Are you watching this? It’s so EXCITING!

It’s called the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, but all you’ve got to know is it’s the same crew from the Tour de France, but now they’re racing in Colorado, where the peaks touch the sky.

Yesterday was a time trial. Down in the flats.

Today they rode over Monarch Pass, which tops 11,000 feet, and then after making the turn in Gunnison, they rode up to Crested Butte, the ski village, at 9,400 feet.

There were people breaking away in front. But they ended up falling back into the peloton, which is a hornet’s nest of riders, swarming forward, a teeming mass of testosterone, energy drinks and strategy.

You see the race is not what it seems. Like an army facing battle, riders sacrifice themselves for those who can truly win. They break the wind and then, when they get close to the finish, the superstars emerge. But you never know which ones. The Colombians are legendary climbers, could they eke it out today?

And it’s a free for all. There are people running alongside, bikers are cutting corners, riding on dirt instead of pavement. It’s like the Yankees battling the Red Sox with fans on the field. You get caught up in it. Especially in a world focused on money, with politics so disillusioning, it’s fascinating to watch these well-oiled specimens slug it out.

And tomorrow they’re going to Aspen. Over two passes. Both exceeding 12,000 feet. Where there’s 60% as much oxygen as at sea level. I feel lightheaded getting out of the car on Independence Pass, I’m wondering how in the hell they’re going to ride their bikes over it.

And the whole state of Colorado is bike crazy.

And it’s pouring a ton of money into the economy.

Then again, it’s not free.

And the governor’s a rider, and he didn’t look stupid talking about the sport.

It’s all on TV. Versus, if you get that channel, used to be called Outdoor Life, OLN. It gets a little long and boring like baseball, but the tension at the end is equivalent to the NBA finals, where you wonder how they perform under such pressure.

Sure, it’s niche.

But whereas niches used to be backwaters, with modern communications techniques, niches can rise, can shine, can grow much larger than previously possible.

They’re beaming the images to a helicopter 2,000 feet in the sky. Occasionally the images freeze, they should have done a bit more preparation. But it’s modern technology that’s making this possible, allowing viewers from all over the world to join in.

And what they’re seeing is Mother Nature. Peaks and desert, a landscape that’ll take your breath away.

And when you see the building-sized American flag hanging in Gunnison you feel proud. It’s not a lapel pin worn by miscreants looking to get rich, it’s a badge of honor, saying this is us, we’re here, isn’t it amazing?

It is.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge