Last weekends U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships at SolVista Bike Park in Granby were more than kind to local riders.
They were even better for Durango DEVO riders, in particular.
As a collective, DEVO shattered its previous club record of five titles, hauling in eight national championships over the course of the four-day event, which not only amazed the Durango cycling community present in Granby but the rest of the crowd as well.
And there goes another DEVO rider taking the podium again was said over and over during this last weekends national championships, said Sarah Tescher, herself a DEVO coach, via e-mail to The Durango Herald.
AliciaRose Pastore was the weekends big winner for the DEVO junior developmental mouuntain bike team and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory team, winning a pair of national championships and earning a spot on USA Cyclings World Championships team, giving her the opportunity to travel and race juniors from around the world at the end of August.
Howard Grotts had a big weekend, too, turning in a national championship in junior mens 17-18 short track and adding a runner-up finish in the Cat. 1 junior men 17-18 race.
Other locals crowned U.S. national champions last weekend: Todd Wells (twice), Kaylee Blevins (twice), Wyatt Freier, Greg Herbold, Ned Overend, Martha Iverson, Sage Wilderman, Tad Elliott, Christopher Blevins and Tescher. All in all: Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio and Fort Lewis College cyclists combined to win 15 national championships at Granby Ranch.
Outside of the performance on the track, Tescher, who won the singlespeed national championship, said the local cyclists were noted for their sportsmanship and attitudes. She said cyclists such as Matt Shriver, Overend, Teal Stetson-Lee, Elke Brutsaert and Chad Cheeney, who also coaches for DEVO, often were on hand to cheer on the younger riders at the finish.
At every finish line, each DEVO and Durango rider was hugged by members of this wonderful cycling community, said Tescher, whose DEVO group was joined by first-year program Get Out! Durango as well. It was obvious that everyones race was just as important as their own.
Our results speak for themselves, and if anyone doubted that DEVO was the best junior cycling team in the country, they have been quieted.
Being recognized for attitude is indeed wonderful. Being recognized as a premier junior cycling team isnt bad, either.
Both Chad and I had so many people in the cycling world come up to us, shake our hands, and thank us for spearheading junior racing in this country, Tescher said. DEVO has been challenged this past season, but we have stood by our mission and training philosophy. Due to this, as well as the Durango community itself, DEVO can now rest assured that it is the leader in junior cycling.
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