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