Snowmass history: May showers and mudslides, oh my!

The Aspen Times reported on the Velo Club races, which went on despite the weather, on May 23, 1985: “At one point race organizers scurried for safety as a mud and rock slide crashed down on the race course. Rain fell throughout most of the day on cyclists competing in the Aspen Velo Club’s first annual USCF sanctioned Snowmass Stage Race held Saturday. But that’s par for the course in bicycle racing where the elements contribute to the overall experience. In the Velo Club’s two-stage event, the weather was a good training experience for this early in the season. With 56 racers competing in six categories for $1,500 in prize money, the purse was spread out evenly enough to make almost everyone happy. In category three, all six racers received a cash prize. Of the total number of racers, 17 were from Aspen, many of whom did well in their categories. Ranjeet Grewal, brother of Alexi, the Olympic gold medalist, placed second overall in the Senior men’s I and IIs behind overall winner Doug Smith. Another favorite Aspen racer Tom Hayles of the Hub placed fifth. In the Senior men’s category IV, five Aspen racers took positions in the top seven finishers. Aspenite Tim Rutherford won the category with Mike Seeberg coming in second, Andy Mitchell and Peirre Pelletier placed fourth and fifth and John Wilkinson, co-organizer of the Aspen Velo Club, placed seventh. In the Vets category of men 35 years and older, Beige Jones won overall in front of Aspen’s George Gordon, third, and Bob Osborn, seventh. Aspen women had a good showing with Linda Kappeli, Kathy Chamberlain and Lorna Reid placing second, third and fourth behind winner Barbara Donovan. Aspen woman Gail Jones ranked ninth.”