With the Tour kicking off today, it’s time to lay down the law for the kolo t.c. competition for July. We’re happy to announce a very fun contest for riders to put themselves into the red and see how they stack up against the rest of Michigan’s riders.

For the Giro, we held a total miles competition. Fun, tough and extremely hard to keep putting in the time on the bike as the miles spiraled up to nearly 1,000 for the month of May. For the Tour, we’re tacking ourselves onto the Rapha Rising Challenge from Strava. On July 15, the Tour hits the Pyrenees’ infamous Circle of Death. Rapha challenges you to rack up 6,881 meters of the course of one week.

The 6,881 meters of climbing is 22,525 feet of climbing in a week. It’s no easy task, and in Michigan, it’s nearly impossible. So, while the Rapha competition will probably go to some nutcase in Colorado, we’re offering up a prize for our own champion. The person who climbs the most vertical feet in a week wins a free entry to the Battle at the ‘Burg mountain bike race at Cannonsburg Ski Area on September 8th. They’ll also receive a Short’s Brewery t-shirt, a six pack of Short’s finest, and a really big high five ($7 million dollar value).

To join, make sure you’ve joined Strava using your smartphone or Garmin. Once you’ve made an account, join the Rapha Rising Challenge before July 15 to be eligible.  You should also join the kolo t.c. Gentlemen’s Club, which is a collection of fine cyclists in Michigan. You must join both the Rapha Rising Challenge and the Gent’s club in order to be scored.

Start getting your climbing legs loose for the next two weeks, and stay tuned for a climb-heavy Gentlemen’s Club Ride over the course of the competition.