End of music festival and start of the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Suffering withdrawal symptoms with the last concert on Sunday and the last of the opera scenes masterclasses the day before. 8 weeks of staggeringly good music and opera though, enhanced by having our lovely flautist Erica staying with us. We miss the melodic sounds of her early morning practicing.

No sooner had all the musicians left than the pro cycling teams arrived in force. 16 teams of 8 riders each and all that goes with that.  All staying in Snowmass and quite a coup for the village with the event being broadcast on TV by NBC to 120 countries. The first 2 of 7 stages started in Aspen one of them passing a few metres from our house. M and I responsible for registering course marshals around Snowmass and the marshalling on the course. Quite a specatcle. No doping we hope. Chris Froome  and Peter Sagan both riding. No mention though of the D word at the opening ceremony at the Snowmass base village on Sunday night ( apart from a few audible murmurs from some in the crowd ). No word either of  disgraced local resident Lance who sensibly is keeping low profile as far as we know.

Top of Rim Trail - a nice 2 hour mountain bike ride from the house

A typical section of the descent to Horseranch

A delightful ride with Martha ( ever game ! ) down from Divide into the Snowmass Creek water basin and thence to the Village Smiddy in Carbondale Dick joining us there for a very jolly lunch.

Surely they could have fitted on another dozen. Part of the post peloton cavalcade.

My very comfortable marshalling spot. They went past here on each of their 3  loops from Aspen to Snowmass via Medicine Bow and the other side of the Roaring Fork - 66 miles (in total) , 3000 feet of climbing per lap and averaging about 25 mph.

The Canondale team including stage winner Peter Sagan in a sprint finish in downtown Aspen.

On lap 3 with Canondale team organising themselves to rein in a breakway group of 3 who had passed a couple of minutes before.

The morning of stage 2 from Aspen to Breckenridge. M and I left Buttermilk carpark before 7 and got to this position for a picnic and bird's eye view half a mile or so from summit of Independence Pass - 18 miles and 4,300 feet from downtown Aspen.

Took them an hour and us 3!

I thought they could fit more !

The summit of Independence Pass at 12,100 feet and just in time to see the back end of the party - Aspen style - Red Bull fueled .........