Durango – Tom Mayer and his steel-framed 10-speed were slightly overmatched the first time his older brother, Jim, challenged him to a 47-mile race against the train running from Durango to Silverton. Cranking the pedals for hours over the nearly 11,000-foot Coal Bank and Molas passes, it took several attempts before Tom could outmuscle Jim’s steam- powered locomotive.
These days, however, it’s the train that is suffering the inferiority complex, as top competitors in the 34th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic crossed the finish line in downtown Silverton a little more than two hours after mounting their racing bicycles in Durango.
“This is definitely one of the more classic races in the country that we have going. What a huge tradition,” said Michael Carter, 42, of Littleton, who won Saturday’s race against the train in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 6.8 seconds. “I’m a native of Colorado and always loved the mountains, so it’s definitely in my blood.”
Carter, a Colorado Velo rider who raced virtually solo for the entire event, faced his biggest challenge from another Colorado native – Durango’s Mitch Moreman, who was bolstered by his newly formed Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory team to finish second in 2:18:25.0. Moreman teammate and Colorado cycling legend Ned Overend of Durango was third in 2:18:25.6.
“For me, this is special because I was born in Durango, and I’ve always loved this race,” Moreman said. “Just climbing over those two passes around 11,000 feet, the fast downhills, beautiful mountains … It’s just a beautiful ride.”
After his team pushed the pace early, Moreman and a small pack – which included Carter, Overend, Michael Lang of Golden, Cody Peterson of Idaho and Jeremy Horgan-Kobels of Boulder – overtook leaders Mike Janelle and Jay Henry, both of Avon, about two miles below the summit of Coal Bank Pass.
Carter made a break but was reeled in by Moreman a mile before the summit. But Carter managed to shake loose and soloed over Molas Pass and on to victory.
“I was trying to get him to share the tempo,” Carter said. “When it was just the two of us, I was afraid he might put in another attack. At this altitude, when you go a little anaerobic, you are definitely done. An attack could have done me in, but it turns out he was on the ropes.”
Moreman and Overend used team tactics to extend their gap over the pack down Molas, but it wasn’t enough to catch the leader.
“I think given the circumstances, that’s the best we were going to do today,” Overend, 49, said after his 24th Iron Horse race. “I knew Carter was a threat. I beat him last year, so I thought I was done with him, but apparently not.”
More than 1,000 competitors started on Durango’s Main Street, along with another 1,000 citizen riders among the record crowd at the three-day cycling celebration. The train finished somewhere near the back of the pack.
