By Ryan Simonovich
The 2023 edition of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic brought more than 2,000 bike enthusiasts to Durango this weekend to ride the classic Coca Cola Road Race and McDonalds Citizen’s Tour, which raced the train from Durango to Silverton. Racers also enjoyed mountain bike and gravel events.
“We had a beautiful day for the ride and race to Silverton as the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic heads into its next half-century as an event,” said race director Ian Burnett. “Then on Sunday the gravel riders and mountain bikers had a great time racing in the dirt.”
The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is a 3-day cycling festival, which includes a 47-mile bike race and tour over two 10,000’ passes from Durango to Silverton, Colorado. The tradition began in 1971 when Tom Mayer challenged his brother Jim to see if he could ride the route faster than the train. Today the Iron Horse includes mountain bike and gravel events as well as numerous other cycling festivities around town.
The weekend kicked off Friday night with Michaela Thompson and Toby Hassett taking wins in the 20-minute-long pro short track races.
On Saturday, the peloton set off for 50 miles with more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain. A group of about 20 riders stayed together for the first half of the men’s race before the group splintered on the climb up Coal Bank Pass. Team California’s Caleb Classen soloed across the line with a time of 2:07:18.
In the women’s road race, Sarah Sturm, Kira Payer, and Thompson escaped off the front early on. On Coal Bank Pass, it was Sturm vs. Payer, with Payer gaining an advantage due to a dropped chain from Sturm. Despite a determined chase from Sturm, Payer crossed the line solo with a time of 2:30:28.
Men’s Road Race Results
Caleb Classen (2:07:18)
Howard Grotts (2:08:56)
Jack Odron (2:11:22)
Tayne Andrade (2:12:21)
Jess Clapier (2:12:23)
Women’s Road Race Results
Kira Payer (2:30:28)
Sarah Sturm (2:31:13)
Michaela Thompson (2:35:59)
Sofia Waite (2:39:10)
Erin Osborne (2:39:26)
On Sunday, gravel racers set off for a day of rolling hills in the rural countryside east of Durango. The long course riders completed 95 miles and 7,700 feet of climbing. Full results from the gravel race are available here.
Men’s Gravel Long Course Results
Guy Leshem (4:50:49)
Jess Clapier (4:50:49)
Tyler Lock (4:53:22)
Sam Riess (5:00:00)
Ian Mcpherson (5:02:00)
Women’s Gravel Long Course Results
Sarah Sturm (5:06:37)
Ellen Campbell (5:42:54)
Terry Casey (5:57:22)
Sunny Gilbert (6:34:55)
Danika Brabec (7:14:37)
Racers in the Subaru Mountain Bike Race battled each other on a five-mile lap that featured nearly 600-feet of elevation gain per lap. The course started at Chapman Hill and raced up Lion’s Den Trail, around Rim Trail, and back down through the Chapman Hill Flow Trail.
Howard Grotts and Michaela Thompson both opened substantial leads early in the race, taking victories in both the mountain bike race and the overall omnium competition which combines points scored during the road race and mountain bike race.
Men’s Mountain Bike Results
Howard Grotts (1:41:26)
Toby Hassett (1:44:26)
Ivan Sippy (1:45:20)
Dane Grey (1:45:50)
Jack Spranger (1:47:54)
Women’s Mountain Bike Results
Michaela Thompson (1:35:16)
Lauren Aggeler (1:40:03)
Erin Osborne (1:43:15)
Jen Gersbach-Venzara (1:44:44)
Trish Thomas (1:46:32)
To learn more about the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, please visit https://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com.
Ryan Simonovich is Junior Account Manager with Verde Brand Communications.