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Ride The Rockies Stops In Hotchkiss

Ride the Rockies, Hotchkiss, bicycle

Ride the Rockies kicked off its second day with a 96 mile ride from Grand Junction to Hotchkiss on Monday.

Hundreds of riders braved the heat and a steep climb over the Grand Mesa. 

The ride ended in Hotchkiss where cyclists didn’t descend onto the town all at once. Some rode in small groups and others were riding solo.

Carrie Yantzer, the principal of Hotchkiss K8, and a few other supporters greeted people as they peddled past.

Yantzer said she’s happy to see Ride the Rockies return to town. 

"I just think that it's a great opportunity for not only the Hotchkiss community but surrounding communities just to show them what we have and [where] we are located...in this beautiful part of the state," she said. 

Julian De Villiers came from Alberta, Canada to participate in the bike tour.

"I’m here because I had no option but to ride my bike from Grand Junction to Hotchkiss." De Villiers said. "Today was quite a grueling day. There was a mean climb up the Grand Mesa. I’m going to say it was a nice ending to it once you come down to the descent into the towns."

Kim Vecchio of Fort Collins said this is her first time riding in the event, but she’s been preparing.

"So I started training probably in January and I just rode as many days as I possibly could," Vecchio said. "I got out as much as I could [and] climbed a lot."

Ride the Rockies lasts seven days and covers more than 460 miles. This year the tour will end in Westcliff. 

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