Red Zinger Mini Classics
Encyclopedia
Red Zinger Mini Classics (RZMC) is a series of youth boys and girls road bicycle races held annually across the state of Colorado
from 1981–1992, and revived again in 2010. The RZMC races served as an opportunity for young cyclists to get involved in the sport, and attracted hundreds of young boys and girls age 10-15 to each racing event.
, a professional international-level bicycle race held in Colorado which later became the Coors Classic
.
The RZMC youth races began as the 5-day "Mini Zinger" stage race in 1981 as the brainchild of a former Celestial Seasonings employee Ed Sandvold, who along with sons Erik & Quinn designed an event for kids that parroted the Red Zinger Classic pro/am race. They created a race magazine and clothing and other RZBC looking merchandise. Later young Erik and Quinn were joined by other youth race directors, Mike Hooker and Ron Schwartztrauber. At that time the US Cycling Federation did not did not have a good development system for younger cyclists interested in trying the sport. Therefore the RZMC series allowed kids younger than 15 to get a taste of competitive road cycling.
The series grew to add several smaller 3-day stage races across the state of Colorado and also northern New Mexico. The races included the Horsetooth Stage Race (Fort Collins, CO), the Vail Stage Race (Vail/Avon, CO), Aspen Stage Race (Aspen, CO), Denver Stage Race (Denver, CO and suburbs), and the Albuquerque Stage Race (Albuquerque, NM). However, the pinnacle event each season remained the 5-day Mini Zinger stage race, which had events in several locations across the front-range of Colorado, mostly centered around the Boulder, CO area.
The Mini Zinger included races on some of Colorado's most famous cycling routes, such as the Morgul-Bismarck in Broomfield, CO. Some race courses were adapted as shorter versions of courses made famous by the Coors Classic.
The RZMC youth road cycling races continued until 1992, when several challenges led to the demise of the series, including competition with increasingly popular (and new at that time) mountain bike racing, reducing the number of participants in road events. For the last year of the series (1992) the RZMC series teamed up with the USCF-LAJORS program (US Cycling Federation - Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series) and had good participation, however rider commitments for a further year in 1993 were minimal and the racing series came to an end. No such youth cycling development program has since taken its place.
Jonathan Vaughters
- Tour de France
rider, former US Postal Service Cycling Team member, director sportif of Team Garmin-Cervélo
Bobby Julich
- Professional cyclist, former Tour de France
rider, and current Racing Coach of Team Sky
Chris Wherry
- Professional cyclist and 2005 USPRO national road champion
Ruthie Matthes
- Professional mountain bike and road cyclist and 1991 World Mountain Bike Champion
Colby Pierce - Olympian and world track cycling champion
Jimi Killen - Former professional mountain bike racer and 1990 Junior World Mountain Bike Champion
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
from 1981–1992, and revived again in 2010. The RZMC races served as an opportunity for young cyclists to get involved in the sport, and attracted hundreds of young boys and girls age 10-15 to each racing event.
History 1981-1992
This youth series was arguably the biggest youth bike racing series ever conducted in the USA. The name for the Red Zinger Mini Classic was derived from the original Red Zinger Bicycle ClassicRed Zinger Bicycle Classic
The Red Zinger Bicycle Classic was a road bicycle racing stage race.-History:In 1975, Mo Siegel and John and Wyck Hay, founders of the Celestial Seasonings herbal tea company, launched the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic race to promote alternative transportation in the Greater Boulder area,...
, a professional international-level bicycle race held in Colorado which later became the Coors Classic
Coors Classic
The Coors International Bicycle Classic was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor, the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in 1975...
.
The RZMC youth races began as the 5-day "Mini Zinger" stage race in 1981 as the brainchild of a former Celestial Seasonings employee Ed Sandvold, who along with sons Erik & Quinn designed an event for kids that parroted the Red Zinger Classic pro/am race. They created a race magazine and clothing and other RZBC looking merchandise. Later young Erik and Quinn were joined by other youth race directors, Mike Hooker and Ron Schwartztrauber. At that time the US Cycling Federation did not did not have a good development system for younger cyclists interested in trying the sport. Therefore the RZMC series allowed kids younger than 15 to get a taste of competitive road cycling.
The series grew to add several smaller 3-day stage races across the state of Colorado and also northern New Mexico. The races included the Horsetooth Stage Race (Fort Collins, CO), the Vail Stage Race (Vail/Avon, CO), Aspen Stage Race (Aspen, CO), Denver Stage Race (Denver, CO and suburbs), and the Albuquerque Stage Race (Albuquerque, NM). However, the pinnacle event each season remained the 5-day Mini Zinger stage race, which had events in several locations across the front-range of Colorado, mostly centered around the Boulder, CO area.
The Mini Zinger included races on some of Colorado's most famous cycling routes, such as the Morgul-Bismarck in Broomfield, CO. Some race courses were adapted as shorter versions of courses made famous by the Coors Classic.
The RZMC youth road cycling races continued until 1992, when several challenges led to the demise of the series, including competition with increasingly popular (and new at that time) mountain bike racing, reducing the number of participants in road events. For the last year of the series (1992) the RZMC series teamed up with the USCF-LAJORS program (US Cycling Federation - Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series) and had good participation, however rider commitments for a further year in 1993 were minimal and the racing series came to an end. No such youth cycling development program has since taken its place.
Revival 2010-
In 2010 a resurrection of the Red Zinger Mini Classics was planned by John Tarkington, Executive Director of the American Cycling Association (Tarkington raced in the Mini Classics as a teen). The two-day stage race was the first event to recreate the Mini Classic junior cycling program and was based in Silt, Colorado. Consistent with the original Mini Classics, age groups from 8–9 years old up the 17-18 were offered. The promoters, which include race promoter Bill Sommers, hope to expand the revival into a series for 2011.Legacy of RZMC
The Red Zinger Mini Classics (RZMC) youth cycling race series provided exposure to the world of cycling to hundreds of young athletes, developing a generation of young Colorado cyclists who went on to have a lifelong interest in the sport. RZMC is credited with the early development of several riders who went on to be accomplished professional cyclists including:Jonathan Vaughters
Jonathan Vaughters
Jonathan Vaughters is an American former professional racing cyclist and current manager of the professional cycling team.- Racing career :...
- Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
rider, former US Postal Service Cycling Team member, director sportif of Team Garmin-Cervélo
Bobby Julich
Bobby Julich
Robert Julich, most commonly referred to as Bobby Julich, is an American former professional road bicycle racer who last rode for Team CSC in the UCI ProTour racing series. He got his international breakthrough when he finished 3rd overall in the 1998 Tour de France race, but has since ridden...
- Professional cyclist, former Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
rider, and current Racing Coach of Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
Chris Wherry
Chris Wherry
Chris Wherry is a professional road racing cyclist from Boulder, Colorado. He currently rides for the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team...
- Professional cyclist and 2005 USPRO national road champion
Ruthie Matthes
Ruthie Matthes
Ruthie Matthes is an American professional bicycle racer who won the World Cross-Country Mountain Bike Championship in 1991. She is also a road cyclist, having twice finished in 2nd place in the Women's Challenge bicycle stage race...
- Professional mountain bike and road cyclist and 1991 World Mountain Bike Champion
Colby Pierce - Olympian and world track cycling champion
Jimi Killen - Former professional mountain bike racer and 1990 Junior World Mountain Bike Champion