Colorado Classic officials on Tuesday "severed their previously announced relationship with Lance Armstrong and the controversial cyclist's podcast," according to Seth Boster of the Colorado Springs GAZETTE. The move comes after race organizers "learned their 'media partnership' with Armstrong would violate his lifetime ban from the sport." Armstrong yesterday was "expected to be in downtown Colorado Springs" for the four-day race starting today, which he "planned to follow to Breckenridge and Denver while broadcasting his new show, 'Stages.'" Armstrong's manager Mark Higgins said that the plan is now for Armstrong to "set up each day at Infinite Monkey Theorem in Denver, the city holding the music festival complementing the race." Race organizers were "interested in the potential exposure that 'Stages' could lend to the inaugural race." RPM Events Group Chair Ken Gart, whose group is organizing the event, said, "We feel like he's a voice. I'm not an expert on USADA. I don't know much about his suspension. But we don't want to get into any controversial waters." The race initially was to "help pay production and traveling expenses as Armstrong streamed live from a trailer doubling as a studio." But that support would "put at risk the Colorado Classic's prestigious sanctioning as part of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 8/9). In Denver, Jason Blevins noted if race organizers "went forward" with the Armstrong deal, the race "could lose its international sanctioning, a fatal blow that would likely pull top cyclists from the race roster." Colorado Classic spokesperson Ben Davis said that organizers "'welcome all media outlets,' but the deal with Armstrong's nascent 'Stages' -- which he debuted during last month’s Tour de France, harvesting more than 5 million downloads -- irked USADA." Race organizers said that they "reached out to Armstrong after the July success of his podcast to get him to follow the Colorado Classic" (DENVER POST, 8/9).
