Grant and Aardal win Breck Epic

Day 6 was a Breck Epic-light stage for tired racers. At only 28 miles and with moderate climbs, the day is one for celebrating new friendships and taking beer feeds, though whiskey had already been served on day five.

In many categories the top spot of the podium was already secured, but second, third and fourth were close enough to change today. As the countdown began, spectators were cheering and ringing cow bells. The racers were just a couple of hours away from nabbing the Breck Epic belt buckle.

As the top men crested the hill, 12 miles in to the race, they were once again in a tight group with Alex Grant huddled safely in the middle. Bryan Dillon once again stayed with the lead group, as well as Taylor Shelden, which on this road-heavy day, was not a surprise. After the lead group was through, racers trickled through solo or in pairs, spinning smoothly through the first aid station on their way to some of the best singletrack of the entire race. Marlee Dixon soon rolled through, pushing hard, trying to make up a couple of minutes to move from third overall to second.

As time ticked, the later riders began coming through at a more relaxed pace and as they crested the summit, they started looking around for a beer feed. Photos were snapped as racers threw shots of beer back and off they went for their singletrack descent.

Before the entire field came through the feed the first time, the men's leaders were back over the top and now they were gunning for the finish line. Kyosuke Takei came through first, looking strong. Soon the rest of the field flew over the top and down to the last descent of the race. In the end, Takei rolled through the finish line first, but Carl Decker took the official win. Taylor Shelden took second on the day, just 11 seconds off of Decker and Grant was third, nine seconds off of Shelden.

In the women's field, Marlee Dixon took her third win of the race, with Catherine Williamson two minutes behind in second, and Kate Aardal two minutes behind Williamson. It wasn't quite enough for Dixon to move into second overall, Williamson finished four minutes in front of Dixon, and Aardal was 14 minutes ahead on the top spot of the podium. It was a great week of racing at the top, and every competitor gave it their all.

In the three day race, Yuki Ikeda took the three-day open men's victory by almost an hour. Victoria Calisto finished on top in the women's open three-day race.

After the battles are fought and the adrenaline settles, new friendships are forged and stories are traded for months to come, with sights set on next year's Epic. What will 2015 hold?

Full Results

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Solo men
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Carl Decker (Giant Factory Off-Road Powered By Sram)2:09:30
2Taylor Shelden (5-Hour Energy P/B Kenda)0:00:11
3Alex Grant (Sho-Air/Cannondale)0:00:19
4Bryan Dillon (Griggs Orthopedics)0:01:25
5Joan Llordella (Buff Pro Team)0:01:31
6Nick Gould (Ska/Zia/Trek)0:04:47
7Ben Sonntag (Stan's Notubes Elite Racing)0:05:14
8Justin Lindine (Team Redline)0:05:30
9Brad Bingham (Kent Eriksen Cycles)0:05:40
10John Klish (Klishy)0:11:23
11Nick Truitt (Breck Bike Guides)0:16:08
12John Salskov (Slm Coaching)0:16:41
13Jason Kiefer (Sports Garage)0:18:19
14Galen Omoore (Bike Mag Heavy Pedal Tour)0:31:31
15Andres Verdugo (Continental- Cikla Cuenca-La Europea)0:33:21
16Ryan Chambers0:33:39
17Brandon Barber (Mafia Racing/Wtf)0:37:27
18Justin Piontek (Adventure 212)0:38:01
19Rocky Gingg (Cycle Progression/Thunderbird Energetica)0:38:29
20Enrique Uribe (Hinojosa-Uribe)0:38:42
21Angel Hinojosa Urrutia0:42:08
22Eric Wen0:51:18
23Josh Patterson (Bad Goat Racing)1:03:21
24Gerardo Trujillo (Tequila Bike Jalisco)1:23:57
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Solo women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Marlee Dixon (Mtbracenews.Com / Epic Brewing)2:32:13
2Catherine Williamson0:02:42
3Kate Aardal0:04:02
4Kelly Boniface (Moots Cycles)0:06:30
5Elizabeth Sampey (Independent)0:07:46
6Laura Omeara0:09:56
7Kate Zander (Chumba Racing)0:20:14
8Amy Chiuchiolo0:27:16
9Ivy Pedersen0:29:37
10Shantel Koenig0:38:05
11Brooke Connell0:43:08
12Katie Carmichael (Xcracer.Com/Scimitar)0:44:31
13Liz Lee0:56:46
14Karen Armstrong1:04:52
15Kelly Neville1:13:56
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Singlespeed men
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Carlos Vulgamott (Gates Carbon Drive)2:29:11
2Dan Durland0:03:36
3Jason Hilgers0:06:14
4Henry Fischer (Willa's Wheels)0:10:46
5Vince Anderson0:13:38
6James Prentice0:14:38
7Dax Massey (Thrasher)0:16:13
8Dean Cahow0:18:45
9Rob Lockey0:18:47
10Hans Hjelde (Hh)0:34:01
11Wael Amara0:41:36
12David Kilmoyer (Routine Leg Works)0:56:17
13Michael Beck (Rlw Cycling Team)0:56:56
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Singlespeed women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Maaike Everts3:33:26
2Sundra Hines0:05:23
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Solo men final general classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alex Grant (Sho-Air/Cannondale)16:50:16
2Joan Llordella (Buff Pro Team)0:24:00
3Ben Sonntag (Stan's Notubes Elite Racing)0:31:51
4Bryan Dillon (Griggs Orthopedics)0:49:57
5Justin Lindine (Team Redline)0:56:13
6Carl Decker (Giant Factory Off-Road Powered By Sram)1:11:41
7Brad Bingham (Kent Eriksen Cycles)1:20:30
8Nick Gould (Ska/Zia/Trek)1:24:46
9Nick Truitt (Breck Bike Guides)2:02:01
10John Klish (Klishy)2:08:05
11Taylor Shelden (5-Hour Energy P/B Kenda)2:32:48
12Justin Piontek (Adventure 212)2:55:30
13Jason Kiefer (Sports Garage)3:23:09
14John Salskov (Slm Coaching)3:51:11
15Ryan Chambers5:11:22
16Galen Omoore (Bike Mag Heavy Pedal Tour)5:42:03
17Andres Verdugo (Continental- Cikla Cuenca-La Europea)5:54:04
18Rocky Gingg (Cycle Progression/Thunderbird Energetica)6:02:06
19Brandon Barber (Mafia Racing/Wtf)6:15:28
20Enrique Uribe (Hinojosa-Uribe)6:57:39
21Josh Patterson (Bad Goat Racing)8:34:51
22Angel Hinojosa Urrutia8:50:00
23Eric Wen9:27:27
24Gerardo Trujillo (Tequila Bike Jalisco)13:16:29
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Solo women final general classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Kate Aardal21:05:23
2Catherine Williamson0:10:55
3Marlee Dixon (Mtbracenews.Com / Epic Brewing)0:14:39
4Kelly Boniface (Moots Cycles)0:25:41
5Elizabeth Sampey (Independent)1:25:07
6Laura Omeara1:29:46
7Kate Zander (Chumba Racing)2:16:37
8Amy Chiuchiolo3:10:15
9Ivy Pedersen4:00:50
10Katie Carmichael (Xcracer.Com/Scimitar)4:38:01
11Brooke Connell6:16:54
12Liz Lee7:46:23
13Shantel Koenig7:55:31
14Karen Armstrong9:34:18
15Kelly Neville11:24:58
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Singlespeed men final general classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Dax Massey (Thrasher)19:57:49
2Dan Durland0:29:40
3Vince Anderson0:37:55
4Jason Hilgers0:50:48
5Henry Fischer (Willa's Wheels)1:26:47
6Rob Lockey1:50:25
7James Prentice2:01:44
8Dean Cahow2:28:18
9Carlos Vulgamott (Gates Carbon Drive)3:20:22
10Hans Hjelde (Hh)6:13:55
11Wael Amara6:34:51
12David Kilmoyer (Routine Leg Works)8:09:02
13Michael Beck (Rlw Cycling Team)8:44:18
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Singlespeed women final general classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Maaike Everts29:56:56
2Sundra Hines0:34:29

 

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