On a grueling course well-suited to a good climber, Durango’s Howard Grotts won a national series mountain bike race Saturday in Missoula, Montana.

Grotts pulled away on the final of six laps to beat second-place Stephen Ettinger by 1 minute, 20 seconds in the Missoula U.S. Pro XCT race. Grotts also won the race last year.

“I think I might have it a little easier than a lot of guys because I’m a small guy,” Grotts told KECI-TV of Missoula after the race.

In his blog, Grotts wrote, “On the final lap I left it all out there and opened up a good gap on Stephen to roll into the finish solo.”

Grotts, who rides for Specialized, recently placed third in a World Cup under-23 mountain bike race in Albstadt, Germany.

A slew of other Durangoans participated in the Missoula event.

Todd Wells, who won Friday’s short-track race, placed third in the cross country race. Ben Sonntag was eighth, Rotem Ishtay 11th, Sepp Kuss 23rd, Troy Wells 27th and Payson McElveen 33rd.

In the women’s race, Kaylee Blevins was 18th.

Three more races remain in the Pro XCT series, the elite series in pro mountain biking. The next is Saturday in Colorado Springs.

heraldsports@durangoherald.com