Coors International Bicycle Classic

Greg LeMond (l.) At the Coors Classic 1987

The Coors International Bicycle Classic ( Red Zinger Classic until 1979 ) was a cycling race that was held in the United States until 1988 . In the years of its existence, it was the longest cycling race in the USA and is considered a milestone in road cycling in the USA, which is why it was also nicknamed America's Tour .

In 1975 the Red Zinger Classic was held in Boulder , Colorado for the first time. The idea for the three-stage race came from Mo Siegel, founder of the Celestial Seasonings Tea Company , who named it after his company's most popular tea variety. The three stages consisted of a one-day race , a time trial and a criterion . As the race got bigger and more popular, Siegel sold the race for a dollar to Michael Aisner , who had been doing public relations for the event up until then.

Aisner won the Coors Brewing Company as a sponsor and continued the race until 1988; it was one of the few road bike races in the USA with professional participation . In 1981, a year after the Olympic boycott , a Soviet team started the Coors International Bicycle Classic as the first in their country to compete in a US road race. The following year the race had a budget of $ 400,000 and 100,000 spectators lined the track. In 1987 the race lasted 19 stages and 1376 miles, starting in Hawaii . Despite the success of the race, Coors ended their involvement in 1989 and the race was discontinued.

In 1985 the Coors Classic formed the background for the film The Winner - American Flyers with Kevin Costner .

Palmarès

winner			Winners
1975	John Howard	United States	Hannah North	United States
1976	John Howard	United States	not carried out
1977	Wayne Stetina	United States	Connie Carpenter	United States
1978	George Mount	United States	Keetie van Oosten-Hage	Netherlands
1979	Dale Stetina	United States	Keetie van Oosten-Hage	Netherlands
1980	Jonathan Boyer	United States	Beth heathen	United States
1981	Greg LeMond	United States	Keetie van Oosten-Hage	Netherlands
1982	Patrocinio Jimenez	Colombia	Connie Carpenter	United States
1983	Dale Stetina	United States	Rebecca Twigg	United States
1984	Doug Shapiro	United States	Maria Canins	Italy
1985	Greg LeMond	United States	Jeannie Longo	France
1986	Bernard Hinault	France	Jeannie Longo	France
1987	Raúl Alcalá	Mexico	Jeannie Longo	France
1988	Davis Phinney	United States	Inga Thompson	United States

Web links

• The Retrogrouch: America's Tour: The Coors Classic. In: bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.de. April 28, 2014, accessed April 16, 2016 . 
• Before the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Red Zinger / Coors Classic podiums were the place to be. In: Denver Post. Retrieved April 16, 2016 . 
• Owen Mulholland: 1986 Coors Classic. In: BikeRaceInfo. Retrieved April 16, 2016 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Lou Dzierzak: The Evolution of American Bicycling . Falcon Guides, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7627-3901-1 , pp. 137 .
2. ↑ Lou Dzierzak: The Evolution of American Bicycling . Falcon Guides, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7627-3901-1 , pp. 138 .
3. ↑ The Retrogrouch: America's Tour: The Coors Classic. In: bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.de. April 28, 2014, accessed April 16, 2016 .