From iron lungs to Iron Horse

Saturday, May 25, 2013 3:48 AM Updated Saturday, May. 25, 2013 5:04 PM

Kip Taylor is the surprise champion of the 2013 IHBC

Kip Taylor used an early breakaway to win the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic professional men’s road race in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 39 seconds in his first attempt in the pro category. “It feels good showing those guys that the amateurs can get in there sometimes,” said Taylor, a former cross country runner at Fort Lewis College.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

LeRoy Popowski trimmed Kip Taylor’s big lead down to about 30 seconds as he began his descent down Coal Bank Pass, but he couldn’t quite catch Taylor, finishing second in Saturday’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men’s road race.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Robin Eckmann tried to make an early break, then rode to a sixth place finish in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men’s road race from Durango to Silverton on Saturday.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Durango favorite and five-time Iron Horse Bicycle Classic champion Ned Overend pedaled to a seventh-place finish in Saturday’s professional men’s road race.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The peloton stayed bunched early on in Saturday’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men’s road race before Kip Taylor’s breakaway led to a victory. The second leg of the IHBC omnium is today’s downtown criterium, and the individual time trial Monday is the final leg of the omnium championship.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Cliff Vancura/Durango Herald

Riders in the mens pro a category, start to stretch their legs as they leave Durango towards the finish in Silverton on Saturday morning during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Mens pro rider LeRoy Popowski flys down Coal Bank Pass during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Gusty winds blew a tent over at the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic finish line area in Silverton on Saturday afternoon. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Fans line up at the finish area of the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango on Saturday.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race over take tour riders that left Durango early on Saturday.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Rotem Ishay, left, and Yannick Eckmann sprint to the finish line as Eckmann takes third during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro road race on Saturday in Silverton.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders get ready to leave Durango High School before the start of the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on Saturday.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

A tour riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classictakes a picture north of Durango on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Durango favorite and five time winner Ned Overend, makes his way out of Durango towards the finish in Silverton on Saturday morning during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro a category road race.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

A Colorado State Patrol officer guides riders through traffic on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango Saturday morning during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro a category road race.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Mens pro rider LeRoy Popowski climbs Molas Pass during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Robin Eckman tucks in as he makes his way out of Durango during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classis road race. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Mens pro rider LeRoy Popowski flys down Coal Bank Pass during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race over take tour riders that left Durango early on Saturday.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Fans cheer on riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race as they make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Amber Carey holds her children Kaitlyn, 3, and Jack, 1, while waiting for for her husband and their dad Mike Carey to finish the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Silverton on Saturday afternoon. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Kip Taylor picks up speed as he makes his way down Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Robin Eckman tucks in as he makes his way out of Durango during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classis road race. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

A young big horn sheep watches riders at Coal Bank Pass during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro road race on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Kip Taylor crosses the finish line winning the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro road race on Saturday in Silverton.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders in the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race make their way north on U.S. Highway 550 on Saturday morning.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Riders of all abilities rode during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic tour on Saturday.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Kip Taylor crosses the finish line winning the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mens pro road race on Saturday in Silverton.JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

JERRY McBRIDE/Durango HeraldKip Tyalor, of Albuquerque, crosses the finish line winning the 2013 mens pro Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on Saturday in Silverton.

Ned Overend, of Durango, flies down Coal Bank Pass on saturday during the 2013 Iron Horse Bicycle Classis pro road race.

SILVERTON

After last year’s win in Category 2/3 and a 2011 win in 4/5, Kip Taylor opted to ride with the professionals this year at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

Good call, Kip.

Taylor made an early solo break and held off LeRoy Popowski to win the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro men’s road race Saturday from Durango to Silverton.

Taylor, a former Fort Lewis College cross country runner (2006-07) and Albuquerque resident, made a break from the peloton about 10 miles before Durango Mountain Resort, building a lead as big as roughly 2 minutes heading into Coal Bank Pass.

The victor said an early “pedestrian” pace set by the peloton gave him the idea to just go for it early on. He got out of the saddle and put in plenty of pedaling in building a sizeable lead.

“When I made the move, I kind of had one of those ‘uh-oh’ moments, but the peloton itself, all the big boys up front on the sponsored teams were kind of just going pedestrian, so I figured I’d just go after it,” Taylor said. “I figured if I could get to the top of (Coal Bank Pass) first, I’d have a chance. ... And it just stuck the rest of the way.”

Popowski trimmed the lead to about 30 seconds coming out of the pass, but Taylor built the lead back on Molas Pass for a comfortable win. Taylor won the 47-mile tour in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 39 seconds.

Popowski finished in 2:19:53.

“I just didn’t have it. I haven’t had a lot of racing days in yet this year,” Popowski said. “The high end – my endurance is good – but I don’t have the high end. ... And I spent too much time on the front chasing.”

After building that big lead, then seeing Popowski close, Taylor said the biggest key was keeping a positive mindset as he made the climb up Molas Pass, all the while keeping an eye on his tail.

“I saw him, and I’m a big believer in giving yourself positive encouragement, so I just kept telling myself to do what I could,” the 27-year-old Taylor said. “I could see him behind me, so that gave me a good push to keep pushing pedal.”

Yannick Eckmann finished third in the men’s field, while FLC alumnus and coach Rotem Ishay and former IHBC champion Rolando Gonzalez rounded out the top five.

Robin Eckmann was sixth and five-time champion Ned Overend seventh. Sepp Kuss was eighth, and Damian Calvert finished ninth in the 42nd edition of the race.

Popowski sounded disappointed in the lack of work by the peloton as a whole to reel Taylor back in before the big climbs. The juwi-Slipstream rider spent perhaps more time at the front of the peloton than he would’ve liked, absorbing the brunt of the wind and expending energy that could’ve been helpful down the stretch in pursuit of the eventual champion.

“It was just too much,” Popowski said. “Nobody wanted to work. And we didn’t know who (Taylor) was, so I think a lot of people just assumed that he would just eventually come back, and there was no urgency to organize chase.”

The peloton set a steady – if not exactly breakneck – pace early on and stayed together for the most part until Robin Eckmann and Benjamin Blaugrund tried to get away near Honeyville, but they were reeled in a few miles later.

The only successful break of the day belonged to Taylor, who according to IHBC director Gaige Sippy is believed to be the first New Mexican to take home the men’s title. And it was enough for a big victory to open Durango’s biggest cycling weekend.

“It feels good showing those guys that the amateurs can get in there sometimes,” Taylor said.

rowens@ durangoherald.com