Ketchum cyclist Bill Nurge was named King of the Mountain for clocking the best time in a unique road bike race held Saturday at Galena Summit.
The race, held as part of the Sawtooth Century Tour 100-mile ride, involved two ascents, one from either side of the summit. Nurge recorded the best overall time, edging out top woman finisher, Boise cyclist Kristin Armstrong, the 2006 road bike time-trial world champion.
Nurge and Armstrong were among 82 men and women who competed in the Galena climb race of the Sawtooth Century Tour, an event that attracted 320 participants.
Armstrong, who is expected to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympic games in China, was named Queen of the Mountain.
Both Nurge and Armstrong will have their names engraved on a perpetual trophy that will be held on display at Galena Lodge.
The Sawtooth Century Tour, a fundraiser for backcountry trails development, involved a 100-mile ride that started in Ketchum, looped through Elkhorn and Sun Valley and headed north over Galena to a turnaround at Alturas Lake.
Riders had the option of participating in the race portion of the event, which featured two timed runs up Galena Summit.
Nurge recorded an overall time in the two ascents of 47:13 to win the men's competition. Second went to Hailey cyclist Brandon Lynch with a combined time of 47:34.
Joe Savola, of Boise, finished third at 49:11. Ketchum's Steve Butler claimed fourth at 51:31 and Jeffrey Gasser, Boise, finished fifth with a combined time of 52:51. Fifty-eight men competed in and finished the race portion of the tour.
Armstrong clocked an overall time of 48:18 to win the women's competition. Second went to Hailey cyclist Adrienne Leuggers at 58:11. Stella Keane, of Ketchum, placed third at 58:55, followed by Caludia Hatthrup, also of Ketchum, with a time of 59:35. Fifth place finisher was Yvette Steppe, a Seattle cyclist who recorded a combined time of 1:00:24.
Twenty-four women participated in and finished the race portion of the tour.
"It was a pretty unique tour, in that they had a race within a tour," Nurge said Wednesday.
"It was just great to be out there on Saturday," he said. "It was a beautiful day and it was great to see all the locals going at it on either side of the summit. It was just a great day."
Courtesy photo
Ketchum cyclist Bill Nurge claimed the King of the Mountain title for a first place finish in a Galena Summit road bike climb last Saturday as part of the Sawtooth Century Tour. Nurge is shown here cycling to the top of Mount Harrison at the Mount Harrison Hill Climb last summer near Burley. He finished a close second in that event.
