Event organizers announced on Tuesday that beginning next summer, the, Colorado Classic will become a women\u2019s-only event.<\/p>\n
As such, it will be the sole exclusively-women\u2019s stage-race cycling event in the western hemisphere on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar and on USA Cycling\u2019s Pro Road Tour.<\/p>\n
Event organizers hope the move will \u201craise the bar\u201d for pro women\u2019s cycling around the world.<\/p>\n
Event organizers also announced that RPM Events Group LLC will offer \u201cunprecedented\u201d financial support to female athletes at the 2019 event, including a prize purse nearly four times the 2018 women\u2019s purse and more than the men\u2019s 2018 purse, along with stipends to support team travel and expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith free live video streaming coverage each day of the race, the Colorado Classic will put women\u2019s cycling and Colorado on a global stage,\u201d the event\u2019s press release said. \u201cThe live stream and on-demand replays will be syndicated to fans around the world through cycling and partner websites as well as though Facebook Live and the race\u2019s Tour Tracker mobile app.\u201d<\/p>\n
The third annual Colorado Classic will be a 4-stage road race Aug. 22-25. The course and host communities have yet to be announced.<\/p>\n