75% Of Professional Cyclists In Colorado To Switch To Cross Country Skiing In 2007

A recent study conducted by the CaliRado Cyclist has determined that as many as 75% of all professional cyclists living in Colorado will compete in cross country skiing events instead of bike races in the coming year. Numerous reasons can be sighted for this large-scale change in discipline but most insiders believe that many of the racers will have forgotten how to ride their bikes by the time the snow melts after the numerous blizzards of late 2006 and early 2007.

Current meteorological data does not predict a complete thawing of the Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs and Durango areas until mid 2008, leaving many of the professional cyclists without much to do. "You can only ride the trainer so much before you go crazy," said Claire Rogers, a professional racer out of Boulder who has switched to cross country ski racing for the 2007 season as a result of boredom and potential starvation.

"I tried to ride my mountain bike on one of the two cleared streets in the entire state the other day but didn't know how to keep my balance without a support stand after spending so much time on the trainer. So I just put on the skis back on and headed off. Considering I haven't even been able to drive to the store to get food in like three weeks now…it was a good thing I could ski to the market so that I didn't starve to death. Yeah, skiing is okay by me, I don't think I'll be on the bike much for awhile. After all, I do like to eat and be able to purchase goods and services without killing or seriously injuring myself in the process."

In addition to the need for transportation, many of the cyclists find themselves drawn to cross country skiing due to the lycra skinsuits worn during competition. "As long as I can find a sport that is brutally difficult and allows me to wear skin tight gear from head to toe…I'm a happy camper," exclaimed Jared Connor as he readied himself for an afternoon consisting of 50 laps around North Boulder Park. "I especially like it if I can wear my spandex in a fairly public setting. It's great when I can ride my bike around town but a lot of people will see me out here too."

Despite the appeal of cross country ski racing, many cyclists are saddened by the recent weather and career changes. Durango native and professional mountain biker Eric Kippelman was philosophical about the forced change in his occupation. "It's a bummer that El Nino or whatever had to dump all this snow on us and make me become a crosscountry skier. But that's cool, Mother Nature is a tough lady and I guess that's what I get for living in freaking Colorado. Duh."