The 2016 Zia Taqueria 4 Corners Cyclocross Series opened at Joe Rowell Park in Dolores on Saturday.
And if the obstacles scattered around the course didn’t pose enough of a challenge for the 50-plus riders, the rain added some extra slop.
“It was more typical cyclocross,” said Scott Clow, chairman of the Greater Dolores Action Board of Directors. “This is an event that was born in northern Europe in the winter, so it’s all about mud and pain.”
There were 58 total competitors spread out across five different divisions, with one 40 minute race and one 50 minute race.
Sarah Strum won the Women’s Open, Jonathon Anderson finished first in the Men’s Open, Mark Damien was the winner of the Men’s B division, Gaige Sippy won the Men’s 35+ race and Mark Gouge took home first in the Men’s 50+ division.
The event kicked off the 2016 series, which runs through mid-December and features six races. And Clow said that the proceeds from this year’s event and donations from previous races in Dolores are being used to purchase interpretive signs on the McPhee Overlook Trail.
The next event in the series is at Ray Dennison Memorial Field at Fort Lewis College on Saturday, Nov. 12. It’s followed by races in Pagosa Springs (Nov. 19), Aztec (Dec. 3) and Cortez (Dec. 10), and the final event is back at Fort Lewis College on Saturday, Dec. 17.