Mindy Caruso was a dominant force at last year’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Women’s Road Race, and the defending champion is back this year for the 47th installment of Durango’s treasured event.
Caruso, who has two IHBC road race titles to her name after wins in 2012 and 2017, was a bit reluctant to enter the field this year and attempt to defend her title, but in the end, the 46-year-old from Albuquerque couldn’t say no to another run from Durango to Silverton.
“I was kind of noncommittal for most of the year, and I decided after a lot of the community encouraged me to go out to participate,” Caruso said. “I would say, yes, I’m going to come back, but I’m not sure how much of it will be defending the title. I wouldn’t mind sitting back and participate and enjoy it as much as I can.”
Caruso finished the 47-mile ride last year in 2 hours, 45 minutes, 35 seconds, which was nearly six minutes ahead of second-place Hannah Bingham of Steamboat Springs.
As of Thursday evening, only 17 women were registered in the pro/open category for the road race. However, many racers don’t register until the packet pickup and opening events Friday afternoon at Buckley Park, which Caruso said she will do.
The race is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, starting at Main Avenue and 24th Street in Durango.
Entering this year, IHBC race director Gaige Sippy said Caruso is the favorite to come away with the title.
“It will be Mindy Caruso unless someone surprises her. She’s so strong,” he said.
If Caruso does decide not to make a serious run at defending her title and chase her third crown, there are a handful of racers already registered looking to stand atop the podium in Silverton.
New Mexico’s Anna Kiep, who was third last year, is registered for this year’s race, as is Cory Popovich of Golden, who placed fourth in 2017, and Durango’s Emily Jordan, who was sixth a year ago.
This year’s field will also see a flock of Fort Lewis College riders competing in the pro/open category for the road race.
Charlotte Backus leads the group of Skyhawks, which includes Emily Abraham, Tristen Musselman and Kira Payer. All four FLC riders were part of the Skyhawks’ team at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships earlier this month in Grand Junction, where they placed third as a team.
“Those girls are good, and Charlotte’s a tough rider,” Sippy said. “I think they’ll be strong and will put a fight on Mindy.”
Backus, who hails from Larkspur, said the Skyhawks will have the advantage of working as a team during the race.
“I feel like we’ll be able to work together and help each other,” she said. “We’ve been able to do that all through the collegiate season and were able to have good communication to help each other.”
If Backus is able to challenge for the title, it will be thanks to her skill as a climber. She said she has put more focus on climbing, which caters to the course for the road race, potentially even before the first big climb up Shalona Hill.
Backus also has a good familiarity with the route, as she has used it for training during the collegiate season, and expects the lead group to pull away from the pack pretty early in the race.
“I think it’ll separate before Honeyville, actually,” Backus said. “Everybody knows about the big climbs and Coal Bank Pass, but it’s a pretty steady climb before you get to Coal Bank and there are a lot of false flats.”
The Queen of the Mountain title will be up for grabs, as neither Caruso nor the group of Skyhawks are registered for the competition that combines the road and mountain bike races. As of Thursday, only eight women were entered in the open category for Queen of the Mountain, including Durango High School freshman Ruth Holcomb, who Sippy said will be among the next group of elite riders and could surprise some people this year.
Caruso, if she wants to, could be in for her third road race title, but it’s only a matter of time before the next generation of cyclists catch her. Sippy’s darkhorse pick in the women’s race was Durango’s Maddie Jo Robbins, but the sophomore at DHS had to pull out of this year’s IHBC after she was selected by USA Cycling for a pair of mountain bike races in the Canada Cup.
“It isn’t going to be long before Maddie Jo Robbins and Ruth Holcomb and those girls come in and take that over,” Sippy said. “I think it’s only a matter of time.”
kschneider@durangoherald.com
