Pro Cycling Challenge Draws 250,000 In Downtown Denver To See Levi Leipheimer Win

In what appears to be a highly successful return of Professional International Cycling to American soil, Levi Leipheimer won the inaugural Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado.

The seven-day, 518-mile race through the mountains and foothills of Colorado took the riders up and over previously un-raced peaks that reached over 12,000 feet (twice in one day).

Screen Cap from coloradoguy.com

It's estimated that over a million spectators showed up for the week-long race, with 250,000 on the final day.  Colorado is a bicycle-crazy state, but the crowds exceeded expectations.

The top five positions were held by Americans:

Leipheimer: 20:00:24
Christian Vandevelde - 11 seconds behind
Tejay Van Garderen - 17 seconds
Tom Danielson - 21 seconds
George Hincapie - 53 seconds

Australian Cadel Evans, this year's Tour de France winner finished 7th, 1:18 behind.

"I think the racing was very competitive, especially considering the altitude," Evans said. "I don't know if I've raced anywhere in my career where people were so appreciative of my being here. That's not something that a race organizer can control, it's just the ambiance of the race."