Just 19 and in his first road race of the season, Keegan Swirbul became a part of Iron Horse Bicycle Classic lore, holding off legendary Ned Overend to win the men’s pro division in Saturday’s IHBC.
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald
In the order they ultimately would finish, 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 photos
Steve Lewis/Durango Herald<br><br>The finish line at Silverton was time to celebrate for Keegan Swirbul after he won the Coca-Cola Road Race on Saturday in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
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
Two completely different generations of cyclists ascended up Molas Pass in the final breakaway of the 2015 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
As he has every year since he first won the IHBC men’s professional road race from Durango to Silverton in 1983, legendary cyclist Ned Overend, 59, was in the lead peloton during the race’s most crucial stages. But it was a rider 40 years younger who made the final charge to claim victory Saturday after the 47-mile ride to Silverton.
Keegan Swirbul, 19, from El Jebel, won in a time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, 14.1 seconds.
“This is actually my second year racing, so I haven’t really had many wins coming in here,” said Swirbul, who previously best was known for beating Lance Armstrong in a mountain bike race in Aspen as a 16-year-old. “Would say this is one of my best moments, for sure.”
Swirbul, of Axeon Cycling Team, said he tested his competition during the first climb up Coal Bank Pass, and only Overend and Fort Lewis College mountain biker Ryan Standish stayed with him.
He did the same up Molas Pass, topping out at 10,910 feet above sea level, and that’s where he broke away from Overend and Standish for good.
Swirbul couldn’t believe Overend was right with him during the climbs.
“That’s insane. When I saw him coming up to me, I was just amazed,” Swirbul said. “I tell you, there aren’t many people in the world his age that can do what he can.”
Swirbul crossed the finish line at the north end of Silverton nearly 42 seconds ahead of Standish, who took second just ahead of Overend, who crossed in 2:30:01.9. Standish finished in 2:29:56.5.
“That was as good as I was going to do,” Overend said. “I closed a few gaps early on, didn’t want anyone to get away. I didn’t work too hard, really. It was super slow going up the valley to the base of Coal Bank ... nobody was going fast.”
The three lead riders took turns pulling up the passes. Overend called it “painful” to keep up with Swirbul’s pulls.
“I’m not sure we even tested him,” Overend said. “Actually, I would say we tested him some. I heard him breathing on Molas.”
Overend said he didn’t know anything about Swirbul coming into Saturday, and he was impressed by Standish’s climbing ability.
Standish, who just completed his sophomore year at Fort Lewis, specialized in mountain bike racing at Fort Lewis College, but he did take third at the college road nationals criterium race two weeks ago. This was his last road race of the season.
“I felt good going into it. Once Keegan started attacking, all I could do was hang on,” the 21-year-old Standish said. “One mile to the top of Molas, Keegan went with Ned, and I couldn’t quite go with that.
“I pedaled as hard as I could coming down the hill and was able to catch Ned just down here in Silverton. I decided I didn’t have much to sprint, so I went with one kilometer to go and held him off. It’s not easy with Ned, he’s so strong. He’s two or three times as old as me. It’s crazy.”
When the three leaders took off into Lime Creek, German Ben Sonntag was left by himself in fourth. That’s where he finished, in 2:30:34.7. Fort Lewis rider Max Thilen was fifth in 2:33:12.4, and Durango rider Rolando Gonzalez was eighth in 2:34:32.2.
Overend felt good enough after Saturday to declare he will compete in Sunday’s circuit race and Monday’s time trial as he chases the omnium title. He saw his record of five road race titles matched by women’s professional Mara Abbott on Saturday.
Standish will compete in the mountain bike race Sunday.
This was Swirbul’s first race since coming off a knee injury. He’s looking forward to a strong season, including his second USA Pro Challenge appearance.
“First race of the season, so really happy with my shape,” he said. “I will continue building to higher-stature races at the end of the year.”
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