With a win in the super-cross-country race, a third-place finish in the cross country race and a ninth in the time trial, Durangoan Todd Wells won the inaugural five-race U.S. ProXCT (pro cross country) series championship this last weekend at Cheyenne Mountain Park in Colorado Springs and claimed third place overall at the event.
The event opened last Friday with the time trial. Max Plaxton won the event, and a leaky tire threatened to cause the catostrophic event that could derail Wells and his 80-point series lead over Geoff Kabush.
I had ridden several laps of the course without incident in training but managed to cut a sidewall one minute into the race, Wells said in a news release. Disaster had struck, and I didnt have time to put a tube in, so I hit it with a Big Air but soon was riding on about five PSI (pounds per square inch).
Fortunately for Wells, he was able to make up ground in the cross country race, finishing third behind winner Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Kabush. The finish locked up the series title for Wells.
Even with the series locked up, there still was the matter of the super-cross country race and the overall stage title to determine. Sitting in third after his rebound in the cross country event, Wells attacked early on but couldnt shake Horgan-Kobelski and Kabush until the end.
We rode in a group of three for most of the race before Kabush slid out in one of the many slick corners while I was pushing the pace, the two-time Olympic cyclist said. With two laps to go, I attacked when JHK (Horgan-Kobelski) bobbled and managed to open up a 20-second gap to him and over a minute to Kabush by the finish.
Even after claiming a series title, Wells wont be taking any time off over the next few weeks. Hes entered in the U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships at Sol Vista Bike Park in Granby this weekend. Wells then plans to compete in the World Cup in Europe after nationals.
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