Results: The Breck Epic 2023

The six-day high-alpine Colorado stage race Breck Epic is complete. Around 400 riders lined up for the event this year, with some riding the full six stages and others tackling either the first three days or the second half. The weather was about as good as it gets in the Colorado high country in mid-August, bluebird skies during the day with a few early evening rain showers late in the week giving the dirt some much-needed moisture.

Lachlan Morton, who rides for WorldTour outfit EF Education-EasyPost in an "alternative" program, took the overall win after three first and three second place stage finishes. In the women's race, US marathon national champion Erin Huck won four out of six stages for the overall title.



See full results here.



The women's pro field at the Breck Epic this year was 10-riders deep, with Breck Epic veterans like Huck, Sonya Looney, Kaysee Armstrong, Evelyn Dong mixing it up with some first-timers. Huck set a strong precedent on stage 1, beating Armstrong by three minutes on the the Pennsylvania Creek course, which climbs nearly 6,000 vertical feet over about 36 miles. Stage 2 would see the US marathon national champ slightly derailed by a mechanical. Armstrong, who rides for Juliana, took both the stage win and the GC by one second that day. 2015 Breck Epic champ Evelyn Dong was third on stages 1 and 2.

Stage 3 is the Breck Epic's Queen Stage, and the "Circumnavigation of Mt Guyot" took riders on a roller coaster of huge climbs and descents, twice crossing the Continental Divide. Huck and Armstrong again traded places on the day, with Huck finishing two minutes ahead of the Juliana pro. Dong was again third.

Stage 4 saw Armstrong putting some pressure on Huck. The Olympian from Colorado is known for her steady, smooth climbing skills, while Armstrong, from Tennessee, is one to follow on technical descents. So, trying to keep up with each other on the climbs and descents is what they did, and in the end Armstrong snagged the stage by a few seconds. Backcountry pro Kait Boyle also saw her first podium of the race, finishing third on the day.

Stage 5 is the notorious "Wheeler Stage," which takes riders up and over Wheeler Pass at 12,500 feet. For most riders, it's a long day of hike-a-bike. Huck was the first to the top, followed by Armstrong, but Dong would overtake her teammate on the descent. Boyle also passed Armstrong but couldn't catch Dong, who finished second to Huck on the day.

After all of the accumulated climbing of the first five stages, stage 6 - at 30 miles and just over 3,000 feet of climbing - feels like an all-out drag race. Huck was the first to come home to Breckenridge, with Armstrong just two minutes back. Boyle snagged her third third place finish of the race, bumping her up to third in the GC.


Turns out that doing the Leadville Trail 100 a day before the Breck Epic is a good set-up for the six-day stage race. Morton, Wallace, and Nankervis - the men's overall podium - all came straight to Breckenridge after doing the 105-mile race and were all in the mix throughout the six days of racing. Morton took three stage wins and three second place finishes, Wallace stayed steady with four second places, plus a third and fourth, and Nankervis, who is spending the summer in the US for the Life Time Grand Prix series, nabbed a royal flush of positions 1-6 over the six days for third in the GC.

Morton, who won the Breck Epic last year, took an easy lead on the first day of racing, although Summit County local Nolan Van Harte gave him a run for his money late in the stage. Wallace finished four minutes back. On stage 2, Morton also had a healthy lead with Wallace chasing, but fellow Aussie Nankervis was playing the long game and eventually caught and passed Wallace to finish just a minute off Morton.


Stage 3 wasn't necessarily the day for either Aussie, however, with Morton suffering a unfixable flat coming down a rough section of the Colorado Trail after Georgia Pass. Jeremiah Bishop took advantage of Morton's mishap to win the stage, although Morton turned on the turbo after putting a tube in to finish second. Wallace took his third third place stage finish.

On the "Aquaduct" stage 4, Morton and Nankervis were able to work together on some of the road sections of the 41.5 mile stage, dropping Wallace in the process. The Aussies rode to the end together, with Nankervis edging out Morton in a sprint to win the stage. Wheeler, on day 5, saw Morton making the climb up to 12,500 look easy. He even took a shot of whiskey at the top. He won the stage handily by seven minutes, followed by Wallace and Van Harte.

The final day of racing saw 26-year-old Matthew Pike of Boulder beat Morton in a sprint at the line. Nankervis was third.

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