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Every year thousands
of cyclists ride diligently for months prior to Memorial
Day weekend so their legs and their mental fortitude are
primed for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the race
against the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge locomotive.
As many riders successfully complete the leisurely ride
through Animas Valley they are met with the daunting task
of summiting all 10,640 gut
wrenching feet of Coal Bank Pass. The lungs begin to burn,
the legs start to quake, and the IV drip of lactic acid
starts to seep into the blood stream. However, as riders
come shoulder to shoulder with Engineer Peak and the road
begins to flatten, the thrill of completing the lung busting
ascent begins to seem well worth the effort. Then you
start to enjoy the heart quickening descent before the
realization kicks in that Silverton is still one more
pass away.
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As the day wore on
the weather worsened with smal, powerful bursts
of snow blowing in and out of the San Juans.
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| Ian Stanford, of
Boulder, leads a trio of riders past Engineer Peak
on the way to his 12th place finish.
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| A rider glances
over his shoulder to see if he's
gained any distance from his nearest competitor.
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Mattew Breagy of
Boulder keeps a heart-stopping pace as he passes
the halfway point on Coal Bank Pass.
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John Shaw, pedaling off his morning coffee buzz, offers spectators some of
his special
brew Saturday morning.
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Eventual winner Scott Moninger, front, leads Drew
Miller and Ned Overend up Coal Bank Pass on the
first real test of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
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| A rider puts on an additional
layer of protection before his chilly descent toward
Molas Pass. |
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