FRASER, CO (March 11) — The U.S. Ski Team and Organizing Committee of The Colorado International Spring Series (CISS) are pleased to announce the 2004 running of the International Spring Series ski races in Grand County, Colo., March 27-April 4, 2004. Elite international cross country skiers from Nordic powers like Sweden, Norway and Germany will challenge the best from USA and Canada in an exciting six-stage race for $15,000 in prize money while recreational racers from around the country will line up next to them in pursuit of $15,000 in merchandise.
2004 should be a banner year for top-level talent, with the U.S. Ski Team bringing athletes hot off their best World Cup finishes in years. Kris Freeman is coming off his fourth place in the 2003 World Championships and several top-5 results this season. American athletes will be joined by several groups of top European skiers who will be looking to challenge the North Americans for the $15,000 cash purse while celebrating the end of the season with a spring vacation.
Elite athletes on the roster feature a number of top Germans, including Olympic gold medalists Manuela Henkel and Claudia Kuenzel. Kuenzel had seven World Cup podiums this season.Â
The Series, presented by Devil's Thumb Ranch and Snow Mountain Ranch, includes overall competitions similar to the Tour de France, offering cash prizes and tracking leaders throughout the Series with the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine “leader's jersey†for fastest cumulative time, the Devil's Thumb Ranch Sprint leader jersey, and the Wells Fargo Climbing leader jersey.
Detailed event and registration information can be found on the CISS web site, <http://springseries.com/ss/, or by calling Race Director Nathan Schultz at 303.413.0562. Special travel and lodging discounts are available through travel partner Ski.com. Athletes and spectators wishing to find information on travel and lodging packages can call 800.778.8589 x332 for special CISS arrangements including lodging at Devil's Thumb and Snow Mountain Ranch.
A full schedule of parties and social events surrounding the races will keep the energy level high among spectators and racers. Short sprint and criterium races will provide exciting spectator opportunities as racers go head-to-head at maximum velocity, while the fight for the overall series jerseys will energize the long-distance races and add a strategic element to the entire series.
Get the full event schedule at <http://springseries.com/ss/.
Volunteers are needed for many tasks including course control, race administration and backup timing. Interested volunteers should contact Shawn Delaney at 970.887.2152.
The International Spring Series is a prestigious series awarded to Colorado for the first time in 2004. This year's races mark the first time a major cross-country competition has been held in Colorado in more than 10 years. The series has traveled around the country to different venues and has a long history of attracting the world's best talent.
The Colorado International Spring Series is a Colorado Limited Liability Company, formed in 2003 to organize the CISS and promote top-level ski racing in Colorado.
