Alex Grant and Evelyn Dong Win 9th Edition of the Crusher in the Tushar
More than 600 riders, including a number of current and former U.S. professional national champions, descended on Utah’s Tushar Mountains for the ninth annual Crusher in the Tushar gravel event
Beaver, Utah (July 13, 2019) - After one of the fastest races to date it was professional mountain bikers Alex Grant (Gear Rush) and Evelyn Dong (Pivot-Stan’s No Tubes) who crossed the finish line first ahead of their respective Pro/Open fields that were particularly stacked this year with notable road cycling talent.
Photo: Alex Grant (Gear Rush) and Evelyn Dong (Pivot-Stan’s No Tubes) win the 2019 Crusher in the Tushar. Credit: Cotton Sox & Angie Harker Photography
Those fields included recently crowned U.S. national road champions Alex Howes (Education First Pro Cycling), Travis McCabe (Floyd’s Pro Cycling) and Lance Haidet (Aevolo Cycling); along with Team Tibco’s Laurens Stephens and reigning “Queen of Kanza”, Amity Rockwell (complete list below).
The women’s race took shape when Lauren Stephens, who set a blistering early pace, was caught by Evelyn Dong with 10 miles to go, just after cresting the race’s notorious KOM/QOM. From there, Dong cruised to the win, opening up an eight minute gap over the course’s final miles. Stephens had done enough to secure second with Sarah Max (Argonaut-ENVE) following in third, three minutes later.
“I definitely didn’t expect to win coming into this, having never ridden this course before,” said Dong. “It’s my first time. A lot of my training is like this, high altitude riding, this is what I love to do. In that sense, this pretty much feels like home.”
On the men’s side the race once again came down to the aptly dubbed “Col d’Crush,” where Grant launched the decisive attack about halfway up the 2500 ft. climb, dropping fellow leaders Howes and Eddie Anderson (Axeon-Hagens Berman). 39 year-old Grant, a stalwart of the US professional mountain bike scene, sealed the deal on the Col’s steep upper switchbacks, opening up a lead of more than a minute and a half at the KOM/QOM line. Still 13 miles and several climbs from the finish line Grant continued to twist the knife, coming across three minutes before Eddie Anderson with Howes a further minute adrift.
Photo: Alex Howes (Education First Pro Cycling) leads the front pack containing Travis McCabe (Floyd’s Pro Cycling), Lance Haidet (Aevolo Cycling) and Alex Grant (Gear Rush). Credit: Cotton Sox & Angie Harker Photography
“Two years I’ve done it I’ve had flats, two years I’ve had catastrophic bonks, and last year I had a pretty good year,” said Grant. “This is my sixth time racing, and I finally got the win. Honestly, this was like a dream, like ‘maybe I’ll win the Crusher someday, maybe not.’ I’m so pumped to win it, it was a super-fast day out there, tons of strong riders.”
“Oh man, it was tough,” said freshly-crowned U.S. road champion Howes. “I was down at sea level before this, so coming back [to altitude], at the bottom of the Col d’Crush, I was feeling like a real champion, and then we hit a certain altitude and I just detonated. I’m actually pretty surprised I held on for third. It’s a funny thing at altitude, it’s like a bad dream. You just watch people ride away, and there’s just nothing you can do. Hats off to Eddie and Alex, both of them rode great.”
“It’s an absolute honor and thrill to have some of the country’s top pro riders add the Crusher to their schedules,” said race founder and director Burke Swindlehurst. “But what really fills me with pride and gets me emotional is seeing the weekend warriors--some of whom walked many of the climbs--come across the line hours after the pros have finished. I have crazy respect for anyone who crosses that finish line, and it’s seeing those folks achieve their goals that is the most rewarding part of this job.”
Photo: I've got a Crush on You! "Col d’Crush” delivered big time! Credit: Cotton Sox & Angie Harker Photography
Men’s Top-10
1. Alex Grant - Gear Rush - 4:15:08
2. Eddie Anderson - Axeon-Hagens Berman
3. Alex Howes - EF Education First
4. James Driscoll - DNA Cycling-Mavic
5. Zach Calton - Summit Bike Club
6. TJ Eisenhart - Arapahoe- Hincapie
7. Lance Haidet - Aevolo Cycling
8. Gage Hecht - Aevolo Cycling
9. Travis McCabe - Floyd’s Pro Cycling
10. Luke Gangi-Wellman - Ascent Cycling
Women’s Top-10
1. Evelyn Dong - Pivot-Stan’s NoTubes - 5:02:14
2. Lauren Stephens - TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank
3. Sarah Max - Argonaut-ENVE
4. Amy Charity - DNA Pro Cycling Team
5. Aimee Vasse - Blue Factory Team
6. Mindy Caruso - Nero Veloce
7. Scotti Lechuga - Fearless Femme
8. Hanna Muegge - DNA Pro Cycling
9. Amity Rockwell - Easton-Overland
10. Kae Takeshita - Panaracer-Factor
Crusher At-A-Glance
9th edition, sold out with more than 600 registered riders
69-mile route with 10,000 feet of climbing. Peak elevation of 10,344 feet
Departs from Beaver, UT, birthplace of Butch Cassidy, and ends at Eagle Point Resort
Traverses the Tushar Mountains and Fishlake National Forest
Course highlight: the 8% average, 5-mile long Col d’ Crush KOM/QOM washboard climb that tops out just below el 10,000 ft
For more information visit www.tusharcrusher.com
Photo: Amy Charity - DNA Pro Cycling Team dug "so deep" and came 4th overall! Credit: Cotton Sox & Angie Harker Photography
