USA Pro Cycling Challenge posters revealed
After sorting through hundreds of submissions and tabulating thousands of votes, the posters for the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge are being revealed.
Well, we can at least see the winning artwork. Some of the wonderful images will be matched with equally eyecatching typography in coming weeks for the completed poster designs.
See the amazing winning artwork!
One image will serve as the official commemorative poster for the second annual stage race across Colorado. Others will serve to promote the host cities of the seven stages of the race, which begins Aug. 20 in Durango and ends Aug. 26 in Denver (with a stage finish in Colorado Springs on Aug. 24).
Cycling enthusiast Leanna Johnson, of Montrose, created the winning design for the national poster. Montrose will serve as the start of Stage 2 of the race, which ends that day in Crested Butte.
“Cycling has always played a big role in my life,” said Johnson. “The USA Pro Cycling Challenge has had a great impact on the state of Colorado and the nation, and in my poster I wanted to portray the huge feat the racers face while competing throughout the Rocky Mountains. It is such an awesome event and I'm so excited to be a part of it!”
Johnson's design for the overall race poster depicts the intensity of a cyclist with a pack of riders at his heels against a background of the Rocky Mountains and a muted Old Glory.
“The incredible poster design Leanna Johnson created captures the intensity of the riders competing in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in a very artistic and patriotic fashion,” said Stacie Lange, Executive Vice President of the USA Pro Challenge.
Poster designs were submitted from artists in 23 states. More than 4,000 fans voted for their favorite designs on the race Facebook page.
The posters will be sold to race fans online and onsite during the race. A portion of the proceeds from each national poster sold will be donated to America’s Road Home.
The poster for Colorado Springs, the finish city for Stage 5, was designed by Ohio artist James Billiter. The design features notable landmarks Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, through which cyclists will race after biking miles from the starting line in Breckenridge.
“With family in Colorado, I am fortunate enough to visit every couple of years,” said Billiter in a news release. “The poster was inspired by one of my first visits in 2002. We hiked in Garden of the Gods and I was awestruck by the magnificence of Pikes Peak in the distance.”
The poster was selected from several submitted designs. Local judges included Mayor Steve Bach, Chris Carmichael of Carmichael Training Systems and Steve McCauley of USA Cycling.
Aspen's poster was designed by Callie Hegstrom, of Lone Tree; Beaver Creek's by Shen, of Avon; Breckenridge's by Nikki Arcieri, of Breckenridge; Golden's by Jesse Crock, of Golden; Boulder's by Sean Herman, of Denver; and Denver's by Robb Reece.
