Durangoan Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) scored a first-place finish on Sunday at the U.S. Pro Cup 2023, presented by Orange Seal, at Vail Lake in California.
Competing in the elite men’s cross-country race, Amos won the seven-lap competition by 33 seconds in 1 hour, 25 minutes, 46 seconds.
“All sorts of funny finish line feelings from winning the first (U.S. Pro Cup) of the year,” Amos posted. “This one was really special for a lot of reasons, but mainly because I got to show my best with so much of my family there.”
“Just kept it hard from Lap 2 on and tried to pry time in the single track sections everywhere I could,” Amos continued. “There is no better bike than the Supercaliber for this kind of track, just felt like an absolute rocket everywhere. New (Pirelli) tires really shined on the loose (dirt) over hard terrain as well and I found myself pushing corners faster and faster every lap.”
Several other Durango cyclists also finished in the top 10. Cobe Freeburn (Bear National Team) finished eighth in 1:27:27 while Carson Beard (Durango Segment 28) crossed ninth in 1:28:02.
In the elite women’s XCO, which completed six laps, Ruth Holcomb (Bear National Team) led Durango’s contingent with a ninth-place finish in 1:28:57.
On Friday, however, Holcomb reached the podium in the short-track cross-country race in third, finishing just 20 seconds after the winner, Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) and six seconds after Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing). Batten also won the women’s elite cross-country race (1:21:07).
“Beyond excited to stand on the podium with these ladies and be finding the racing groove again,” Holcomb posted. “And it helps to have coach (Kristin Armstrong Savola) behind it all.”
Bailey Cioppa (Bear National Team) also scored a top-10 finish in the women’s elite STXC, placing 10th in 20:25 (+:40).
In the men’s STXC, Amos finished one second away from starting the weekend with a win, placing second in 21:49 behind Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team).
In the U23 cross-country races, Dane Grey (Durango Segment 28) finished fourth in and Toby Hassett (WE Development) finished seventh in the men’s competition while Lauren Aggeler (Trinity Racing) finished seventh in the women’s race.
The U.S. Pro Cup will next head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a race April 12-16.
