Grotts Gets His Gold

Howard Grotts beats Troy Wells and Travis Brown to Claim IHBC Pro MTB Title

Mountain bikers race through Steamworks Brewery in downtown Durango

By Bentley O’Quinn - Special to the Durango Herald

Howard Grotts at the Devo Sweet Elite Team Presentation

DURANGO - Not many mountain bike races go through crowded restaurants and down a ramp into the back alley, but this wasn’t just any mountain bike race.

For the 40th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, race organizers decided to bring back the mountain bike race, and they decided to go all out.

On Sunday, both the men’s and women’s pro fields battled through a windswept course around the Fort Lewis College campus before riding back into town and through Steamworks Brewing Co. before crossing the finish line.

Durango native and Durango High School alum Howard Grotts added to his fourth-place finish in the Iron Horse Road Race with a decisive win Sunday.

“I was hurting in (Saturday’s) race, but (Sunday) I felt good the entire time,” Grotts said after only the third professional race of his career.

Troy Wells of Durango started out the day strong, leading the race for two of the three laps. Grotts turned on the burners on the first climb of the final lap.

“Howard (Grotts) is so light, he just road away on the first steep part,” Wells said. “I tried to ease up my second lap, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t have enough in the tank to catch him.”

Wells and Travis Brown, a Mountain Biking Hall of Famer from Durango, finished second and third, respectively.

“Once I passed Troy (Wells), I didn’t know if they would catch me,” Grotts said. “But I had it in my legs.” Read more ...

Brad Johnson of Flagstaff, AZ

pedals past the crowd in Steamworks Brewery

Ned Wins Again!

Back in the high life again

Overend, 55, wins fifth Iron Horse Classic road race

By Ryan Owens - Durango Herald Staff Writer

Bouré Bicycling Clothing’s ageless cycling wonder and owner, 55-year-old Ned Overend, acknowledges cheers from the crowd as he wins his record fifth Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Durango-to-Silverton road race.

SILVERTON – Not that anyone around these parts is surprised by anything Ned Overend does on a bicycle anymore, but it had been 19 long years since the man known as “Deadly Nedly” took home a road race title at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

But at 55 years old and in the 40th installment of the race, the Durango cycling legend proved one thing to the pro men’s field and any potential doubters.

He’s still got it. And then some.

Overend made his move on Coal Bank Pass, building a sizeable lead and holding off Greg Krause, Drew Miller and Howard Grotts on Molas Pass in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 54 seconds to win his record fifth Iron Horse Classic Road Race title Saturday, maintaining his lead over four-time women’s champion Mara Abbott in the process.

As other riders began to struggle in both major climbs, Overend said he just “felt better and better.”

“(It’s been) too long. ... Howard made the move, and I went with him and hung on as long as I could. ... I felt stronger and stronger on Molas,” Overend said.

It was Overend’s first Iron Horse win since 1992, setting the record for the longest gap between road race victories and breaking a mark held by Michael Carter, who had 17 years between victories.

He’s only the second rider older than 40 to win the race, Carter being the other, and is the only one older than 50 to take the crown. Overend also won in 1983, 1986 and 1987.

The big move of the race came on Coal Bank Pass. Overend and Grotts left the lead peloton as the climb began, with Grotts looking like he might drop Overend halfway up, building a 10-second lead.

But Overend, the ultimate crafty veteran, chased down the former Durango DEVO standout near the summit and put some distance between the 19-year-old Cat 2/3 rider on the descent. He maintained the lead during the climb up Molas Pass, and the rest is history.

Ned descending Coal Bank Hill

“I used some experience to catch him on the descent and go by him,” said Overend, the defending singlespeed national champion. “Those 30 years came in handy for that. ... I was going downhill faster and through those corners faster. I’ve probably done it a couple hundred more times than him.”

Grotts, who easily won his category in 2:20:12, said riding at the front with Overend in his first IHBC race after jumping from the junior category was almost surreal.

“He’s always going to be fast and strong. It’s fun to ride with him. ... I really didn’t know what to think ... It was good coming over the top of (Coal Bank) and hearing that we had a 30-second gap,” the-soon-to-be Fort Lewis College cyclist said. Grotts just finished his collegiate season at Colorado School of Mines.

Overend said he enjoyed seeing the young Durango native make a serious run at the title, adding that Grotts’ time will come.

“Youngest kid and the oldest kid in the pack out there together. Could’ve been a story either way, huh?” he said. Read more...

Clean Commute Week 2011

Clean Commute Week is an effort by the City of Durango to encourage a shift in the way Durango citizens think about transportation. The goal is to promote the use of alternative modes of transportation to benefit people’s health, the health of our community and the environment.

By promoting bicycling, walking, carpooling, and public transportation as environmentally responsible and practical options, the City of Durango hopes to excite people about the benefits of clean commuting and get them to take a break from their single occupancy vehicles. They hope that through these events, people will learn that commuting cleanly can be easy, cost effective, and fun. Check out this Week of Fun Events!

COMMUTER OF THE DAY

Nominate someone who has made the shift towards clean commuting or is an exceptionally dedicated clean commuter. Fame and Glory await them!

COMMUTER BENEFITS CARD

Register Here and The City of Durango will send you a Benefit Card that will get you Sweet Discounts at local businesses. The Commuter Benefits Card is good only during Clean Commute Week (June 18th to June 24th). So register, get your card, and use it!

COMMUNITY COMMUTING CHALLENGES AND CHANGES A PUBLIC MEETING

Wednesday, June 22 (5pm -7pm)

The City of Durango would like to tell you what we have done to improve commuting safety. We would also love to hear what you think works and what we could improve upon. Let's get together and discuss what makes commuting around town great and what could be better.

Free Beer from Carver Brewing and SKA Brewing!

D&SNGRR Train Museum

Please RSVP if you are planning on attending.

PEDAL VS METAL

Wednesday, June 22 (noon - 1pm)

An in-town errand run that pits bike riders vs solo drivers vs carpoolers vs fast walkers.

Choose your Mode: Bike or Drive

Durango Transit Center (250 W 8th Avenue)

CLEAN COMMUTE DAY

Friday, June 24 (6am to 10am).

Enjoy a free snack and refreshments from local businesses.

T-shirts will be available on a first come first served basis.

Stop by one of these breakfast stations during your morning commute:

• Durango Transit Center (250 W 8th Avenue)

• Main Ave and 9th Street

• Mercy Regional Medical Center

To register and for more information, go to:

GetAroundDurango.com

Giro d'Italia Viewers Guide

1. GazzettaTV for Live Stream

2. Eurosport Audio with Sean Kelly

3. CyclingNews.com Ticker to tell you what happened during the 10-minutes you walked your son to school.

4. Stage 11 Winner - John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale

Escobaria in Bloom

Oft hidden, these low-growing pincushion cacti survive low temperatures and bloom in early Spring - which in Durango is otherwise known as mid-May. Well distributed in prairie and desert grasslands, they are found throughout the Great Plains from Texas north into Canada, and west from Texas into the desert Southwest. The subspecies

navajoensis is native to our Southwest region

. The two specimen pictured here are survivors of numerous cold, wet winters in our Durango landscape.

Missouri Foxtail Cactus

Escobaria missouriensis

Escobaria missouriensis ssp. navajoensis

Early Bloomers

A few of the first natives blooming in our Durango garden.

Mountain Ball Cactus

Pediocactus simpsonii

Evening Primrose

Oenothera caespitosa

DWC Criterium Cancelled

Sunday, May 1, 2011

DWC Critters,

I really I don’t like to do this. But the National Weather Service forecast is just too grim...
Sincerely,
Spencer

Today: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 41. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming north northeast. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT.

* TIMING…A BURST OF HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING…FOLLOWED BY NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS LASTING INTO THE EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION…TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES IS EXPECTED.

* VISIBILITY…FREQUENTLY LESS THAN ONE MILE IN MODERATE SNOW AND FOG. DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE IN HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS.

* IMPACTS…EXPECT SLICK AND SLUSHY CONDITIONS ON ROADS AS HEAVY WET SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE ON THE PAVEMENT.

ANIMAS RIVER BASIN-SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF… DURANGO… BAYFIELD… IGNACIO… PAGOSA SPRINGS AND VICINITY
456 AM MDT SUN MAY 1 2011