Official: Monument bike race bid shot down by Salazar

By Amy Hamilton
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A denial for a proposal by a local committee to host a professional bicycling race at Colorado National Monument is backed by the head of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar.

A Local Organizing Committee comprised of local business owners and interests were denied an initial proposal for a stage race of the Quiznos Pro Challenge by Colorado National Monument superintendent Joan Anzelmo. A second, pared down proposal for a race at the Monument was denied last week by John Jarvis, the director of the National Park Service.

John Wessels, the regional director of the intermountain region of the National Park Service met with members of the LOC earlier in March to discuss the second proposal. Wessels told those in attendance that allowing a stage race at the Monument would set a precedent among parks in the National Park Service.

Wessels, in an e-mail to John Hopkins, said the decision to deny the bike race proposal was supported by Salazar.