Breck Epic Stage 4: Another epic photo gallery
A rider digs deep on Vomit Hill, a steep, loose and relentless climb that is appropriately named (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Breck Epic/Devon Balet
You know you’re in trouble when the day’s prominent feature is called Vomit Hill. But that was just a fraction of the pain doled out Wednesday at stage 4 of the Breck Epic cross-country stage race. Aqueduct, as the route is called, included 44 miles and 6300 feet of climbing, much of it coming during the aforementioned gut-wrenching climb that the bulk of the Breck Epic peloton had to walk at least part of the way.
Out front was Belgian national champ Frans Claes (Loving Hut MTB Team), who scored his fourth straight men’s 6-day open stage win, and for the first time this week was first rider across the line. That was due in part to the exit of the Topeak-Ergon hit squad (Kristian Hynek, Alban Lakata, Jeremiah Bishop), who dominated the front half of this race in the Colorado high country, before heading to even higher ground in preparation for this weekend’s Leadville 100.
Frans Claes takes the win for the 6 day open men’s race (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Breck Epic/Eddie Clark Media
Bryan Dillon (Griggs Orthopedic) and Ben Swanepoel (Squirt Lube) were second and third on the day, and are third and second respectively in the men’s open 6-day, behind Claes, who has a commanding 14-minute lead with two stages remaining.
In the women’s 6-day open category the top three on the stage are the top three in GC, with Evelyn Dong (Sho-Air/Cannondale) leading the way by 15:40 over Marlee Dixon (mtbracenew.com/Pivot Cycles), with Moots rider Kelli Boniface another 5 minutes back.
Evelyn Dong all smiles and continues to lead in the 6 day open women’s race (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Breck Epic/Eddie Clark Media
Head over to breckepic.com for complete stage 4 results and updated overall standings in all the categories. And check out the massive photo gallery below to get a true sense of the day’s suffering. Thanks as usual to the Breck Epic’s squad of ace photographers. Today we’re treated to imagery from Eddie Clark and Devon Balet.
Up next at the Breck Epic is the brutal Wheeler Pass stage (32 miles, 4900 feet of climbing), which includes the arduous trek up and over the Ten Mile Range that separates Breckenridge from the nearby Copper Mountain Ski Resort.
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