Savilia Blunk wins the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women’s race Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Savilia Blunk said climbing up Chapman Hill surrounded by cheering fans for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s Roostmaster mountain bike race on Sunday reminded her of racing in Nove Mesto during the World Cup recently.
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women’s race Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
“It was so fun,” Blunk said. “It was so cool to see so many people; it was so loud going up the hill.”
The Roostmaster was like a short track mountain bike race, with the competitors doing multiple laps up the hill and down a dual slalom course. It was broken down into heats with riders vying for the lowest score – one point for first place, two for second, and so on. After three heats, the rider with the lowest score claimed the title.
In the women’s race, Blunk won the first two heats, and Ruth Holcomb placed second in both. Bailey Cioppa and Katie Clouse were tied at seven points heading into the final heat after both riders posted third- and fourth-place finishes.
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women’s race Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Holcomb needed help to win the overall title, but led after the first lap of Heat 3. Blunk, however, took the lead on the second climb up Chapman and continued to pull away. She crossed the finish line in first as Holcomb began her third and final descent.
“This is my fifth day at altitude, so I’m tying to get acclimated and get back to racing,” Blunk said, adding that her strategy was “just have fun.”
“It’s hard at altitude to hold high power for too long, so it’s important to take breaks when you can,” Blunk said. “It’s a great course with ripping descents.”
Brayden Johnson wins the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men’s Roostmaster race Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Holcomb finished second in Heat 3 to place second overall. Cioppa held off Clouse to take third in the heat and finish third overall.
“It was so fun to line up in a field of super-strong, young up-and-coming racers,” Blunk said. “I know we’re all lining up all over the country, and it’s really exciting for the future and the rest of the year.”
Blunk, Holcomb and Cioppa have been racing in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup this season – Blunk in the elite field, Holcomb in the U23 division and Cioppa in the junior series.
Dylan Stucki competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
The men’s Roostmaster also had a pair of U23 World Cup competitors in the field: Riley Amos and Brayden Johnson of Littleton.
Johnson, however, won the first heat and then wanted more.
“After I won the first heat, I wanted all three to make it look good,” he said.
Johnson won the second and third heats as well to complete the sweep for the title. The downhill is where he was able to separate from the pack.
“I wanted to win so I needed to be at the front, and I could usually get a little gap in the dual slalom,” Johnson said. After that he said he’d take a little break through the parking lot and then go hard again on the climbs.
“It’s a super-cool event that shows who has the skills and the fitness,” Johnson said. “It’s hard not to go hard with all of the fans.”
Todd Weals placed third in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men’s Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Behind Johnson, Stephen Davoust, Todd Wells and Ivan Sippy were battling for second place in the third heat. Wells was in second after two laps, but Davoust passed him on the next climb and took second to finish second overall. Davoust placed third and then second in the first two heats. Wells crossed third and was followed by Sippy in fourth and Amos in fifth.
Wells and Amos both finished with 11 points, but Wells won the tiebreaker to reach the podium in third. Amos took fourth, and Sippy finished fifth overall.
“It was awesome,” Wells said. “Great crowd, fun course with a little bit of everything.”
The separate heats made it harder for Wells. “Once I’m in that head space, it’s nice to just stay there,” he said. The steep hill also made it a little extra painful. “Halfway up it, it would start to hurt,” Wells said.
Wells also said he’d like to see the Roostmaster come back.
“Some of the best guys in the world were here, and this was a great way to showcase their abilities to the community,” Wells said. “Durango always shows up to support cycling, and it was fun to have everybody out.”
Mike West competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster men's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Sarah Sturm cheers on riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Fans cheer on riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster men's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Dylan Stucki competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Cyclists compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race and dual slalom race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Stephen Davoust competes and places second in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster men's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Todd Wells competes and places third overall in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Cyclists compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race and dual slalom race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riley Amos, left, and Cody Cupp compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster men's race as rain falls on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Brayden Johnson competes and wins the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Cyclists compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race and dual slalom race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Savilia Blunk competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb, left, and Savilia Blunk, battle it out in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb, left, and Savilia Blunk, battle it out in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Savilia Blunk competes and wins the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb competes and places second in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Stephen Davoust, left, takes second, Brayden Jonson, center, finishes first, and Todd Wells comes in third in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men's Roostmaster race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb, left, takes second, Savilia Blunk, center, places first, and Bailey Cioppa comes in third in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb, left, takes second, Savilia Blunk, center, places first, and Bailey Cioppa comes in third in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jerry McBride
Ruth Holcomb, right, and Savilia Blunk, battle it out in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster women's race on Sunday at Chapman Hill. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
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