FEATURE

The High Priest of American Road Racing

By The Outer Line

The Coors Classic bike race put the U.S. on the international map in the 1980s, and was one of the top four cycling events in the world. It launched many of the country’s early icons to stardom - like LeMond, Carpenter-Phinney and Hampsten.  For those old enough to remember, few can forget the image of Bernard Hinault winning his last ever stage race, rolling into North Boulder Park before 50,000 screaming fans.

The original "Classic" set a high bar for operational and marketing excellence in U.S. race promotion.  It created a business model that was wildly successful in its day - one which many events since then have been unable to duplicate. With the recent announcement of a new Colorado race, it's a good time to look back and understand what made the Classic so successful. 
 

The Coors Classic was in many ways the brainchild of the impresario and director Michael Aisner.  His energetic and innovative approach to building the race and connecting fans with entertainment still resonates today.  The Outer Line recently sat down and talked in detail with Aisner; Part 1  of our discussion reminisces about the history and drama of the race. An upcoming Part 2 will dive into the specific philosophies and strategies which made the race so successful.