Wells wins Sea Otter short track
Ettinger takes second while Sauser claims third



































Todd Wells (Specialized) raced to victory in the elite men's short track race at the Sea Otter Classic on Friday. The US short track national champion defeated US cross country national champion Stephen Ettinger (BMC) and marathon world champion Christoph Sauser (Specialized).
Wells was never further back than third the entire race and he led the charge to the line while Ettinger and Sauser sprinted each other for the second spot.
Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox) finished fourth ahead of Russell Finsterwald (SRAM Troy Lee Designs) to round out the top five.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Wells (USA) Specialized S Racing |
| 2 | Stephen Ettinger (USA) BMC |
| 3 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized S Racing |
| 4 | Geoff Kabush (Can) Scott 3-Rox |
| 5 | Russell Finsterwald (USA) Sram Troy Lee Designs |
| 6 | Evan Guthrie (Can) Norco Factory |
| 7 | Barry Wicks (USA) Kona |
| 8 | Mitchell Hoke (USA) The Pros Closet |
| 9 | Troy Wells (USA) Team Cliff Bar |
| 10 | Kerry Werner (USA) BMC Project Dirt |
| 11 | Howard Grotts (USA) Specialized Racing XC |
| 12 | Derek Zandstra (Can) Scott 3 Rox Racing |
| 13 | Marc-Antoine Nadon (Can) Scott-3Rox Racing |
| 14 | Andrew Watson (Can) Norco Factory |
| 15 | Cody Kaiser (USA) Muscle Milk Specialized |
| 16 | Unknown |
| 17 | Justin Lindine (USA) Redline / NBX |
| 18 | Ben Berden (Bel) Raleigh Clement |
| 19 | Ryan Woodall (USA) The Pros Closet / Stans |
| 20 | Rotem Ishay (USA) |
| 21 | Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona |
| 22 | Menso De Jong (USA) Team Clif Bar Cycling |
| 23 | Ryan Geiger (USA) FRM Factory Racing |
| 24 | Patrick Chartrand (Can) Rocky Mountain Factory |
| 25 | Gareth Feldstein (USA) Cannondale Muscle Milk |
| 26 | Sepp Kuss (USA) BMC Project Dirt |
| 27 | Frantisek Rabon CZ19830926 Specialized Racing |
| 28 | Tom Sampson (USA) Adigga Racing |
| 29 | Jason Sager (USA) Backcountry.com |
| 30 | Kalan Beisel (USA) Giant Tuffshed |
| 31 | Marc-Andrt Daigle (Can) Garnean Quebecor |
| 32 | Bryson Perry (USA) Dna Cycling |
| 33 | Jamey Driscoll (USA) Raleigh Clement |
| 34 | Elliot Reinecke (USA) Velo Hangar/Focus Bikes |
| 35 | Travis Woodruff (USA) Backcountry.Com Bike Team |
| 36 | Bryan Alders (USA) Marin Bikes |
| 37 | Brodie Stringer (USA) Team Baghouse |
| 38 | Lewis Gaffney (USA) American Classic |
| 39 | Alex Wild (USA) Trailhead Racing Specialized |
| 40 | Brady Kappius (USA) Clif Bar Cycling |
| 41 | Clint Claassen (USA) Santa Cruz Fox |
| 42 | Jason Moeschler (USA) Wtb Cannondale |
| 43 | Robert Marion (USA) American Classic |
| 44 | Spencer Paxson (USA) |
| 45 | Quinn Moberg (Can) Rocky Mountain Factory |
| 46 | Gustavo Pedroza (Mex) Ellin Cyling Team |
| 47 | Charles Jenkins (USA) Khs Cytomax Esi |
| 48 | Drew Edsall (USA) The Pros Closet/Stans |
| 49 | Justin Desilets (USA) No Team |
| 50 | Will Curtis (USA) Santa Cruz / X-Fusion |
| 51 | Yuki Ikeda (Jpn) Topeak Ergon |
| 52 | Joseph Clemenzi (USA) Sports Garage Cycling |
| 53 | Jim Hewett (USA) Osmo |
| 54 | Jordane Gauthier-Bea (Can) Power Watts Nord |
| 55 | Matthew Tyler Turner (USA) Summit Utah Devo |
| 56 | Danny Mcnaughton (USA) Eden Bicycles Racing Club |
| 57 | Colby Pastore (USA) Santa Cruz / X-Fusion |
| 58 | Anibal Valadez (Mex) Ellin Cycling Team |
| 59 | Trey Jarno (Est) Bear Valley Bikes |
| 60 | Eliel Anttila (USA) UC Berkeley |
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Cyclocross 2025-2026 – A comprehensive guide
The races, riders, bikes and gear to watch this season -
Factor Aluto gravel bike review: Sharp and agile, great for the generalist, but lacking the tyre clearance to keep up with modern trends
A better prospect for all but the most dedicated, competitive racers than the Ostro Gravel -
Portuguese veteran suspended by UCI in another case of unexplained abnormalities in Athlete Biological Passport
António Carvalho, 36, most recently rode for Continental team Feirense-Beeceler and is a three-time Volta a Portugal stage winner -
SRM set to launch new super-low stack height pedal and shoe system in collaboration with Q36.5
The two brands have worked on a low-stack pedal and shoe system in tandem, though details are sparse right now



