Before gravel, there was a time, fleetingly, when road racing in North America was on the ascendency. Buoyed by the success of a certain Texan at a certain race around France, resources previously allocated to more traditional sports began to find their way into cycling. The result was multiple stage races of the highest calibre, on U.S. soil. Reigning world champions and Tour de France heroes—like Thor Hushovd and Cadel Evans—arrived fit and ready to race at the Tours of Utah, Colorado and California.
And a fresh crop of up-and-coming young American racers was ready to rise to the occasion. The next generation: Taylor Phinney, Tejay van Garderen, Alex Howes. In these riders and their contemporaries, U.S. cycling had its protagonists and captured the attention of legions of new fans.
