There were probably a few cyclists who wondered what they had gotten themselves into as they started the 2,000-foot climb up the Old Spiral Highway on Saturday morning.
Erik Bowen certainly wasn't in that camp.
"A lot of people do it as a challenge, which is great," Bowen said, "but this is just a hill I have to take to get home."
Bowen, a Lewiston native who now lives in Moscow, charged to the overall championship in the 35th annual I Made the Grade cycling race. The 28-year-old won for the first time in his second crack at the race.
The women's winner, Sandi Klingler, is another Moscow resident who also came out on top for the first time. Klingler, 47, was in the race for the third time.
A strong headwind slowed the riders as they embarked from the start line at Chief Timothy Park and on certain stretches of the hill climb. Bowen's winning time of 1 hour, 29 seconds is one of the slowest top marks in the race's history. (Klingler came in at 1:15:33.)
Bowen said he liked that the wind kept the pace down.
"And then there was a headwind up kind of the first hill, and our group of 80 (in the lead pack) turned into 10 really quick," he said.
Ben Jain of Lewiston, who won the race in 2012, made a few test sprints during the hill climb, one of which resulted in he and Bowen breaking into the lead.
"I was just making a little test, testing the water," the 60-year-old Jain said. "And I went once and waited and everyone caught up, and then I went again and ... Erik went with me and we looked back and (I said), 'You wanna go?' And he said, 'Yeah.' "
The riders worked together during much of the climb, taking turns breaking the wind. With just a few hairpin turns remaining, Bowen picked up the pace and Jain wasn't able to stick with him. Jain crossed the finish line 32 second behind Bowen for second place.
"Secretly I wanted to get second today because it's the only position I haven't finished," Jain said with a laugh. "... I was third, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth and then I got the win unexpectedly, and now second. I'm happy."
Bowen, who works at a machinists, has been cycling competitively for only three years. He took eighth in his only other I Made the Grade appearance in 2013.
Bowen - a member of Palouse Bicycle Racing, a USA Cycling-sanctioned club - competes in cyclocross events in the fall. He was certainly ready for Saturday's race, having twice climbed the hill Wednesday.
Klingler was also a latecomer to cycling, having only gotten serious about it in her 40s. Well, somewhat serious.
"I'm not much of a competitor - I just like to ride my bike," she said.
Klingler, who works in architecture and interior design at the University of Idaho, wasn't sure if she was the first woman to finish when she reached the top of the hill, but she suspected as much. In the pack, she noticed she was the only one wearing a dress.
"That told me it was probably all males," she said with a laugh.
"Oh, it's so exciting," added Klingler, who praised the race's organizers, the Clarkston High Performing Arts Boosters. "I'm just over the moon. I'm very proud; I've worked hard for this."
There were 170 riders registered for the race and 144 finished. The youngest finishers were two 11-year-olds from Lewiston, Caleb Goeckner and Jonny Rothfusz, and the oldest was George Topping, 80, of Lewiston.
Overall top 50 - 1, Erik Bowen, Moscow, 1:00:29. 2, Ben Jain, Lewiston, 1:01:01. 3, Mike Givordanengo, McCall, 1:01:25. 4, Justin Romesburg, Mukilteo, Wash., 1:01:29. 5, Greg Hughes, Princeton, N.J., 1:01:30. 6, Tod Wallace, Spokane, 1:02:00. 7, William McPherson, Sandpoint, 1:03:06. 8, Jason Angsam, Everett, Wash., 1:04:05. 9, Jason Hurdlow, Moscow, 1:04:39. 10, William Greene, Moscow, 1:04:46. 11, Randy Clark, Lewiston, 1:06:36. 12, Ryan Bowen, Bend, Ore., 1:06:48. 13, Jim Crok, Lewiston, 1:07:10. 14, Kevin Kalbfleisch, Lewiston, 1:07:23. 15, Daniel Evans, Clarkston, 1:07:26. 16, David Graham, Spokane, 1:07:57. 17, Kyle Schafer, Spokane Valley, 1:08:34. 18, Daniel Clark, Coeur d'Alene, 1:09:24. 19, Pat Price, Kenmore, Wash., 1:10:02. 20, Scott Whiteley, Lewiston, 1:10:37. 21, Steven Tesdahl, Spokane, 1:11:19. 22, David McArthur, Lewiston, 1:11:21. 23, Jimmy Albright, Clarkston, 1:11:34. 24, Brian Clark, Pullman, 1:11:44. 25, Bill Cone, Lewiston, 1:12:04. 26, Bill Arnold, Lewiston, 1:12:17. 27, John Coy, Lewiston, 1:12:23. 28, Alan Clark, Lewiston, 1:12:23. 29, Mark Sipe, Post Falls, 1:12:27. 30, Danny Clark, Lewiston, 1:12:50. 31, Justin Covey, Lewiston, 1:13:33. 32, Terry Grieb, Moscow, 1:15:05. 33, Rich Nehring, Clarkston, 1:15:19. 34, Sandi Klingler, Moscow, 1:15:33. 35, Gwen Clark, Clarkston, 1:16:08. 36, Scot Boyd, Greenacres, Wash., 1:16:35. 37, Sharon Robinson, Pullman, 1:16:40. 38, Matt Kitterman, Moscow, 1:17:29. 39, Mike Warnock, Clarkston, 1:17:57. 40, Coons and Brown (tandem bike), Clarkston, 1:18:15. 41, Ed Winterbottom, Pullman, 1:18:21. 42, Josh Grabow, Lewiston, 1:18:53. 43, Thomas Kopp, Moscow, 1:19:32. 44, Larry Clark, Bow, Wash., 1:19:37. 45, Gary Haugen, Bremerton, Wash., 1:19:40. 46, Doug Jacobs, Maryville, Wash., 1:19:47. 47, Kelly Angsam, Everett, Wash., 1:20:30. 48, Larry Remillard, Richland, 1:20:55. 49, Eve Strongoni, Moscow, 1:21:28. 50, Jeff MacLennan, Nine Mile Falls, Wash., 1:21:29.
Group Winners
WOMEN
Overall - Sandi Klingler, Moscow, 1:15:33.
Masters - Kelly Angsam, Everett, Wash., 1:20:30.
20-29 - Chelsea Pittman, Lewiston, 1:37:29.
30-39 - Lara Banister, Moscow, 1:22:37.
40-49 - Kelly Angsam, Everett, Wash., 1:20:30.
50-59 - Sarah Morra, Moscow, 1:25:20.
60-69 - Christine Brooks, Spokane, 1:36:54.
MEN
Overall - Erik Bowen, Moscow, 1:00:29.
Masters - Greg Hughes, Princeton, N.J., 1:01:30.
11-19 - Josh Grabow, Lewiston, 1:18:53.
20-29 - Ryan Bowen, Bend, Ore., 1:06:48.
30-39 - Justin Romesburg, Mukilteo, Wash., 1:01:29.
40-49 - Greg Hughes, Princeton, N.J., 1:01:30.
50-59 - Kevin Kalbfleisch, Lewiston, 1:07:23.
60-69 - William McPherson, Sandpoint, 1:03:06.
70-79 - Mike Warnock, Clarkston, 1:17:57.
80-99 - George Topping, Lewiston, 1:41:56.
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Baney may be reached at mbaney@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2258.
