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Grotts, Cioppa named King and Queen of the Mountain

Seventy-six cyclists compete for omnium crowns
Bailey Cioppa competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro women’s mountain bike race Monday. She finished second. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Howard Grotts and Bailey Cioppa finished as the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s omnium champions to score this year’s title of King of the Mountain and Queen of the mountain.

The omnium contest included the Coca-Cola Road Race from Durango to Silverton on Saturday and the Subaru Mountain Bike Race on Monday. A first-place finish was worth 25 points, second was worth 24 and so on.

Grotts, who races for Specialized, placed seventh in the road race in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 33.6 seconds, crossing 3:04 after the winner, Quinn Simmons.

Howard Grotts leads Todd Wells and Brayden Johnson near the end of their second lap of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic's pro men’s mountain bike race Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

On Monday, Grotts placed second in the 21-mile mountain bike race in 1:34:34.2, just 13 seconds after Brayden Johnson.

The two results, however, helped Grotts win the King of the Mountain title with 43 points.

Robbie Day finished second with 40 points, placing seventh on his mountain bike and fifth in the road race. Cobe Freeburn finished third with 36 points after placing eighth in the road and mountain bikes races.

Johnson finished fourth in the pro men omnium with 32 points, followed by Ian Kutzleb (20), Beckett Ledger (19), Henry Nelson (14) and Cooper Shanks (6).

Cioppa, who rides for the Bear National Team, won the pro women’s Queen of the Mountain crown with 46 points. Cioppa crossed fourth in the road race in 2:46:58.3, just 3:23 after Kira Payer. Cioppa closed out the Iron Horse with a second-place finish on her mountain bike in 1:56:21.5, finishing 3:20 after Ruth Holcomb.

Cioppa also made the podium in the Roostmaster with a third-place finish, but that event, which was invitation only, didn’t count toward the omnium standings.

Lauren Aggeler finished second in the pro women’s omnium standings with 44 points after placing fifth in the road race and third on her mountain bike.

Holcomb finished third with 42 points, followed by Erin Osborne (40) and Rea Kolbl (32).

Seventy six athletes did both races this year, with the men’s 45-54 division leading the way with 21 participants.

Trish Thomas won both the road race and mountain bike race in the women’s 45-54 division to score a perfect 50 points and win her Queen of the Mountain title. Heather Swallow placed second with 27 points, and Ingrid Alt took third with 24.

Blair Matlock won the women’s 35-44 omnium crown with 46 points, followed by Elizabeth West (37) and Bri Risk (24).

Carolyn Feller won the women’s 55-64 omnium title with 48 points after taking first in the mountain bike race. Tania Smith took second with 30, and Christine Tripp placed third with 23.

Chase Connors took the omnium title in the junior men 15-18 division with 44 points. Emmett McManus took second with 42, and Kai Lokey took third with 42. McManus had a higher finish, crossing third in the road race.

Sean Perry won the men’s 19-34 division with 42, followed by Ty Yellowman (34) and Timothy Hirst (29).

In the men’s 35-44 division, Michael Grajeda won with 48, Gene Hilton took second with 41 and Brendan McIlravy took third with 38.

Brad Wolter, meanwhile, won the men’s 55-64 division with 20 points, followed by Riles Robinson (18) and Andrew Young (16).