The start in Aspen is a great opportunity both for the riders, who will spend several days in this world-famous destination, and for the fans, who will be treated to a spectator-friendly circuit race. It's cool that the town is willing to embrace the race, and there are a ton of activities for cyclists and the community.
Look for a dynamic, aggressive, hard stage, as the riders will come to the start ready to race. Don't be fooled by the short length of the stage: the outcome will not be any different if the race is two hours or four, as we saw in the Salt Lake City circuit in Tour of Utah. I wouldn't say it will be a definite bunch sprint. It will be difficult for teams to control, and with no race leader teams will look for someone else to take charge, leaving the race wide open.
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