Cassatt; Chris
“Racers feel agony of victory as Coors Classic zings along” described the Aspen Times in 1980, then went on to explain “the sport is called bicycle racing, but the racers know better. For the race that passed through the Aspen area Tuesday and Wednesday might better be named the Coors International Pain Classic. It is the ability to endure mass quantities of pain that separate the International bicycle racers from the ordinary human being. Even the casual spectator, struggling to walk up the 12% of Suicide Hill as the racers roll by, must recognize that the pain of the sport has little to do with the strawberries and bruises covering the arms and legs of the competitors unfortunate enough to take a spill.” Bob Cook winner of the 20-lap circuit was quote: “It hurt a lot. There wasn’t a lot of teamwork, just a lot of grinding.” And Beth Heiden, winner of two events, said: “I’m tired. I hardly made it up the last (Suicide) hill.”