Grand Junction Off-Road 2013: Elite men and women 50-miler Results

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Pua Mata topped the elite women's podium (Image credit: Devon Balet Photography)

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Plenty of dramatic scenery in Grand Junction (Image credit: Devon Balet Photography)

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A Stan's NoTubes rider (Image credit: Devon Balet Photography)

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The men in action (Image credit: Devon Balet Photography)

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All lined up at the start in Grand Junction (Image credit: Devon Balet Photography)

Grand Junction's Main Street was abuzz early Sunday morning with talk of the 41 pro riders, 18 women and 23 men, that were about to battle it out for the $20,000 cash purse. The inaugural event posed an uncharted challenge for the pro riders.

Welcomed cloud cover kept the morning cool as riders pushed their limits across the challenging 40 Grand course. The field was close with Ben Sonntag (American Interbanc) and Sepp Kuss (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory) leading the pack for a large portion and battling it out for most of the event, while Pua Mata (Cannondale/Sho-Air), Chloe Woodruff (Crankbrotherse), and Erin Huck (Tokyo Joes) went neck-in-neck for the women's win.

In the end, Sonntag came roaring across the finish line in just over three hours with 18-year-old Sepp Kuss hot on his heels just over a minute later. Mata was able to pull away and take the win for the women with a finishing time of three hours and 36 minutes and Huck hightailing it in for second place with a time of three hours and 45 minutes.

Full Results

Elite men
#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Benjamin Sonntag (Cannondale, Shimano, American Interbanc)	3:04:03
2	Sepp Kuss (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory/ Specialized/ Sram)	0:01:46
3	Kris Sneddon (working in forestry, kona bikes)	0:04:01
4	Carl Decker (Giant Bicycles, SRAM, Schwalbe tires)	0:04:38
5	Chris Baddick (the gear movement, point6 socks, Kali protectives)	0:06:42
6	Brian Matter (RACC / Trek / Progold)	0:08:29
7	Peter Kalmes (Honeystinger/Bontrager)	0:09:56
8	Troy Wells (Clif bar, Stevens, SRAM)	0:11:23
9	Colin Cares (Kenda Felt)	0:11:26
10	Rotem Ishay	0:14:07
11	Yuki Ikeda (Topeak, Ergon, Canyon)	0:15:03
12	Tj Woodruff (Momentum Endurance, Arizona Cyclist, CLIF)	0:16:30
13	Ernie Watenpaugh (Jack Daniel's, BH Bikes)	0:18:30
14	Tyler Gauthier (Border Grill; Quick Stop Bike; St. Onge Insurance)	0:21:55
15	Zach Guy (Griggs Orthopaedics, Acli-Mate, Pearl Izumi)	0:22:12
16	Bryan Dillon (Griggs Orthopedics, Stans No Tubes, SRAM)	0:23:46
17	Josh Whitney (Evol Foods, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Specialized)	0:24:47
18	Nick Truitt (Breck Bike Guides, BMC, Shimano)	0:26:55
19	John Klish (LTR Sports, Feedback Sports, and Julbo Eyewear)	0:29:15
20	Trapper Steinle (Champion Systems, Lifeproof, Giro)	0:48:01
21	Jeffrey Frost (Trek / Hammer)	0:53:17
22	Jason Hilimire (The Gear Movement, Point 6, Mavic)	1:10:41
23	Samuel Morrison (The Gear Movement, Point 6, Mavic)	1:17:43

Elite women
#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Pua Mata (Sho-Air/Cannondale)	3:36:21
2	Erin Huck (Tokyo Joes, Trek, Clif)	0:09:30
3	Chloe Woodruff (Crankbrothers / Scott / Momentum Endurance)	0:13:07
4	Amy Dombroski (Ed/s Trees, Mosaic, Pro Peloton)	0:14:22
5	Amanda Carey (Stan/s NoTubes / Kenda / Cannondale)	0:15:03
6	Heidi Rentz (Ibis bikes, Vermont Bike Tours, The Cycling House)	0:17:55
7	Jamie Busch (Quadzilla Racing/Notubes)	0:18:29
8	Janae Pritchett (Griggs Orthopedics, Santa Cruz/Juliana)	0:19:03
9	alexis skarda	0:22:41
10	Deidre York (The Gear Movement, Point 6, Carborocket)	0:28:23
11	Nina Baum (Stan's NoTubes / Cannondale / Kenda)	0:33:31
12	Kelley Cullen (Honey Stinger, Bontrager and Trek Bicycles)	0:38:44
13	Jari Kirkland (Griggs Orthopedics, Focus bikes, and Stan's No Tubes.)	0:45:14
14	Lydia Tanner (Tokyo Joes, POC, Trek)	0:45:19
15	Heather Szabo (Tokyo Joe\s, POC Helmets, Trek Bicycles)
16	Christine Jeffrey (Riccitello Coaching, Extreme Endurance, 2XU)	0:46:33
17	Shannon Gibson (Stan's NoTubes / Cannondale / Kenda)	0:51:59
18	Melissa Ross (Faster Performance Center)	1:10:18