Everything is lining up for the 53rd Iron Horse Bicycle Classic weekend to be a memorable experience for cyclists, spectators and local businesses.
Plenty of local rising stars will be battling for the win of the Coca-Cola Road Race. Riders in the Coca-Cola Road Race, the McDonald’s Citizen Tour and spectators should be treated to beautiful Memorial Day weather.
Festivities like the Face Plant Ale Kickoff Parade and the cycling festival in Buckley Park will provide a great opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to gather and enjoy local vendors downtown. The LaStrada LaPlata gravel race returns as gravel continues to grow. Finally, the cherry on top: The Subaru Mountain Bike racecourse features Steamworks Brewing Co. for the first time in six years.
“I’m really excited to have a smooth and nice weather Saturday,” said IHBC Race Director Ian Burnett. “We’re excited to bring back that mountain bike race that was in high demand through Steamworks … excited to bring back a crowd favorite for the riders and for the community to come out and watch. I’m excited to do that and partner with our downtown community; bring people downtown again without having too much of a negative impact with closures.”
The IHBC gets started on Friday with the Face Plant Ale Kickoff Parade at 4:20 p.m. It’s a change from last year, when the kickoff was the Hill Climb Challenge up East Eighth Avenue.
IHBC scrapped the Hill Climb Challenge because it didn’t work well enough. Burnett and his team wanted to do something more downtown that is fun and brings the community together. He recalled the great partnerships that have existed in the past, like that between Steamworks and Ska Brewing to co-brew the annual Face Plant beer.
The parade is also easier on Burnett’s staff and the community, because the downtown mountain bike race on Sunday will require a lot of effort.
All ages are welcome for the parade, which is planned as a bike parade. Costumes are encouraged. Participants will gather at Ska Brewing Co. before the parade departs at 5 p.m. It will follow the bike path to Santa Rita Park, then move through neighborhoods before stopping at Steamworks. The parade will finish with participants entering Buckley Park from the north side. There will be live music and vendors at Buckley Park.
On Saturday, the main event will start a little earlier this year. The Coca-Cola Road Race will begin at 7:15 a.m., instead of 7:30 a.m., at 33rd Street and East Second Avenue. The McDonald’s Citizen Tour will start at 8 a.m. at the same location.
Burnett said the earlier start time is because IHBC has divided the field into five-year age brackets instead of 10-year brackets to allow for more competitive age groups.
The iconic 47-mile road race starts at 6,512 feet in elevation. Riders travel through Hermosa and past Purgatory Resort before climbing Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass, both over 10,000 feet. The race finishes in Silverton at 9,318 feet.
Riders must pass Coal Bank Pass by 12:40 p.m. and Molas Pass by 1:20 p.m. or they will be pulled from the race for safety reasons, as the highway between Purgatory and Silverton is only closed until 1:30 p.m.
“A big draw of ours is the closed highway,” Burnett said. “We’re the only race in the country that we know that closes a (U.S.) highway for the race. But also, there’s an exciting factor to ride that closed road – that tradition.”
Burnett expects a total of 1,800 cyclists to compete in the Coca-Cola Road Race and the McDonald’s Citizen Tour Ride. He anticipates about 1,200 citizen tour riders and 600 road racers.
One of the bigger headlines associated with last year’s McDonald’s Citizen Tour Ride was the spreading of thumbtacks on the course. As many as 50 riders suffered flat tires because of tacks spread on Highway 550 at the intersection with County Road 203 and near Trimble Crossing.
Burnett said IHBC is working with local law enforcement to ensure their presence is felt near those locations. IHBC is also collaborating with the city and the county to deploy sweepers ahead of the race and will have staff members using a large magnet to collect any stray material from the course.
The weather is expected to be fantastic, with a high in the mid-70s on Saturday in Durango and a high in the mid-50s in Silverton. Burnett said riders should anticipate 15 to 20 mph gusts on Saturday, which will be a tail wind.
For Saturday spectators, Burnett recommends Shalona Hill, which features the first climb as riders cross the train tracks. It also provides a convenient turnaround point without road closure issues.
Another popular spot, Burnett said, is the top of Molas Pass – a high-energy area riders look forward to reaching because it’s all downhill to Silverton from there.
A new element to this year’s road race is that IHBC was awarded the state championship road race by USA Cycling. Burnett said a cancellation opened the opportunity for IHBC. It’s a welcome addition for all age groups to be able to compete for a state title, and Burnett hopes it will attract more riders from the Front Range.
The two champions from the 2024 Coca-Cola Road Race are returning. Durango’s Cobe Freeburn will defend his men’s title, and Lauren Aggeler, also of Durango, will try for a second-consecutive women’s title.
Freeburn will have local rising stars Emmett McManus and Kai Lowkey, along with collegiate racers like Issac Allred. Though he’s turning 70 later this year, Iron Horse legend Ned Overend is expected to keep the younger riders honest.
Aggeler’s top competition will likely be Michaela Thompson, who finished third last year and Ruby Ryan.
The male and female winners of the Coca-Cola Road Race will take home $1,000.
On Sunday, the LaStrada LaPlata gravel race will start and finish at Steamworks. The 55-mile course includes 4,985 feet of climbing. Riders will start at 8 a.m., ascend Horse Gulch Road, loop around Texas Creek to the east, then return west to Horse Gulch Road and finish at Steamworks.
The Subaru Mountain Bike Race will begin at Buckley Park, where riders will complete a lap around the park before heading south on East Second Avenue to Eighth Street. At Eighth Street, they’ll turn north on East Fifth Avenue into the singletrack. Riders will take a lap on the Rim Trail, descend the south side of the Factory Trail, ride the lower part of the Nature Trail onto East Fifth Avenue, then reverse course down Eighth Street through Steamworks before finishing at Buckley Park.
Burnett said Steamworks approached him about bringing the mountain bike course back through the brewery. This year, all age groups will get to ride through the venue. Interest in the mountain bike race has increased from 180 riders last year to 250 riders this year, he said.
While the gravel and mountain bike races are taking place, the Cycling Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Buckley Park.
There will be a kids’ push bike park with some little ramps. Beer vendors and local booths will be on site to serve customers as spectators hang out and enjoy the races happening around the park.
Sunday is expected to be another beautiful day, with temperatures in the mid-70s.
The downtown element of the mountain bike race, combined with the parade and the Cycling Festival at Buckley Park, should help kick-start downtown Durango’s summer economic season.
“It’s a super fun, unique thing in downtown,” said Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District. “There aren’t many mountain bike races of this status. They go through a bar, and it’ll be packed that day. So if you want to get a seat there, you better get there early. There’s only so many they can handle, so there’ll be spillover effects right into all of downtown. We’re very thankful that the Iron Horse can locate some of their key activities downtown. It’s been a couple of years; we’ve missed them and we’re really glad they’re back.”
Walsworth said the mix of locals and visitors in town for the races will have a significant economic impact. Both groups will fuel up before racing and celebrate afterward.
Bike shops will also benefit. If someone needs a part on race day, Amazon isn’t fast enough – but Durango’s local shops are ready to serve.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
