonies where the promoter has promised the sponsors recognition.

What about cities and towns that won't allow streets to be shut down for a bike race? What about cities that started charging promoters for police and ambulance service - and told the promoters how many police and ambulances would be needed and how much they would cost? Is it because planning a safe race is at least a yearlong project? Is it because the large pool of Rocky Mountain cyclists has aged and has other priorities now?

Mike - step up to the plate and become a promoter. I'm sure you could ask USA Cycling and ACA for help.

Dee Dee Lore
Casper, Wyoming

Any Colorado race promoters, past or present, like to add something to the discussion? Send your thoughts to webletters@insideinc.com.– Editor

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The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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