Ramirez opens Breck Epic with stage victory

Moderate temperatures greeted the field for the first stage of the third annual Breck Epic MTB Stage Race. On tap for the day was a classic Summit County route noted for both its proximity to town and for its rugged nature.

At roughly 40 miles, stage one didn't look like much on paper, but as the day played out it proved itself a likely player in the final standings as race favorite after race favorite fell by the wayside, their tire sidewalls victim to the route’s unforgiving character.

Race favorites Josh Tostado (Bach Builders/Santa Cruz) and Travis Brown (Trek) fell victim to stage 1's rocky underbelly, Tostado relinquishing the lead just seconds after its gain to eventual stage winner multiple-time La Ruta de los Conquistadores champion, Lico Ramirez. Brown's misfortune came just five miles from the finish and saw him drop five spots in the overall. Local neo-pro Kevin Kane (Rocky Mountain) held on for second, finishing just eight minutes off the pace set by Ramirez.

On the women's side, Sonya Looney (Ergon) showed up fresh from her CTR attempt with fitness to spare, putting 14 minutes into second-place finisher Katie Lindquist (Ericksen). Jen Tilley (Honey Stinger/Trek) rounded out the podium in the women’s open category.

With approximately 210 miles left to go, none of these categories is decided. Luck, fitness, racing smarts and Mother Nature are all going to have their say. On deck for Monday is 40+ miles of prime high-alpine Colorado singletrack as racers are treated to the legendary Colorado trail. An overnight storm cell dumped a tiny bit of moisture on course, making everything north-facing super-tacky hero-dirt.

Full Results - Stage 1 & GC after stage 1