IRON HORSE CLASSIC

Robert Mann of Gothenburg participated May 25 in the 42nd Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, CO. The race received that name because it is a race against the train from Durango to Silverton, CO. The train follows the relatively flat Animas River, but the bicyclists have to cross Coal Bank and Molas Divide passes at 10,640 feet and 10,910 feet respectively. The total ascent for the 48 mile race is 6650 feet. “I didn’t beat the train and took twice as long as the much younger professional racers, but I finished and that was my goal,” Mann said. At 72, he was one of the oldest riders if not the oldest, and hopes to do it again next year.