Porcupine Hill Climb tests cyclists' power

BRIGHTON — While the world's best cyclists are pedaling around the Alps and Pyrenees, many of Utah's top cyclists were burning calories in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The Fifth Annual Porcupine Hill Climb saw some of the Beehive State's best athletes climb more than 3,800 feet in elevation over a grueling 14-mile course from Wasatch Boulevard to Brighton on Saturday.

"This is one of the best road races in the state," Porcupine Cycling Club president Mike Meldrum said. "We usually have some of the best cyclists in the state show up for this and make it a really competitive race."

Among those cyclists are some who spend plenty of time on the roads with current Tour de France competitor David Zabriskie.

Jeff Louder jumped ahead of the pack quickly and held his lead all the way to the top of the mountain. A SugarHouse resident, Louder has been a professional cyclist for seven years and rides for the HealthNet team.

Sponsored by Porcupine Pub and Grill and benefiting the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the hill climb brought close to 300 bicyclists to the canyon.

Louder's ascent took him just 1:01.22. Swindlehurst nearly caught Louder midway up the mountain, but faded a bit over the final few miles and crossed the finish line at 1:02.36. Norm Bryner

Some, like Louder and second-place finisher Burke Swindlehurst, are professionals and tour the globe with their teams competing in the top races.

Others were there simply for the challenge of climbing to the top of the canyon with nothing but leg power.

"This was great," Louder said. "It's a really tough race, and there were some really good people out here today."

Louder used the race to prepare himself for the Cascade Classic in Oregon this weekend. Swindlehurst's Navigators Insurance team will also be in that race with an eye on next month's Tour of Utah.

A sprinting specialist and criterium race expert, Louder finished first in last year's Sanpete Classic, won the state criterium championship and has won stage races from Connecticut to China.

"We race all around the world," Louder said. "But Utah is a great place to be based and train. There really are a lot of great racers here."

Porcupine followed up the Saturday hill climb with a classic road race in Summit County. The Chak Creek Road Race featured classifications and distances ranging from 80 miles for the top riders to 50 miles for other competitors.

To the surprise of few riders Louder took top honors in that race as well. His time of 3:08.42 was a narrow 18 seconds faster than that turned in by David Harward. Jeff Sargent took third with a time of 3:11.59 while Chris Humbert was less than a second behind him in a mad dash to the finish line.

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