Colorado Classic cycling race will include a music festival headlined by Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie

What can make a professional cycling race profitable? The new Colorado Classic hopes the answer is a music festival.

Ashley Dean

Mar. 01, 2017, 1:19 p.m.

Gov. John Hickenlooper and Bill Walton at the Velorama Colorado announcement March 1, 2017. (Photo: Evan Semón Photography)

What can make a professional cycling race profitable? The new Colorado Classic hopes the answer is a music festival.

The Aug. 10-13 race through Denver, Breckenridge and Colorado Springs will be accompanied by a three-day music festival in Denver — Velorama Colorado.

Among the headliners are Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, New Pornographers, Saint Motel and La Santa Cecilia. Velorama is also boasting more than 200 local vendors in partnership with the Denver Flea, food trucks, a beer garden, a bike expo, games and parties.

Presumably, you can also glimpse very fit athletes going very fast on very expensive bicycles.

The Colorado Classic will be the first pro cycling race in the state since the USA Pro Challenge was discontinued in 2015 because investors “lost millions.”

It’s all happening Aug. 11-13 across 12 blocks of River North. A limited number of one-day tickets will be $25, then they’ll cost $35 in advance and $45 at the event. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

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Gov. John Hickenlooper and Bill Walton at the Velorama Colorado announcement March 1, 2017. (Photo: Evan Semón Photography)