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

Fort Collins USGP

November 16, 2010

The USGP series resumed this weekend with a first ever stop in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was also the first time this year we had wet and cold weather for a USGP race. The course was laid out on a freshly cut field with a gradually sloping hill, featured a fly over, barriers and quite a bit of climbing for a cyclocross race. A snowstorm on Thursday evening had melted and turned the course into slick mud for Saturday’s race.

I have been moving up the grid all season after a slow start and found myself with number six on the front row for the start. I managed to hold my position during the first lap and not make many mistakes. Halfway through the race Driscoll and Kabush had gap with Trebon, Johnson and myself chasing. I was gaining some time on Trebon in the corners and Johnson was starting to drift off the back of us with one lap to go. I crashed in a slick corner halfway through the last lap, lost contact with Trebon but was able to hold off Johnson for forth. Everyone crashed at least once on Saturday since we were racing in the slickest conditions of the year.

By Sunday, the course had started to dry out and the corners were getting somewhat tacky. Where you had to tripod around the day before, Sunday you could stay clipped in and even lean the bike a little. I had another decent start and found myself in a lead group with Johnson and Trebon early in the race. I decked it in a corner and Trebon slid out before the pit on the same lap giving Johnson a small gap and he was gone. I caught Trebon on the next lap and Powers joined me as well, we were able to drop Trebon shortly after.

Two thirds of the way through the race everything went wrong. I had been bunny hopping the barriers all race but had usually led into them. Powers hit them first on one lap and I had to alter my line because I was coming up on him too fast. I swung into the boggy center of the barriers instead of hugging the fencing where the ground was hard. I lost most of my speed between the first and second barrier but was committed and tried to muscle through it. I came up short and somehow managed to pile drive my left leg into the top of the barrier. I got up but couldn’t bend my leg and had to take a trip to the hospital in the ambulance. Turned out nothing was broken but I have a bad bruise and walking is pretty tough. I’m hoping I heal fast and will be back in time for Jingle Cross. Needless to say I was unable to finish the race and I think it’s the first cyclocross race I’ve ever had to pull out of.

Fort Collins put on a great event, the spectators were awesome and the course was really cool. I was looking forward to checking out the title sponsor, New Belgium Brewery facilities for the party on Sunday night but never made it so I’m hoping they have it again next year. 

Here is a link to my race ending crash: here

 

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