Holcomb finishes Iron Horse with a win on her mountain bike

Monday, May 30, 2022 5:26 PM Updated Tuesday, May. 31, 2022 6:31 PM

Johnson wins pro men’s race

Ruth Holcomb takes an early lead and never lets it go on Monday during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro women’s mountain bike race. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Ruth Holcomb raced from Durango to Silverton on Saturday, in the Roostmaster on Sunday and in the Subaru mountain bike race on Monday during this year’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

“Honestly, I felt pretty good,” said Holcomb, who rides for the Bear National Team. “I was worried my legs would be tired, but they actually got better.”

On Monday in the pro women’s race, she led from start to finish to cap her weekend with a first-place finish. She won the three-lap, 21-mile mountain bike race in 1 hour, 53 minutes, 0.7 seconds.

Bailey Cioppa competes in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro women’s mountain bike race on Monday. Cioppa would finish second. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

“It feels really good,” she said. “I had a not-so-great race on Saturday, so it felt good to bring it home today.”

Bailey Cioppa of Bear National Team, who also was riding in her third race in three days, finished second in 1:56:21.5. Lauren Aggeler of Team Segment 28 crossed third in 1:57:14.9.

Brayden Johnson crosses the finish line to win the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro men’s mountain bike race Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

In the pro men’s race, Brayden Johnson of Bear National Team scored his second win in two days. After winning the Roostmaster on Sunday, Johnson held off Howard Grotts of Specialized and Todd Wells of TWL to win the 21-mile race in 1:34:20.7.

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

“I felt super good,” Johnson said. “I had some confidence from last night, and my legs weren’t too bad.”

After one lap, Johnson was in a pack with seven other riders – Grotts, Wells, Stephan Davoust, Cody Cupp, Ivan Sippy, Robbie Day and Cobe Freeburn.

Cody Cupp leads the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro men’s field out of the gates on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

By the end of the second, Johnson, Grotts and Wells had separated from the pack.

“I felt I could ride a pretty steady pace and some people were dropping off,” said Grotts, who was competing in his first race of the year.

“My goal was to stay patient this race and sit in the top two or three wheels,” said Johnson, who has been racing in the U23 World Cup this season. “I waited until the last lap to attack.”

Johnson started to separate on the third lap, but slid out on a corner and crashed, allowing Grotts to catch up and force a sprint to the finish.

Johnson, however, recovered to hold off Grotts to win the race by 13 seconds while Wells crossed third 24 seconds back.

“At the end, Brayden definitely had more power,” Grotts said. “But all together, I’m definitely happy.”

“I was thinking out there, these guys definitely know what they’re doing,” Johnson said. “It feels super cool to race with those guys and to beat them.”

Davoust finished fourth, 1:53 back in 1:36:14.4. He was followed by Cupp (+2:16), Sippy (+2:45), Day (+3:37), Freeburn (+4:31) Jonathan Anderson (+5:36) and Beckett Ledger in 10th (+6:33).

Betty Holcomb competes during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s junior women’s mountain bike race on Monday. Holcomb would win her division. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

In the junior women’s 14-and-under 7-mile race, Betty Holcomb won in 42:25.8, followed by Tilia Clausen (46:29.8) and Weslie Winebarger (53:47.7).

Riley Huston and Mayzee Lipps went head to head in the two-lap junior women’s 15-18 division, and Huston won by almost eight minutes in 1:28:51.3.

Brittany Cowan bested Emma Jordan in the two-lap women’s 19-34 race in 1:25:22.4.

Blair Matlock leads Katherine Waage, Jessica Wood and others during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s women's 35-44 mountain bike race on Monday. Wood would win the race. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

In the women’s 35-44 division, Jessica Wood won the 14-mile race in 1:28:30.1. Katherine Waage took second 1:10 later and Blair Matlock crossed third (+1:42).

Carolyn Feller won the women’s 55-64 division’s two-lap race in 1:44:59.5.

In the junior men’s one-lap race, Johan Souders took the checkered flag in 41:41.5. Charles Zuhoski finished second in 42:10.6, and Riley Grimes placed third in 46:56.2.

Keegan Field won the junior men’s two-lap race in 1:09.21.6, finishing just five seconds ahead of Ian Feistner. Liam Bezek crossed third in 1:10:56.5.

In the men’s 19-34 division, Sean Perry won the three-lap race in 1:54:51.8. Niko Skievaski (1:57:185) took second, and Maxwell Jordan (1:57:53.4) crossed third.

Travis Woodruff won the two-lap race in the men’s 35-44 division in 1:11:37.0. Michael Grajeda took second (+1:45), and Kevin Jacobi (+3:57) took third.

Michael West won the 45-54 men’s two-lap race in 1:14:47.3. Gene Hilton took second 41 seconds later, and Gregory Strokes crossed third 1:13 after West.

Trish Thomas took the crown in the women’s 45-54 division. Besides the pros, Thomas was the fastest woman on Monday, finishing her two laps in 1:23:16.8. Tracie Holcomb took second in 1:36:31.3, and Amy Haggart placed third in 1:38:56.4.

Andy Fox won the men’s 55-64 division, completing two laps in 1:27:51.1. Charles Brown placed second in 1:28:44.4, and Kevin Barton crossed third in 1:29:20.5.

Jan Bear, meanwhile, won the men’s 65+ race after completing two laps in 1:32:49.8. Michael Hicks took second in 1:46:08.5, and David Rakita crossed third in 2:04:13.6.

Complete results at https://my.raceresult.com/203875/.

“It’s always fun racing here,” Johnson said. “There’s super-talented riders from here, and there’s no better training than ripping with some Olympians.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever smiled that much in a mountain bike race,” Ruth Holcomb said.

Holcomb and Grotts also both said they liked this year’s course, which didn’t include Telegraph, better than last year’s.

Ruth Holcomb has the lead all to herself during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro women’s mountain bike race on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Brittany Cowen crosses the finish line to win the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s women’s 19-34 race on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Cooper Wells, 8, races in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic's junior men’s under-14 mountain bike race. Wells would place fourth. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Andy Fox races his way to a first-place finish during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s men’s 55-64 mountain bike race on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Travis Woodruff, right, takes an early lead and never lets it go during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s men's 35-44 mountain bike race on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

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 on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)

Cody Cupp leads Howard Grotts, Stephan Davoust, Brayden Johnson and Todd Wells near the end of the first lap of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic’s pro men’s mountain bike race on Monday. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)