Durango’s Sarah Sturm had the ultimate triumph in gravel stage racing with her stage race win in Kenya two weekends ago. Local riders Keiran Eagen and Michaela Thompson tried to replicate Sturm’s success this time in Oregon.
Unfortunately, Eagen and Thompson were unable to secure the win in Oregon in the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder stage race this past weekend. After riding for 350 miles over five days around the Cascade Mountains, Eagen finished 13th in the pro men’s field with a time of 16 hours, 36 minutes and 40 seconds and Thompson retired on the fifth and final day due to an illness.
The race kicked off on Wednesday at Oregon State University Bend Campus and the athletes rode 66.3 miles on the first day. Eagen was 26th in the men’s field and Thompson was second in the women’s field.
“I was feeling great riding with lead group until I lost contact on a very difficult crosswind section,” Eagen wrote on Instagram about the first day. “Shortly after I realized I had not had any nutrition and I pedaled so very slowly to the finish. Not great to start a five day race 30 minutes down.”
On the second day, riders competed for 92 miles. Eagen had a better day and was 13th overall in the pro men’s field in the second stage. Thompson continued her stellar start and had the best time in the second stage.
Thompson was second in the third stage which was only 30.5 miles long and had a time trial start. Eagen was 15th.
Prior to this stage race, Thompson’s longest-ever stage race was three days so she wasn’t sure going in how she would fare in this longer endeavor.
“I am proud of my performances the first three days because I truly felt like my racing self again,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been struggling at times this season to be able to push myself so to ride as hard as I could for hours each day was very relieving. It’s a pretty remarkable experience to be out there with no thoughts in my head and just pedaling, moving forward.”
After the 83.1-mile fourth stage, Eagen was 17th in the pro men’s field and Thompson was fifth.
Finally, riders raced toward the finish after the 72.1-mile fifth stage and Eagan had one of his better days and finished 10th in the final stage.
Thompson retired and wrote on Instagram that she couldn’t describe how she felt when she pulled into the aid station to retire.
“Although I say my week ended so poorly, I’m still proud and I also know that not being able to finish the last day was truly outside of my control,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “My throat started to feel scratchy around dinner the night before, then woke up knowing I was pretty sick. I didn’t know it was in my chest so I thought if it’s just in my head I can make it through the day but as soon as my heart rate went up my chest was pins and needles and I just couldn’t push.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
