Hundreds clad in spandex and neon bustled about Building 103 at sunrise July 23 for the Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb. 

The former Idaho Springs middle school hosted the starting line for the climb, which has been a tradition since 1962.

The event was renamed in 1981 in honor of five-time winner Bob Cook, who died of cancer at 23. The race brings cyclists over 27.4 miles and 14,130 feet up Mount Evans — an elevation gain of 6,590 feet.

“I’m not worried,” said Davide Giardini, of Boulder, before the race. Even having never gone up Mount Evans before, and never doing a cycling-only race, he wasn’t concerned, saying he was a triathlete who’s cycled extensively at high altitudes.

When asked what brought him, he said, “It’s kind of the go to, the highest paved road in North America.”

Giardini competed in the Men’s Pro category and finished with a time of 1:59:01.65, landing fifth place.

Stephen Schaefer, a Lakewood resident who also competed in the Men’s Pro category, had already biked up four days prior.

“I've been in Colorado for all of six days — just moved from Arizona —but rode up Mount Evans on Tuesday from Golden,” he said before the race. Schaefer finished with a time of 2:02:41.35 in 12th place.

The first place winner of the Women’s Pro category was Kyleigh Spearing with a time of 2:27:32.22 and the Men’s Pro category’s winner was Lachlan Morton at 1:52:22.55.

The rest of the results from the Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb can be found here.