Todd Wells of Durango took a big leap off the front and rode to victory in the short-track event at the US Cup pro mountain bike race Sunday in Fontana, California.
It was the second of nine weekends of racing in the national series that pits not only the top U.S. riders, but some of the top riders internationally.
Wells bested two other 2012 Olympic mountain bikers – Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez of Spain, who was second; and Kohei Yamamoto of Japan, who was third.
“Grabbed my first win for 2015 ... with looong solo attack,” Wells said on his Twitter account.
Other top Durangoans in the short track: Howard Grotts was 10th, Troy Wells was 12th, Rotem Ishay was 28th and Ryan Standish was 33rd.
In the women’s short-track, Czech rider Katerina Nash was first and Durango native Kaylee Blevins placed 23rd.
In Saturday’s cross-country race, held on a 3.5-mile course that was described as a bald, treeless hill with epic climbs and rocks on the edge of Los Angeles, Wells was the only American to crack the top 10.
New Zealand rider Anton Cooper won, with Canadian Raphael Gagne 12 seconds behind in second. Manuel Fumic of Germany was third. Wells placed sixth, 2:22 back.
Durango finishers included Grotts (14th), Ben Sonntag (18th), Troy Wells (35th), Sepp Kuss (38th), Ishay (42nd) and Stephan Davoust (60th).
“Some quality suffering out there yesterday at the #USCupFontana,” Grotts said on his Facebook page. “Tagged on to the lead bunch for couple seconds on Lap 2, then faded back to 14th in the end. Good place to be this early in the year though.”
Nash also won the women’s cross country, with Durango native Teal Stetson-Lee 26th and Blevins 46th.
The US Cup series returns to action April 11 with a return trip to Bonelli Park, California, site of the series opener March 14-15.
johnp@durangoherald.com
