About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag
Rotem Ishay speaks bout his late friend Benjamin Sonntag on Saturday during the memorial service for the professional cyclist in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Ben Sonntag a professional cyclist at his Durango home in 2016. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, a professional cyclist rides in the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike race in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, right, a professional cyclist makes his way up Coal Bank Pass during the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on the way to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, left, rides next to fellow professional cyclist Ned Overend as they ride in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, right, shares a laugh with fellow professional cyclist Howard Grotts as they ride in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, right, shares a laugh with fellow professional cyclist Howard Grotts as they ride in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, in the Cliff jersey, rides in the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, a professional cyclist rides in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, a professional cyclist rides in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, left, a professional cyclist finishes the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, left, a professional cyclist makes his way up Coal Bank Pass during the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, left, talks with fellow professional cyclist Howard Grotts after finishing the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike race in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Payson McElveen, left beats out Ben Sonntag for second place in the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Morehart Murphy Subaru MTB Race on Sunday in downtown Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, a professional cyclist gets ready for the start of 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike race in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, a professional cyclist gets takes off at the start of 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike race in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, hangs out with with fellow professional cyclists Howard Grotts, left, and Payson McElveen after finishing the 2018 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike race in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, right, a professional cyclist makes his way up Coal Bank Pass during the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on the way to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, near left, a professional cyclist gets ready for the start of the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, near left, a professional cyclist rides in the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on the way to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, left, a professional cyclist stands on the podium after finishing the 2017 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag and his former wife Carmen Small at their Durango home in 2016. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, a professional cyclist gets ready for the start of the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag, center, a professional cyclist rides in the 2019 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on the way to Silverton. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag a professional cyclist at his Durango home in 2016. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Ben Sonntag tastes an espresso at Desert Sun Coffee Roasters, during a barista training session at the companies Bodo Park location on Thursday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file
Bejamin Sonntag was remembered as a kind soul with an infectious passion for life. Always smiling and encouraging others, Sonntag was one of the top mountain bike athletes in the world after his days as a world-class winter triathlete and Nordic skier. Originally from Germany, Sonntag spent roughly 15 years in Durango in a community that was proud to have him. He was killed Wednesday while riding his bicycle when he was a hit by a driver in a truck on a remote county road in southwest La Plata County. Photo courtesy of Bill Schieken
Bejamin Sonntag repeatedly overcame injuries to regain his status as one of the best mountain bikers in the United States. Photo courtesy of Bill Schieken
A fierce competitor, Benjamin Sonntag was never out of a race. He famously would pick off riders late in races to work his way up a podium. Photo courtesy of Bill Schieken
About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Klaus Sonntag stops for a moment and looks at photos of his late son, Benjamin Sonntag, on Saturday before the start of Ben’s memorial service in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Klaus Sonntag and one of his sons, who did not want to give his name, stop and talk with people before the start of the memorial service of Klaus’s late son, Benjamin Sonntag, on Saturday in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds for the professional cyclist. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Benjamin Sonntag’s family is seated before the start of the memorial service for Sonntag on Saturday in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds for the professional cyclist. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Rotem Ishay speaks about his late friend Benjamin Sonntag on Saturday during the memorial service for the professional cyclist in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Klaus Sonntag speaks about his late son, Benjamin Sonntag, on Saturday during the memorial service for his son in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Moose, Benjamin Sonntag’s dog, stops and greets people on Saturday during the memorial service for the professional cyclist in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
About 150 people gathered Saturday to remember professional cyclist Benjamin Sonntag in the Exhibit Building at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Klaus Sonntag knew something wasn’t right.
It was Wednesday, March 4, and Sonntag had phoned his son, Benjamin, in Durango from Germany. The two talked every day on the phone, but Ben was about to go for a ride and told his father he’d call him when he returned from training.
The call never came, and Sonntag got worried. That’s when he got the call from Sarah Alsgaard that her boyfriend, Klaus’s son, had not returned home.
“It is very difficult to understand it,” Sonntag said at his son’s memorial service in the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. He spoke German, translated in an interview with The Durango Herald by a family member.
About 150 people joined the Sonntag family – including Benjamin’s father, his mother, Irmgard, and his brothers, Patrick and Daniel – for a memorial celebration of Ben Sonntag, who died at age 39 last week in a fatal crash in southwest La Plata County.
Friends, former teammates and community members told stories about racing with Sonntag, a Fort Lewis College graduate and Clif pro team professional mountain biker. Some spoke through tears, others though the joy of fond memories of Sonntag.
He had a joyous spirit through times good and bad – his unparalleled athleticism was often outshone by his infectious attitude, people said.
The Sonntag family had been to Durango before; Klaus said he felt an emptiness in his heart without his son to show him around.
While it’s difficult to comprehend the tragedy of his son’s death, Klaus said the support shown Saturday by the community is good for him and his family.
“We can see all that was lost with Ben,” he said.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
