A rear flat tire spoiled a chance at an epic sprint finish between Fort Lewis College mountain biking’s past and present.
With two laps to go in the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships men’s professional short-track cross country race, Durango’s Todd Wells suffered a rear flat tire while leading the race alongside Russell Finsterwald of Colorado Springs.
That cut a three-man sprint into a two-man push for the finish line between Finsterwald and Fort Lewis College junior Stephan Davoust, who closed a 13-second gap with three laps to go to inside of four seconds on the final lap.
But Finsterwald, 24, was strong enough to hold off Davoust to earn the gold medal, with Davoust earning the silver. Alex Grant earned the bronze. Finsterwald crossed in 28 minutes, 48.3 seconds. Davoust finished in 29:07.7
Wells fell all the way to 17th place after the flat.
“Good sensations, bad luck in #MTBNats STXC w/ rear flat 2 laps to go,” Wells posted on Twitter.
It was the second medal in as many days for Davoust. The FLC rider took bronze in the U23 cross country race on Thursday.
“Two best results of my career,” Davoust said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “I’m going to take my mind state I had this weekend into the rest of my career. Knowing I’m up there with the best guys in the world and knowing I can compete with them.”
Davoust said it was unfortunate to see Wells get the flat tire, and he expressed his condolences with the three-time Olympian as he frantically passed him on the course.
“I was super bummed for him. When I passed him, I gave him a pat on the back and said, ‘Sorry bud,’” Davoust said. “It was cool being up there with him before the flat. Everyone knows who Todd Wells is, and I was the underdog nobody expected. People know who I am a little, but nothing like Todd. It was unbelievable riding right behind him.”
Finsterwald, who rides for SRAM and Troy Lee Designs, previously had won championships in the U23 division, but this was his biggest win to date. He was third in the same race last year, finishing behind second-place Wells. He’ll look to win his first professional cross country national championship Saturday, when he will once again compete against Wells.
Ryan Standish, Davoust’s teammate at Fort Lewis, finished fifth in 29:57.7. Durango’s Payson McElveen took seventh in 29:59.2, and Durangoan and University of Colorado rider Sepp Kuss was 10th in 30:22.7.
Wells’ younger brother Troy was 12th in 30:31.6. Fort Lewis’ Levi Kurlander was 21st, finishing three laps behind.
Durango’s Howard Grotts was on the starting list but did not start.
Todd Wells has a long history at the national championships in short-track cross country. He entered as the defending silver medalist and has four titles in the event to go along with four runner-up finishes.
Now, he will turn his focus to the cross-country race, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. He is the defending national champion and will go for a fourth title in the event.
In the women’s professional short-track cross country race, Durango’s Emily Schaldach, another CU-Boulder rider, finished 14th down three laps. Durango’s Kaylee Blevins, who rides at Stanford University, did not finish. Chloe Woodruff was the national champion in 29:25.1.
Also competing Friday was Durango’s Joshua McDowell, who took 14th in the men’s senior 25-29 category one cross-country race. He finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 28.9 seconds. Daniel Munoz or Riverside, California, finished first in 1:38:53.2.
Earlier in the week, Durango brought home another national championship, as Ellen Campbell won the women’s cross country junior 15-18 category two race in 1:39:23.6. The Durango DEVO rider finished one second ahead of Ellise Shuman of Sandy, Utah.
Maya Zarlingo of Durango also took third in the women’s junior 15-18 category three cross country race in 1:54:18.9. Grace Green of Boise, Idaho, was the national champion in 1:49:27.3
Durango’s Austin Munroe claimed fourth in the men’s junior 15-18 category three cross country race. The Durango DEVO rider crossed in 1:31:18.1. Danner Hillman of Gardnerville, Nevada, won the race in 1:21:36.0.
Professional racing will continue Saturday with the men’s and women’s downhill races at 1:30 p.m.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
