Cobe Freeburn’s summer anthem must be DJ Khaled’s 2010 classic “All I Do Is Win.” The Durango off-road cyclist has won his last five races, including two wins at GoPro Games in Vail and a win at Bighorn Gravel in Gypsum last weekend.
“It's been great,” Freeburn said. “It’s definitely more successful than I was imagining. I don't really know what the key is. I’ve hit a good groove and got some confidence from Iron Horse. I trained hard before; I’ve continued training hard and I’m doing the right things.”
Winter is where Freeburn made his progress. He’s trained a lot in the winter but it didn’t show with his results early on in the season in March and April. His work in the winter paid off once he started racing in May.
Freeburn’s run of success started almost a month ago at the Ironhorse Bicycle Classic in Durango. He defended his title in the men’s pro road race on May 24 and won the men’s pro mountain bike race on May 25.
Next, Freeburn went to the GoPro Games in Vail and won the pro elite open men’s cross-country short track race on June 6 and the pro men’s open cross-country mountain bike race on June 7.
The GoPro Games in Vail is quite the spectacle with biking, kayaking, fishing, slacklining, running, rafting and more.
“It was sweet and a super fun race,” Freeburn said. “I remember going last year and getting second. Then I went as a junior, six or seven years ago. It was nice to race and Vail is a super good event and well organized.”
On June 6, Freeburn won the pro elite open men’s cross-country short track race in 29 minutes and 25.4 seconds after 14 laps around the 0.6-mile short track. He was three seconds ahead of Caleb Bottcher in second place and Freeburn was seven seconds ahead of Scott Funston in third.
The short track course was at the base of the mountain, so it was very flat and had a lot of turns. Freeburn said it made for a good group race that was very tactical. He was near the front the entire race and let other riders do the work at the front. Once Bottcher attacked with a few laps to go, Freeburn responded and passed him on the final lap for the win.
Next, Freeburn won the pro men’s open cross-country mountain bike race on June 7 in 1:30:13.5 after three laps around the 20.4-mile course. Behind him was Durango’s Kai Lokey in second, 1:02 behind, and Durango’s Caleb Classen finished third, 2:45 behind Freeburn.
The course was a combination of two loops. Loop A was a lot flatter with gradual climbs, was 6.8 miles long and had 1,248 feet of elevation gain. Loop B was a lot steeper, with 2,496 feet of elevation gain and was 13.6 miles long.
Freeburn pushed the pace early and split the leading group up. He took Lokey with him but dropped him about halfway through the race and was alone at the front for the second half.
The former Fort Lewis College Skyhawk then went to Bighorn Gravel last weekend and won the 85-mile Ram’s Horn Escape men’s open gravel race in 5:00:36. Zach Calton was second in 5:03:50 and Nathan Spratt was third in 5:05:52. The course was a loop that started and finished in Gypsum.
“There was some pretty rough gravel and then some really fun single track,” Freeburn said. “Then a little bit of road, then some nice gravel road onto some more high alpine kind of rougher gravel road. It was a good mix of all of it. It was nice not just being on pretty plain gravel roads. It had some rocky bits and some dusty bits; it was good to have a good variety.”
Freeburn spent about half the race alone at the front at Bighorn like he did at GoPro Games. He felt really strong early and then broke away at the same point last year’s winner did. The dusty, windy and warm conditions were a good recipe for Freeburn to be alone instead of working in a group.
Next up for Freeburn is Steamboat Gravel this weekend, with three laps around the 37-mile course that starts and finishes in Hayden, about 25 miles from downtown Steamboat Springs. It’s Freeburn’s first time doing it after he couldn’t get in last year.
After that, Freeburn has his sights on the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike race as part of the Life Time Grand Prix.
He applied for the Life Time Grand Prix last year and didn’t get accepted. He wouldn’t mind being a part of the Grand Prix but thinks the races can be a bit boring and he likes the freedom to pick and choose his races.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
