For five years, top international cyclists raced over towering mountain passes and flashed through Colorado towns in the week-long USA Pro Challenge.
But while it drew roughly a million spectators a year, the Pro Challenge never made money. This year, its backers shut down the race.
Now a new group of investors, including the Walton family of Wal-Mart fame and the heir to a Colorado sporting goods dynasty, want to try a new approach. They've announced plans for a four-day competition that could start next year.
If the race succeeds, though, it will be bucking a trend: Similar contests across the country have failed because of high costs and low returns.
Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner spoke with Fred Dreier, editor of Boulder-based Velo News, about plans for the new race and the challenges it would face.
