While the hills of Wisconsin certainly can’t match the steep sustained climbs found in mountain stages of the Tour de France, Ventura compared the proposed finishing loop’s succession of brief, intense climbs to the famed Paris-Nice one-day classic.

Man, you’d think they’d have access to Wikipedia at ESPN.

By the way is there really anywhere around Chicago, including Wisconsin, that would make for a challenging enough course? I’ve never ridden these roads around Madison – I was planning to bring my bike on a road trip there a couple of months ago, wanted to ride the Blue Mound park (the “Ventoux of the Midwest”), but the trip was canceled. I recently read this account of riding there which makes me suspicious:

2:45 pm: We literally pass by the Blue Mound, we can see it to our left and wonder when we will be heading up to the top. Mike has repeatedly warned us about the ascent. “Leg breakingly” steep, I think it is a phrase that has been thrown around.

3:00 pm: Daniel is on the hill and quietly says “300 meters to go” I look at him questioningly but say nothing. “Is this a joke?” I thought. “The hill just started.”

3:04 pm: He wasn’t joking and we’ve conquered Blue Mound State Park. Next Please.

Then again there are plenty of really hard races without big mountains, guess this will be one of them if Chicago gets the bid.

In the Pro/1/2 field they had around 80 starters and only 26 finished…Though a course that lookds extremely hard on paper, it will demoralize you. Hopefully Chi-town gets the bid.