Lance wins Colorado State MTB Championship

Lance Armstrong has another championship jersey to add to his collection — this one for winning the Colorado state pro men’s cross-country championship at Blast the Mass on Aug. 8  in Snowmass Village.

Jay Henry (Tokyo Joe’s) finished second with Len Zanni (Honey Stinger-Trek) third.

“Not bad for a Texan,” Armstrong told The Aspen Times. “I expected to make some big mistake … like go over the handlebars or do something careless. … Everything flowed well. But I still kept looking back. I always do.”

In women’s racing, Gretchen Reeves (Tokyo Joe’s) took the victory, with Jennifer Gersbach (Dale’s Pale Ale Spot Brand) second and Kay Sherwood (Tokyo Joe’s) third.

Blast the Mass was the fifth stop of the Mountain States Cup. It also served as the state championship for cross country, four-cross, downhill and Super D.

Henry leads the pro men’s series with 1,430 points. Mike West (Maverick) sits second with 1,186 while Zanni is third with 1,170. Melody Serra (OES-BikeSource) leads the women’s standings with 1,066 points to 908 for Gersbach and 892 for Sonya Bugbee (YetiBeti).

• Editor’s note: USA Cycling rules allow anyone with a USAC-MTB annual license to win a state or regional championship title regardless of residency, according to Kelli Lusk, USAC mountain bike events and program director. However, she adds, it’s rare to see riders crossing state lines in pursuit of championship jerseys because most championships use a series format rather than a one-day race like Colorado.

Photo courtesy vastaction.com