Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling in Grand Junction Race #5

(Oct. 8-9) GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Generally when collegiate racers congregate in Grand Junction for Colorado Mesa University’s mountain bike race, they expect brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures.  When the first race of the weekend went off at 8 am on Saturday morning, the Men’s C short track, temperatures hovered in the 50’s and dropped from there as a snow cloud rolled in over Colorado National Monument.  Racers contested a short track and dual slalom on Saturday followed by a cross-country race on Sunday morning.

After a hilly short track in Gunnison the week prior, racers took to a short track that was relatively flat and fast with a false-flat climb on a gravel road followed by a singletrack descent that was shallow enough to pedal.  The 1:30 minute loop saw criterium-style racing tactics as groups of three or four racers shared the work. With minimal climbing, the course favored the rider with the highest absolute power output and in the women’s race, Lauren Catlin of Fort Lewis took the early lead leaving Katie Sodergren (CU) and Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming) to battle out second and third.  Sodergren was able to shake Behlen on the final lap.  In the men, it was a shakeup from the norm with former Laramie, WY resident Clayton Barrows of Penn State in town visiting family.  Within a few laps, Barrows distanced himself, along with Howard Grotts and Rotem Ishay of Fort Lewis, from the rest of the field.  Grotts led into the singletrack the final lap but was unable to hold on to the lead on the road to the finish as Barrows emerging with the win ahead of Ishay.

The Dual Slalom was held at The Ranch, a bike park located high up near Colorado National Monument and operated by the owners of Grassroots Cycles in Grand Junction.  When the college vans arrived at the venue for practice, they were greeted with a brief but intense snowstorm. As practice progressed, the sun broke through the clouds, drying the track, leaving it in prime racing condition.  With a best 2 of 3 race format, racers were guaranteed several runs on the professionally built track featuring many large berms and jumps.  Brittany Clawson of Fort Lewis emerged with the win for the women and Phil Cowan led a Fort Lewis charge that saw them finish with riders in first through fourth.  

The XC was held on the short but technical Gunni Loop off of Little Park Road.  The loop started with a technical downhill, testing the skills of all the riders, followed by a gravel road climb.  The A Women completed 4 laps while the A Men lined up for 6.  Sodergren (CU) and Catlin (Fort Lewis) dominated the women’s race riding together for 3 of the 4 laps before Sodergren was able to open up a 20 second gap midway through the final lap and hold on for the win, being one of the only women to consistently clean a difficult rock feature that the crowds had gathered around.  The men’s race also came down to a two-man race with Fort Lewis teammates Grotts and Ishay riding together for the entirety of the race matching each other on both the technical elements and the power sections of the course.  Ishay emerged with the win in the hard fought battle in the final stretch of the race. 

Racing continues with the final race of the season in Durango, CO, hosted by Fort Lewis College, next weekend.