Ned Overend, Mara Abbott win 2011 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race
- By VeloNews.com
- Published May. 28, 2011
- Updated May. 29, 2011 at 9:34 AM EDT
The apparently immortal and indestructible Ned Overend (Specialized) won his fifth Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on Saturday in Silverton, Colorado.
The 55-year-old Overend, who last won the IHBC in 1992, made his move on 10,640-foot Coal Bank Pass, escaping the pack with Howard Grotts (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory-Devo), according to the Durango Herald.
He shed Grotts near the summit and went it alone to the finish, crossing in 2:18:54. Greg Krause (Juwi Solar-First Solar) overtook Grotts on the descent into Silverton to snatch second place, while Drew Miller (Landis-Trek) slotted into third. Both were given the same time, 2:20:08.
In women’s racing, Mara Abbott (Diadora-Pasta Zara) won her fourth consecutive Iron Horse — something that’s never been done before, by man or woman.
Like Overend, Abbott got away early on Coal Bank with a companion, Kristin McGrath, and dropped her further along the road to solo in for the victory in 2:34:28.
FILED UNDER: News / Race Report / Road TAGS: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic / Mara Abbott / Ned Overend