Durangoan holds off the young guns for her second win of the weekend
Maria Santiago wrapped up a strong Iron Horse Bicycle Classic weekend with a win in the women’s time trial Monday on County Road 250. She completed the 13.7-mile East Animas Course in 40 minutes, 46.08 seconds.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Emily Schaldach probably won’t be riding in another time trial soon. She typically races mountain bikes and prefers the dirt. “Time trials just aren’t really that fun,” said Schaldach, who earned a medal in third place. “This is the first one I’ve done, and it’s a suffer-fest.”
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Maria Santiago was the first to leave the individual time trial starting gate Monday on County Road 250, which wasn’t ideal. But despite not finding a “groove” or that “sugar gear,” she won her second race of the weekend and this year’s unofficial omnium championship. “Ideally, in a time trial, you want to go last and use the other competitors as rabbits to chase,” she said. “It was hard mentally. I didn’t know where I was in the field I was racing against.”
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Riders line up at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Kip Taylor, of Albuquerque, takes off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial on Sunday morning and goes on to when the A-Men’s category
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Racers in Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial, like, Kyle Thomas, of Denver, have the option to be steadied as they take off at the start of the race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>The start line of Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>A race official with Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial counts down the start time for rider Paul Jaramillo, of Denver, on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Zan and Kelly Treasure, of Ogden Utah, take off on their tandem bike at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Maria Santiago, of Durango, gets ready at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Ava Hachmann, of Durango, takes off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Emily Schaldach, of Durango, takes off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Emily Schaldach, of Durango, takes off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Maria Santiago, of Durango, takes off at the start of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango on East Animas Road (County Road 250). The race course is 14 miles long.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango, use a different type of bike and equipment for the race.
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald <br>Dana Shinn, of Durango, makes her way down East Animas Road (County Road 250) during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic time trial race on Sunday morning just outside of Durango . The race course is 14 miles long and had closed the north bound lane for riders but allowed south bound traffic.
The course forgave little in the 2014 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic women’s time trial Monday on County Road 250.
Cool early temperatures made finding a rhythm difficult, and some in the small field struggled in a different discipline.
Durangoan Maria Santiago persevered, however, winning the A Women’s 19-34 category in 40 minutes, 46.08 seconds, capping a strong weekend in which she finished first in the women’s criterium Sunday and third in Saturday’s road race.
Race organizers didn’t sponsor an official omnium this year, but Santiago knew what she was riding for.
She had trouble feeling her legs with the temperatures during the 13.7-mile race, which affected her gear selection.
“Honestly, I couldn’t find a groove,” Santiago said. “I couldn’t find that sugar gear.”
Her performance was enough, though, to hold off two local young guns for the title: Kaylee Blevins, 19, took second in 41:48.73, while Emily Schaldach, 18, was third in 45:28.47.
Santiago was the first woman to leave, and she started at 8 a.m., neither of which were ideal conditions.
“Ideally, in a time trial, you want to go last and use the other competitors as rabbits to chase,” she said. “It was hard mentally. I didn’t know where I was in the field I was racing against.”
She was out in front, where she’s been most of the weekend.
Blevins and Schaldach typically compete on mountain bikes but decided to try the time trial after enjoying Saturday’s road race, then the cancellation of Sunday’s cross country mountain bike race.
Schaldach probably will stick to the dirt after Monday’s ride.
“Time trials just aren’t really that fun,” said Schaldach, daughter of Susan and Tim Schaldach. “This is the first one I’ve done, and it’s a suffer-fest.”
Though Santiago won’t receive any official omnium recognition, she still was able to enjoy a strong cycling weekend with her family and friends.
“It was so nice to have them all really close and supporting me,” she said. “Usually, when you’re racing away from home, you don’t get that.”
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