The air was electric with race day jitters and ecstatic spectators as the minutes ticked down to the start of the 2013 edition of the Breck Epic. Competitors lined up for the three-day or six-day mountain bike stage race which begins every day at 9,600 feet and often tops out over 12,000 feet.
The Epic once again attracted top names such as defending champion Ben Sonntag (American Interbanc/Cannondale), ShoAir/Cannondale’s Alex Grant, repeat competitor Jake Wells and Specialized’s Todd Wells on the men’s side. The women’s field stacked up higher than ever with Stan’s NoTubes team members Amanda Carey, Sue Haywood, and Shannon Gibson, along with Pivot’s Karen Jarchow.
With two minutes to start, race promoter, Mike McCormack, once again read the rules of the Epic: Number one, don’t litter. Number two, don’t be a dick. Number three, there is no number three. And with those words, the gun was off.
After a quick road climb, the race began with the first enduro stage of the race. The enduro segments are new this year, with competitors tracking their times through Strava. The top enduro finisher each day will earn a leader’s jersey.
The opening stage swept down locally revered Aspen Tunnel. Breck local Nick Truitt pulled off the front with Sante Fe Brewing/Pivot’s Macky Franklin in hot pursuit. Once the enduro segment finished, Sonntag, Grant, and Wells made their way to the front, where they would stay the entire day.
Today would see many steep, rocky climbs, with smooth, flowing singletrack descents - a classic Breckenridge ride. Carey, no stranger to the Breck Epic, kept her cool throughout the stage, choosing to ride smooth and smart, knowing there were many days of racing ahead. Her strategy paid off with a solid second place ride, just 40 seconds behind stage winner and teammate Haywood.
The real race was in the pro men six-day race, with Grant and Wells staying together the entire race, and finishing just one second apart, with Sonntag two and a half minutes back.
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The singlespeed category started off with Honey Stinger’s Dax Massey out front, finishing nearly nine minutes in front of Dan Durland in second.
Jake Wells finished 23 minutes ahead of second place in the three-day open men category, as well as finishing seventh overall.
Local trails planner and open space director, Scott Reid, used his local knowledge to propel himself to a win in the Clydesdale category.
In the other men’s six-day races, Raf De Bakker leads the men’s 30+ category, with Geir Ottar Kvernstuern in second, and Michael Danish in third, while Jonathan Davis leads the men’s 40+ with Curt Wilhelm, and Mike Naughton in hot pursuit. The men’s 50+ category saw Colorado native Charlie Hayes on the top spot, and Jeff Frost and Chris Grove rounding out the podium.
Tomorrow’s stage 2 brings the classic Colorado Trail descent, which tops most of the best to ride lists.
