Durango is expected to be the epicenter of the mountain biking world in 2030. On Friday, Buckley Park will be the epicenter for a celebration of Durango’s cycling champions.
The city of Durango is hosting the Ride with the Champions bike parade on Friday as Durango is anticipated to be the host of the 2030 Union Cyclist Mountain Bike World Championship. The UCI is expected to announce Durango as the host on Thursday. If it does, Durango will host the world championship 40 years after it hosted the inaugural mountain bike world championship in 1990.
“Nothing embodies the spirit of the Durango cycling community like a bike parade,” said Durango Devo Communications Director Aleks Gajdeczka. “Bring your bike, bring your helmet, bring your Devo jersey to be autographed, and wrap yourself in the magic that this experience has to offer.”
After the bike parade, the world premiere of the “GC Kuss” film about Durango’s Sepp Kuss’ journey to Grand Tour champion will take place at Buckley Park.
The bike parade will be led by Kuss, Olympians Todd Wells and Riley Amos and national champion Cooper Wells.
Bikers can begin lining up for the parade at 4:45 p.m. alongside Buckley Park. The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. after a presentation from the city announcing whether Durango will host the 2030 mountain bike world championships. The parade will begin at the intersection of Main Avenue and 12th Street, proceed to Fifth Street, before turning onto East Second Avenue and then going back to 12th Street.
“GC Kuss” is expected to begin around 7:30 p.m. Filmmaker Charlie Howard spent the last six years creating the film. Howard and Kuss met in college at the University of Colorado Boulder and the two became fast friends.
“The minutia of the races isn’t so much in the forefront,” Howard said of the film. “A lot of it is about the spirit of Durango, and the spirit that carries Sepp through his challenges and successes. It’s really just an examination of his philosophy. … It’s almost a Zen philosophy of falling in love with the thing that you are doing, then having no expectations about that thing giving you something and the journeys that thing will take you on. It’s this constant return to the bike.”
After Howard and Kuss became good friends and roommates their junior year at CU Boulder, the two went their separate ways after leaving Boulder. Kuss was beginning his pro cycling career and Howard had moved to Los Angeles to try to be a filmmaker.
Howard had the idea of documenting Kuss’ journey along the way as Kuss tried to rise through the ranks of the pro cycling world. Neither of them knew what it was going to be, but Howard thought it would maybe be something fun they could look back on.
The work on “GC Kuss” began in November of 2019 when Howard came to Durango to visit Kuss and began filming. The original idea was for the film to be called, “Never Forget The Feeling.” At the time, Howard was a little ignorant and thought it was Kuss’ motto. He realized with some research that it is famously Durango Devo’s motto.
In the beginning, the idea was to make a film about Kuss and how he uses that philosophy, which was instilled in him at a young age to fuel him to be his best.
But, the film evolved into another phase. Kuss’ career evolved and so did Howard’s filmmaking career. Kuss won the 2023 Vuelta a España, which gave Howard the opportunity to document that experience.
Howard settled on the name “GC Kuss” for the film because it’s a play on Kuss’ nickname and it’s a double meaning. Kuss never intended on being a GC (general classification) rider and he doesn’t thrive in the GC position. But, the Vuelta showed he is strong enough to win one and more. In the end, Kuss is a team guy who values the love of the sport.
“When he’s riding his bike, when he’s at his best, he’s more of a pure soul on the bike than he is this kind of Tom Brady or Michael Jordan-type vicious killer,” Howard said. “The film is really trying to explore that idea of he’s a different kind of an athlete than when we’re used to seeing.”
“Sports documentaries so often highlight the killer, the winner, you know, the eye of the tiger,” he said. “They don’t always highlight a person like Sepp who we’ve all come to know if you’re watching the sport closer.”
Footage in “GC Kuss” includes Kuss’ house in Andorra, Durango, VHS footage of Kuss growing up and race footage.
A part of the film focuses on Kuss’ father, Dolph, who was instrumental in fostering the athletic lifestyle and spirit Durango is known for.
“The thing that to this day surprises me and like inspires me almost so much, is the community nature of Durango,” Howard, who grew up in Salt Lake City, said. “To this day, I’ve never been to a place where … it’s such a community of people supporting people.
“Every time I’m there, I’m always taken aback at how you meet somebody and they’re volunteering at this, or they’re working,” he said. “It all goes back to this idea of we’re all a team here. We’re all community. … I haven’t seen the whole world, but I’ve never been in a place that is so community-driven.”
“GC Kuss” is an hour and 10 minutes. Ticket holders may enter Buckley Park at 3 p.m. to secure their seating. All film attendees are expected to bring low chairs or blankets to enjoy the screening on the grass at Buckley Park. Tickets to the film cost $20 for adults and $15 for kids. Tickets can purchased at bit.ly/3Ka8VyJ
bkelly@durangoherald.com
