Dirt roads featured prominently in this 103-mile affair with 14,000 feet of climbing. Photo courtesy Rapha

Dirt roads featured prominently in this 103-mile affair with 14,000 feet of climbing. Photo courtesy Rapha​

Back in early September, we told you a little about the 2014 Rapha Colorado Gentlemen's Race, which was primary testing ground for our time on the new Trek Émonda SLR 8 road bike. But for a true sense of what that grueling day was like, one need check out this superbly done video edit below. It does a great job of capturing the essence of an experience I've frankly tried to block out. So much suffering in one day is best forgotten. Also be sure to check out this race recap from former pro peloton star Andy Hampsten (the only American to win the overall title at the Giro d'Italia), who wrote of the final miles of the Rapha ride, "Before we reached our destination, there was the small matter of Lickskillet Road. Seven-tenths of a mile that, even on a good day, can feel like an entire mountain. To know this road is to avoid it."

[vimeo width="610" height="343"]https://vimeo.com/108232389[/vimeo]