Todd Wells

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Todd Wells was born December 25, 1975 in Kingston, N.Y. He fell in love with the bicycle at an early age starting with BMX from the age of five through sixteen. After graduating high school he picked up his first mountain bike and has been on a tear ever since. He found his way out to Durango, CO where he attended Fort Lewis College and began a pursuit of his career in cycling.

Wells won two Cross Country Mountain Bike Collegiate titles for Fort Lewis College and the inaugural Semi Pro NORBA National Series title in 1996 before taking a break from his studies to become a full time professional cyclist with the Specialized Mountain Dew team.

His initial professional career was short lived as he decided to hang up his wheels at the end of the 1998 season and finish his collegiate studies at the University of Arizona. In 2000 he graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Management Information Systems and immediately started working for I.B.M., a company he interned with during his time as a student.

Wells quickly realized that being a bike racer was better then having a “real” job and started training once again with his sights set on returning to the professional ranks. Some good results landed him a contract with the Mongoose Hyundai team and he was back on the circuit full time by the end of 2001.

By 2008 he was back where he started with the Specialized team and his results seem to get better with age. He has won nine National Championship titles across four disciplines. In 2011 he took on some endurance races and racked up wins in both the Leadville 100 and La Ruta de Los Conquistadors.

2012 might have been his best season yet with his third trip to the Olympic Games where he placed a career best 10th. He also managed to win his second PROXCT series title, second Pan American Championship title and stood on the podium at the Windham World Cup.

When Todd isn’t racing all over the world you can find him in one of three places; hanging out with his wife Meg and dog Winston, grinding it out on the golf course or hitting the dirt jump trails around Durango or his winter home of Tucson, AZ.

Achievements

2012 Marathon National Champion
2012, 2010 PROXCT National Champion
2012, 2010 Continental Champion
2012, 2010, 2001 Short Track National Champion
2012 Olympic Games 10th
2012 Windham World Cup 4th
2011 US Cyclocross National Champion
2011 La Ruta de los Conquistadores Champion
2011 Leadville Trail 100 Champion
2011 US Cross Coutry Mountain Bike National Champion
2011 Sea Otter Classic XC 1st Place
2011 World Championships 7th
2004, 2008 Olympic Games Team Member

World Championships Race Report:

September 7, 2010

The mountain bike season wrapped up this weekend with the 20th edition of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. The race took place at longest running venue in North America, Mt St Anne just outside of Quebec. MSA has been an annual stop on the World Cup circuit since I started racing and the North American racers always receive great support there.

MSA is situated right on the St Lawrence Seaway and has always been one of the most technical stops on the circuit. Over the years the course has been shortened (16 mins per lap) to make for better viewing and specific technical sections have been added. Ride any trail in the area and it’s probably going to me more rooty and rocky then anything you’ll ride all year unless you live in the northeast. Add the rain that always falls on top of that and you have a great venue for a World Championships.

The week leading up to the race we had surprisingly warm and dry weather for early September with new high temperature records being set daily and the newly installed A/C units running nonstop. Hurricane Earl was threatening to douse the festivities all week but by the time Saturday rolled around the temperatures were back into the low seventies and only a little rain had fallen leaving the dirt tacky and the roots and rocks slippery.

I had a great start number since I was ranked 12th in UCI points heading into the weekend. I started 12th on the grid, which is second row at a normal race but at International races with one minute to go a field size of one hundred occupies the space of about forty so I was

about six inches from the start line. I got a good start and managed to squeak by a crash about one minute into the race and completed the first start loop in thirteenth position. I managed to stay in the mid-teens for the first half of the race but eventually the power

faded and I dropped to twenty first position by the finish after giving up five positions on the last half lap. I did manage to ride all the technical sections with out crashing even during the

rainsquall that came in during the middle of the race and made things slick.

I rode the new S-Works Epic 29er with LK tires and it handled the technical stuff like a dream. MSA is a very rough course and the new bike soaked up the bumps. My teammate Burry rode the new S-Works Stumpjumper HT 29er to a bronze medal and was leading during the middle of the race. Susi had some rough luck in the beginning with a flat tire on the first full lap. I tried to give him my Big Air but managed to pierce the can when I ripped it off and dropped it for him. By the time the traffic eased up in the trail and he was able to get to it, all the gas was gone so he had to run a bit.

Jose Hermida from Spain is our new Elite Men’s XC World Champion and probably the most liked and entertaining guy on the circuit. I think he’ll do the jersey proud.

The weekend was packed with fun events and we got a chance to watch the “Legends Race” on Friday evening where Myles Rockwell won a Short Track style event, Lopes second, Frishi third and Ned coming in for fifth. Saturday evening I got to participate in my first ever pump

track race. I was destroyed from the XC race earlier but a few of the XC riders signed up for the 4 lap timed event. I managed to come in first for the XC guys but pretty far down on the list with the Four Cross stars.

This season has been one of my most enjoyable ever. The team is amazing, the equipment rocks and the support is incredible. I have had a mediocre World Cup run but my best domestic campaign ever. Now I have a few days to switch gears and get ready to put the new Crux to the test at Cross Vegas.

Thanks for your support….

Stats for Todd Wells are coming soon.
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