Grotts takes Carson City Off-Road win with last-lap attack

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Howard Grotts (Specialized) won the Carson City Off-Road with a last lap uphill attack on Keegan Swenson (Cannondale). Swenson, who had led for most of the first two laps, was able to hang on for second place 2:16 behind Grotts. Stephen Ettinger (Focus Shimano) who was the initial aggressor and led the first lap rolled in alone to claim third place. USA Marathon Champion Payson McElveen (Orange Seal) was fourth, and young Cypress Gorry (KTM Factory) rounded out the podium in fifth place.

Heat was a major factor in the race and had forced Epic Rides to move the starting times up an hour to 7:30 AM. Ironically, massive snowpack had forced a course change from the long loop used last year to three 18-mile loops used on Sunday. Many of the racers felt that the new course was even more demanding than the old course.

Howard Grotts commented on his race, "Pretty early on we had a group. Ettinger was pushing the pace on the first singletrack climb and singletrack descent. Then we rolled through the first lap with quite a big group. Keegan then almost immediately hit it on the steep climb. From there it was just Keegan, Steven, and I. Stephen popped off somewhere on that second lap and Keegan and I were just riding tempo on our own."

Grotts added, "I just knew I had to hit it somewhere on the climb since he was descending a little faster than me. So, yeah, I got away somewhere after the feed zone halfway up the climb."

Keegan Swenson commented, "Howard put in a bit of an effort after the feed zone on the singletrack climb and I just couldn't match it. I just had to keep riding my own pace. I was pretty tapped in heat and didn't want to do too much and fully explode."

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