Todd Wells

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  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=12EpicFSR&scid=1100&scname=Mountain

    S-Works Epic

    The fastest, lightest and most efficient performance mountain bikes...

    Learn More at Specialized.com

  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=12SJFSR&scid=1100&scname=Mountain

    Stumpjumper FSR

    Easily the most versatile XC Trail bikes on the market...

    Learn More at Specialized.com

  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=64178

    S-Works MTB Helmet

    The lightest certified helmet in the world, worn by 2008 UCI World XC Champion Christoph Sauser...

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  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqSelectSection.jsp?scid=1128&pscid=1009

    Specialized Gloves

    Made to keep your grip sweat-free and your bike control precise ...

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  • http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqSCLander.jsp?scid=1008

    Tires

    The product that started it all.....

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S-Works Epic

I started racing mountain bikes in the fall of 1994. I won the collegiate National Championships in 1995 and 1996 for Fort Lewis College. In 1996 I also started racing with the Specialized Mountain Dew team and won the inaugural Semi Pro Norba National Series Title. In 1997 I turned Pro and raced the NORBA series, U-23 World Championships, and domestic World Cups until 98. I took a few years off cycling, finished college in Arizona and got a “real” job with IBM. I quickly realized racing bikes was more fun then working and started training again. I started racing again in the middle 2000 and joined the Mongoose Hyundai team at the end of year to race World Cups, NORBAs and cyclocross. In 2003 I switched to the GT team and have ridden for them until switching back to Specialized this year. Over the years I have won two cyclocross national titles, one mountain bike short track national title and been a member of two Olympic teams. I have won NORBAs, numerous UCI cyclocross races and stood on my first World Cup podium this year. I am looking forward to adding to my list of achievements over the next three years with the Specialized Factory Team.

Achievements

2011 US Cyclocross National Champion
2011 La Ruta de los Conquistadores 1st Place
2011 Leadville Trail 100 1st Place
2011 US Cross Coutry Mountain Bike National Champion
2011 Sea Otter Classic XC 1st Place

National Championships

July 19, 2011

Sun Valley, ID hadn’t hosted a National level MTB race since back in the late 90s. This past weekend they played host to the MTB National Championships. I had a lot to live up to after winning both the XC and STXC title in 2010. It had been an honor to race the World Cups in the US National Champion jersey all year and I didn’t want to loose that privilege.

I traveled straight from the World Cup in Windham, N.Y. to Sun Valley to rest up and prepare for the race. Sun Valley sits at six thousand feet so I wanted to get back up to altitude as soon as possible after being at sea level on the east coast for nearly two weeks. When I arrived I couldn’t believe how beautiful the town was and how friendly and excited all the locals were to host the event.

The course was pretty much what I was expecting but exactly what I was hoping it wouldn’t be, a climb straight up the mountain. When I say we climbed straight up the mountain, I’m not exaggerating; we went straight up the dirt access road with sustained grades of 25 percent. The climb lasted about seven minutes, was loose and dusty and I was in my 27/36 for most of it. From there we did a series of gradual switchbacks down the mountain before entering a kilometer long flat section that consisted of a man made rock garden and some loose turns.

The first lap was brutal and I spent the entire climb staring at Sam

Shultz’s wheel. We rode together on the descent and I moved to the front the second time up the climb. By the time I reached the top and grabbed my bottle from Meg I had a small fifteen-second gap. I maintained a gap of fifteen to thirty seconds for the remaining four laps before finally crossing the line fifty seconds in the lead and locking up my second XC National Championship title in a row. Where as last year I rode my S-Works Epic 29er on the rough freshly cut new trails, this year I opted for my other weapon, the S-works Stumpjumper 29er that was like a rocket up the climb. My XL bike weighed in at just 8.4 KG on race day and was the advantage I needed to lock up my second title.

Sunday was the STXC and I was feeling great after my victory on

Saturday. I led for nearly the entire race and managed to whittle the field down to just myself, Trebon and JHK by midway through the race. The course was very technical and I chose to lead in an effort to push the pace and hopefully force a mistake by one of the other two. The plan nearly worked until JHK was able to jump around me in the last two hundred meters to take the win while I rolled in for second. I wasn’t too disappointed though as the XC was my big goal and it feels great to retain the jersey for another year.

I’m now switching gears to prepare for Leadville so I’ll be logging in some serious miles in the high country dodging summer thunderstorms and going through tubes of chamois cream.

Thanks for your support….

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