Bicycling Brothers from Durango Tops in 3rd Annual Alpine 50 Bike Race

Two Olympie-Class brothers from Durango, Colorado, 37-year-old Troy Wells and Todd Wells, 45, were tops among over 100 bicyclists taking part in the Alpine 50 Bike Race on Saturday, August 28.  The younger Wells brother, Troy, crossed the town park finish line a mere second ahead of his brother after furious pedaling from Lake City clockwise around the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, up and over 12,620’-elevation Cinnamon Pass, down to Animas Forks and then up and over Engineer Pass, 12,800’, before crusing down Henson Creek to Lake City. Respective winning times for the two Durango brothers were 3 hours, 23.25 and 3:23.26. Following Todd Wells — who has competed in bicycling events in three Olympics — was third place male finisher Cameron Brenneman from Grand Junction Colorado. Brenneman, who finished third in last year’s Alpine 50, crossed the finish line with a third place winning time of 3 hours, 37.22. Top women finishers in Saturday’s third annual Alpine 50 were a Lake City bicyclist, Lydia McNeese, No. 69 on a Niner Carbon Flier mountain bike, followed in second place by Basalt, Colorado mountain bicyclist Emily Briant.

 

In addition to first place women’s finisher McNeese, her son, 16-year-old Jaden McNeese, also had a first place time in his age group and received honors for youngest bicyclist in the race. In addition to mother and son McNeese, other Lake City bicyclists taking part in the race were 66-year-old Dan File, Brant Cunningham, and Todd Schweitzer.

 

For complete Alpine 50 coverage, see Sept 3rd issue of WORLD. Not a subscriber? Get subscription information here.