Mara Abbott’s dominant climb to the top of the women’s professional division was on display again Saturday as she won her fifth title in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
The pro women’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race leaves Durango.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
Mara Abbott wins the pro women’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race in Silverton.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald <br>
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald <br>Keegan Swirbal wins the pro men’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race in Silverton.
Ned Overend during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race make their way to Silverton.
STEVE LEWIS/Durango Herald <br>
Keegan Swirbul, left, Ryan Standish, center, and Ned Overend scale Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Keegan Swirbul of Carbondale won the pro men’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Mara Abbott of Boulder won the pro women’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race. She tied Ned Overend’s record of five wins.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Ben Sonntag of Durango flies down Coal Bank Pass during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Mara Abbott of Boulder won the pro women’s division of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Coca-Cola Road Race. She tied Ned Overend’s record of five wins.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald <br>
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Ned Overend is interviewed after finishing third in the mens pro Iron Horse race on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Riders in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic ride past the historic San Juan County Courthouse in Silverton on Saturday.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Fans cheer on racers during the Iron Horse race on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>A great turnout of spectators showed up for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Silverton on Saturday
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Riders where awarded medals after crossing the Iron Horse finish line on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Calvin Davenport finds a high spot to look for friends durango the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in Silverton on Saturday.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Luke Nichols, 5, and his dad Clark Nichols cheer on racers during the Iron Horse road race on Saturday in Silverton. They were waiting for mom and wife Kerri to cross the finish line.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Jeff Dey sits with his dog Destin, as he waits for his daughter Erica to cross the Iron Horse finish line on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Steve Alschuler, left, and Grant Kier, try to warm up after riding in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in Silverton on Saturday.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Plenty of photographers were on hand on during the Iron Horse road race on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>A note to others who were riding in the Iron Horse finish line on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Bella LeSkosek, holds Charlotte, as Harlow and Bebe all stay warm under blankets as they cheer on riders during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Silverton on Saturday. She was there with her mother Charmaine cheering on her father Peter.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Riders looks for their bags after crossing the Iron Horse finish line on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Snow flurries appeared during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Silverton on Saturday
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Fans cheer on racers during the Iron Horse race on Saturday in Silverton.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald <br>Malia Durbano cheers on riders during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Silverton on Saturday.
SILVERTON – Once Mara Abbott entered the mountains, the 2015 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic women’s road race all but ended.
The now-five-time winner asserted her climbing dominance over Coal Bank and Molas passes to tie Durango legend Ned Overend with the title Saturday in 2 hours, 42 minutes, 30.4 seconds.
“I should probably beat him,” Abbott said of Overend. “I guess I’ll have to come back again.”
The victory was Abbott’s first since 2011, which was her fourth consecutive title after a race cancellation in 2008.
While Abbott dominated the mountains, former Canadian Olympian Joelle Numainville owned the start of the race. She took off like a shot from Durango High School and caught up with the men’s pro field before the peloton left town.
“I know I’m not that good of a climber,” said Numainville, who finished fifth in 2:59:33.4.
The rest of the women’s peloton caught up to Numainville in the valley as the initial climbs started.
Numianville, who took 12th in the 2012 Olympics road race, normally rides at sea level and hadn’t trained much in the San Juan Mountains before the race.
Abbott and a group of women that included second-place finisher Samantha Lunsky traded leading a pack through the valley to work together and reel in Numainville.
“That was able to keep us going fast enough so that (the breakaway) wasn’t a problem,” Abbott said.
After Shalona Hill, Abbott put her feet down. She rode clear of the women’s pack from before Purgatory Resort through the finish line in Silverton.
Abbott’s time was the 30th fastest in the field regardless of gender or classification.
“She’s absolutely amazing, so she took off pretty early,” Lusky said of Abbott.
Abbott just was finishing her cooldown ride to the end of the pavement in Silverton when Lunsky arrived.
Lunsky asked Abbott for pictures and invited her to ride with the University of Colorado team during the summer in Boulder.
“You’re like my favorite person ever,” Lunsky told Abbott.
She also offered Abbott a ride back home to Boulder so she could stay for the rest of the weekend’s omnium events. There currently are eight women registered for the circuit race and time trial that make up the omnium, including Maria Santiago, who would have won the title if it was awarded last year.
The circuit race will start at 9:17 a.m. for professional women, and their time trial will be at 8 a.m. Monday.
Riders also can compete in the Mountain Bike Specialists Cross Country mountain bike race, which will go through Steamworks Brewing Co.