Durango cyclists Howard Grotts and Michaela Thompson both won gold on Sunday in Gypsum at Bighorn Gravel.
Both riders competed in the second annual event’s Ram’s Horn Escape, which featured 9,600 feet of climbing over 80 miles in the White River National Forest above Eagle.
Grotts (Specialized Off-Road) won the men’s open division in 4 hours, 26 minutes. Eric Brunner finished second in 4:28:02 and Dylan Johnson crossed third in 4:31:23.
Thompson, who races mountain bikes for Team Durango Segment 28, joined Specialized-SRAM-Rapha, Sarah Sturm and Ellen Campbell’s team, for some gravel races this season. The three Durango cyclists all finished in the top-five at the race, but Thompson was able to best her teammates. She won the women’s open class by a little over two minutes, crossing first in 5:23:59. Alexis Skarda finished second in 5:26:46 and Erin Huck placed third in 5:32:05.
Strum placed fourth in 5:37:05.
Campbell finished fifth out of 35 riders in 5:46:18.
Several other Durango cyclists also competed in the men’s open.
Keiran Eagen (Team Durango Segment 28) finished 18th out of the 137 riders in 5:00:13.
Ian McPherson (Help Me) finished 32nd in 5:23:59.
Cooper Wiens (Topeak Ergon p/b Canyon) placed 33rd in 5:28:24.
Brandon Mathis placed 133rd in 8:58:16.
Other Durango cyclists competed in the event’s 46-mile Little Bighorn, which featured 5,500 feet of climbing.
Samantha Fanion was the runner-up in the women’s open class, crossing second in 3:50:13. Bee Mathis finished 51st in 8:59:02.
Tam Donelson (The Cycle Effect) of Edwards took the win 3:37:22
In the men’s open Little Bighorn, 50th Brandon Lawton placed 50th in 4:12:33. Ryan Koster (Culver’s Glenwood Springs) of Aspen won in 3:09:02.
The event also featured a 20-mile distance with 2,000 feet of climbing called Gravel Curious. Thomas Hayles (ZG 7908) of Aspen (1:20:45) and Elizabeth Lenell of Arvada took the wins with no La Plata County bikers competing.
