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Howard Grotts finishes UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 17th

Worst finish of season still leaves optimism

Howard Grotts did not finish the season how he wanted.

The Durangoan and Specialized rider took 17th in the UCI Mountain Bike U23 World Championships cross country race Friday in Vallnord, Andorra.

It was his worst result of the season, after he finished third in the UCI U23 World Cup season standings and never finished outside the top 10.

Grotts was holding in eighth before his chain came off and a crash hindered his progress.

“The mud made it so tough. You couldn’t stand in the saddle and use that extra bit of power. A decent amount of running out there, too,” Grotts told the Specialized website after the race. “I’m really happy with the season as a whole. This is my worst result for the year, but there’s always next year, right? As an elite.”

Grotts finished in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 23 seconds to complete the course.

That was 5:20 back of world champion Anton Cooper of New Zealand.

Cooper just edged Victor Koretzky by two seconds for the gold.

Park City’s Keegan Swenson, who currently lives in Durango and trains with Grotts, was the top American finisher in 12th.

The Cannondale Factory Racing rider trailed Cooper by 4:10.

Grotts wasn’t the only Durangoan riding in Vallnord, though.

Durango High School graduate and current CU-Boulder rider Sepp Kuss took 48th in the 85-rider field.

With the European season now over, Durango’s elite mountain bikers can shift their focus closer to home.

Ned Overend and Todd Wells are hosting Todd and Ned’s Durango Dirt Fondo on Sept. 12.

It’ll be a celebration of the 1990 World Championships in Durango and will give participants an opportunity to ride with Overend and Wells on the trails that helped mold them into legends.

heraldsports@udrangoherald.com

Sep 4, 2015
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Aug 23, 2015
Howard Grotts finishes third in UCI U23 Mountain Bike World Cup final standings
Sep 5, 2014
Grotts casts himself in worlds bronze


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