With Ruth Holcomb out of the race because of an illness, it was still a big night for Durango’s young women in the cross-country mountain bike national championship.
Holcomb withdrew earlier in the week, leaving the door open for other women in the junior women’s age 15-16 division at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships at the Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park.
Sofia Forney of Lakewood claimed the championship in 55 minutes, 13 seconds, and Tai-Lee Smith of Summit County was second in 56:29.
Then came a pair of podium results for Durango women, as Lauren Aggeler placed third in 58:17 and Aleah Austin rode to fourth in 58:40 in a race that was shortened from three scheduled laps to two.
“So stoked to see them land on the podium,” said DEVO coach Chad Cheeney. “Lauren as a marked woman finishing third was a spectacular finish for a 15-year-old in the category, and then Aleah in fourth was a surprise.
“I told (Austin) to chill at the start and ride into the race. Afterwards, she told me with a jolly laugh that she didn’t listen to a word I said and just went ham from the gun. The race being shortened from three to two laps made for a fast start.”
In the boys age 15-16 race, Durango’s Colby Simmons placed seventh, while Ivan Sippy was ninth to lead the Durango finishers.
Those results came on the heels of some podium finishes already this week in Winter Park for some Durango riders.
Ainsley Haggart has been on fire, with a bronze in the dual slalom event for girls ages 11-and-up in what was her first dual slalom event. Elle Runyan of Washington won, followed by California’s Dixie Owens. Haggart also placed second in the women’s enduro race for riders ages 15-18. She finished in 32:41:4, close behind champion Lauren Bingham of Utah, who finished in 32:25. Haggart was well ahead of third-place Jazlyn Smith of Breckenridge, who finished in 34:15.4.
Streater Nickell got the week going with his second place in the non-championship boys downhill for riders ages 13-14. He bombed downhill in 8:33:10. Evergreen’s Trevor Coppock was first in 8:07.87.
Simon Donnaway also landed a fifth-place result to stand on the podium in the age 15-18 men’s enduro. He finished in 28:09.7. The race was won by Aiden Chapin of California in 27:16.1.
Some of Durango’s adult riders also have showed up to Winter Park in fine form.
Amy Haggart claimed bronze in the cross-country race for women 50-54. She finished in 1:41:19. The race was won by Laura Trace of Portland in 1:38:19. Robin McGee of Wyoming was second in 1:40:27.
Mountain bike legend Travis Brown was the winner in a hotly-contested men’s master cross-country race for riders 50-54 in 1:40:37. Mitchell Westall was second in 1:40:41, and Mike Donahue took bronze in 1:42:33.
DEVO coach Sam Vickery placed third in the men’s singlespeed cross-country race. He finished in 1:43:40, and the winning time was 1:39:01 from JJ Clark. Cheeney was 12th in singlespeed.
Martha Iverson was the lone woman to compete in the women’s cross-country age 70-74 race, and she finished with a time of 1:42:46.
Richard Bagienski of Durango was eighth in the men’s cross-country race for ages 70-74. He finished in 2:21:17. Ten riders competed, and the race was won by Lakewood’s Peter Rockwood in 1:43:04.
Durango’s Field Blevins was 17th in the men’s cross-country race for the 60-64 age group. He finished in 1:42:19. There were 26 men in the race, and Carbondale’s Kevin Willson won in 1:22:36. In the men’s race for riders age 55-59, Durango’s Hal Lott placed 13th in 1:38:06. The race was won by Arizona’s Scott Conover in 1:19:44. There were 22 men in that race.
Cross-country mountain bike racing is only heating up in a wet Winter Park after a week full of rain. Junior category 17-18 racers will hit the course, with women at 8 a.m. and men at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, with Maddie Jo Robbins and Riley Amos in the races as favorites. Durango’s Cobe Freeburn will not compete, however, as he sustained a broken arm in a training ride Friday.
The under-23 races are set to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, while the pro men and women will race at 5:30 and 3:30 p.m., respectively, with plenty of Durango talent set to compete, including four-time defending national champion Howard Grotts, who has taken most of the 2019 season off but is registered to race Saturday.
The week of racing will conclude Sunday with short-track races for all categories as well as the downhill finals.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
