(the following article submitted by woman racer “KC Holley”)

“My husband, Chris, and I did our second Leadville 100 Race Across the Sky. We did well last year, but hoped to make some improvements based on our experience. Our friends, Karl and Brad, also got in so we travelled with them. Brad has done it twice including last year when we did it. Karl did it in 2000 when it rained and snowed. We all live in the Salt Lake City area and arrived in Leadville on Thursday night after an uneventful commute.

Friday was filled with the usual pre-race festivities. There was the medical check-in. It is actually just a quick medical question, “Are you taking any medication?” “No.” “Here is your bracelet. Wear it through awards.” Next is schwag pick-up—t-shirt, bag, numbers, poster. We returned to the hotel to start the drop bag strategizing and packing.

Then there is the pre-race meeting. This is more like a pep rally according to Karl’s interpretation. Ken Choubler tells you that you are better than you think you are. Then the race doctor asks us not to succumb to “Testosterone Toxicity”. Interestingly, women are just as susceptible to this as men. Don’t overdo the ibuprofen because it can lead to dehydration. And lastly, welcome to the Leadville family. No pep talk from Lance this year. Dave Wiens was there though and said a few words. We got our picture taken with him before he said his spiel. What a nice guy.

We usually go for a quick hour or so ride just to get the legs spinning. We like to head up Powerline to see how ridable it is. It was not bad, but it is always easier when you don’t have 70 miles under you beforehand. The clouds started to clear a bit and the sun came out. It was a good sign.

Then we finished packing our drop bags. I went back and forth between a Camelbak or bottles. I wanted to keep a rain jacket with me at all times just in case. I got drenched last year and did not want to go through that again. The weather report was calling for chances of rain. I finally decided that the temps would probably be cool enough to keep my vest, which has pockets, on all day. With six pockets between my vest and jersey everything would fit. (My small Gary Fisher Superfly frame only fits one water bottled so I had to have room in a pocket for a bottle, tools, tubes, food, and rain gear.)

We got everything packed and dropped off on the way to the spaghetti dinner. This is always really fun. There is good food and great conversation with friends mixed with the anxiety of the next day. There is always a large contingency of riders from our area. We talked race goals. A friend of ours said that Chris would finish under eight hours and I would be sub-nine. This aligned somewhat with what Chris had been hoping. That would mean cutting 27 minutes from my time last year. Chris would need to shave off eight. I was uncertain, but hopeful.

Finally, it was back to the hotel for hopefully enough sleep to be prepared for the next day.

Race day. I did not sleep well at all. It seemed like forever before I fell asleep and there were periods of wakefulness throughout the night. That was the general consensus from everyone. Maybe it was just the room? Doubtful. That is pretty typical for the night before something big.

We got up at 4 am to start fueling and getting ready. There was a little bit of an early morning rain shower, but it was clear. Karl, Brad, and I had to leave early to try and get a decent start spot. (Chris was given a “Captain America” bracelet at check-in, so he had a reserved spot in the top 100.) The three of us arrived at 5:15 to a big cluster of bikes. We were as far back as last year and my intent was to have a better start position. Oh, well. After several trips to the bathroom, which is pretty standard, the race was about to start. I had no view of Lance even though I looked for him on each of my bathroom jaunts. Lance and Dave were not the only big names in attendance though. Tinker Jaurez and several of his Mona Vie/Cannondale teammates like Brian Alders, and Alex Grant were in attendance. Travis Brown, Max Taam, Manual Prada, and Matt Shriver were also in attendance.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our man in the field, UltraRob ( www.ultrarob.com/blog/ ) survived illness, a hard drive crash, and dodgy internet reception to provide us with this glimpse at the Lanceville, I mean, Leadville 100.

Hope you feel better soon, Rob, and thanks for the pix!

Lance on Powerline:

Packed Racer Meeting:

FatCyclist and UltraRob (for a truly inspirational story, please check out: www.fatcyclist.com )

More photos>>
Read the rest of this entry »

submitted by Mtbr member “feltbee”

“Once you are midway up Columbine, it’s every man for himself.” This is a quote by Lance Armstrong a day or two before the race. While he surely believed this would be the case, I’m sure he never knew just how true it would be. In a race with a field of 1,628 strong he would ride alone for 60 miles; tested physically, mentally, mechanically, and finishing the last mile on a flat tire.”

“The morning started off with a few rain showers, cool temperatures, and a buzz in the air. The words on everyone’s lips and everyone’s minds were the same – In this David vs. Goliath touted rematch, who would be the victor? I set up camp at the Twin Lakes Aid Station and waited. When the riders crossed Lance was in the lead pack consisting of Max Taam, Manuel Prado, and Len Zanni. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the great Tinker Juarez, but later found out he had to abandon the race because of a broken seat clamp. It was a couple minutes later that David Wiens would cross.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Lance Armstrong has handily won the 2009 Leadville Trail 100. He did set a new course record, but he did not break the 6 hour mark. Dave Wiens was second and Matt Shriver was third.

# 1. Lance Armstrong, 6:28:51
# 2. Dave Wiens, 6:57:02
# 3. Matt Shriver, 7:09:48
# 4. Alex Grant, 7:10:54
# 5. Len Zanni, 7:11:21
# 6. Max Taam, 7:16:56
# 7. Travis Brown, 7:22:05
# 8. Manuel Prado, 7:35:27
# 9. Mike Hogan, 7:35:35
# 10. Jason Tullous, 7:35:47

***Please be sure to read ALL our Leadville 100 Coverage:***
http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/leadville-100/

**Race Photo Gallery (courtesy of UltraRob):
http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/leadville-100-photo-gallery-courtesy-of-ultrarob/

**Race Report with Photos (courtesy of feltbee):
http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/leadville-100-race-report-lance-armstrong-wins/

**Racer’s Diary (courtesy of kc):
http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/leadville-100-a-racers-perspective/

From VeloNews:
“Lance Armstrong (Mellow Johnny’s) won Colorado’s Leadville 100 on Saturday, knocking more than 15 minutes off of the old record, about a half hour ahead of six-time winner Dave Wiens. ”
http://www.velonews.com/article/96668/armstrong-wins-leadville-100

From Yahoo Sports(AP):
“Lance Armstrong can’t remember the last time he raced 65 miles by himself.”

“I don’t know, maybe when I was a young, young kid,” he said. “You would never do that on the Tour, so none of the Tours I won.”

“Quite literally in those Tours, excluding time trials, I probably rode alone for 20 miles. … It’s been a long time since I was time trialing for that long.””
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-leadville100&prov=ap&type=lgns

Official Event website: http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/

(Photos courtesy of “rocco1109″ and “Chasintrane” from this forum thread: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=546852 )

For the first time in its 27 year history the Leadville Trail 100 will be hosting a LIVE stream web cast of one of its ultra endurance races. On August 15 an international web audience will know who the 2009 LT100 MTB champion is the moment it happens. The action, tension and drama of the world’s toughest 100 mile mountain bike race will be captured in 4 live web casts throughout the 12 hour race.

Versatile Productions of Carbondale in conjunction with Leadville video producer Karen Rinehart will produce 4 live 1/2 hour video segments of the race: at the starting line, 3 hours into the race, as the first racers cross the finish line, and at the 12 hour cutoff. They will specifically cover the progress and finish of celebrity riders such as 6-time LT100 champion, Dave Wiens, as well as international biking legends Lance Armstrong and Tinker Juarez.

However, the live stream will also be a fantastic marketing opportunity for Leadville and Lake County. In addition to all the race action, the production will include: profiles of Leadville and Lake County, LT100 founder interviews, “Man on the Street” interviews and stories, local color, as well as race results, and LT100 sponsor interviews. Not only is the live stream web cast a first for the LT100, but also for Leadville.

So, if last year’s mountain bike race was touted as the “David and Goliath” showdown, tune in online August 15 to watch the sequel: “David and Goliath II: The Return of Lance.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The Leadville Trail 100 is an ultra endurance mountain biking event this Saturday August 15 in Leadville, Colorado. This year is a rematch. Dave Wiens has won the event for the last 6 years in a row. Last year he beat Lance Armstrong as they dueled it out. The two rode together for much of the race, but Wiens pulled away towards the end of the race to a decisive victory.

This year, Lance is in much better shape, coming off of his third place finish at the recent Tour de France. Many think he will handily beat Wiens this year. He is leaner, more fit, and he is bringing a team member or two to help him. He will be without his expected lieutenant though, since Levi Leipheimer broke his wrist and ended up dropping out of the TdF.

(Dave leads Lance up a climb during last year’s race.)

With so many people predicting an easy victory for Lance, we wanted to provide a different view. The following list is courtesy of UltraRob, an outdoorsman, racer, blogger, and mountain biker ( http://www.ultrarob.com/ ) .

Top Ten Reasons Dave Wiens Will Beat Lance Armstrong at the 2009 Leadville Trail 100

10.) Twin Lakes is going to have its annual Coloradoans vs Texans tomato war a couple weeks early. It won’t go well for Lance.

9.) Dave won’t crash in the creek crossing at the bottom of Powerline like Lance did in a Winter Park race in 1999.

8.) Dave is from Colorado and not a transplant from Texas

7.) Dave has figured out how to use the electricity on Powerline to climb faster.

6.) The Tour de France wasn’t a good way to train for the Leadville 100

5.) Rabid old school mountain bike fans will cause Lance to pass out from dope smoke clouds on Columbine. France will rejoice that Lance is caught ‘doping’

4.) Johann won’t be following in the team car to give Lance information over race radio

3.) No 3G reception up on the divide, Lance can’t Tweet like he can in Europe and panics.

2.) Dave is man enough to ride a hardtail

1.) Dave has more balls than Lance

Read the rest of this entry »

Please be sure to read ALL our Leadville 100 Coverage:

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/category/leadville-100/

Last year’s Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 (LT100) Mountain Bike Race was touted as the “David and Goliath” showdown, pitting seven-time Tour de France Champion, Lance Armstrong, against Dave Wiens, Gunnison local and five-time LT100 MTB Champion. David (Wiens) came out on top. This year’s 16th Annual LT100 Bike Race is gearing up to be just as exciting if not more so. Not only will the David and Goliath variable repeat itself in the form of Armstrong and Wiens at the starting line, but biking legend Tinker Juarez and a host of other top-notch cyclist will be joining them.

The Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 MTB, held this year on August 15, begins and ends in Leadville, and runs through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The race is run on a 50-mile out-and-back course, starting and finishing in downtown Leadville at 10,200 ft elevation. Major climbs include 3,000+ feet, with total elevation change nearly 14,000 feet. This year’s Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 ultra marathon is presented by Vasque.

First run in 1994, the USA Cycling-sanctioned Leadville Trail 100 MTB has become the premiere ultra marathon event in mountain bike racing. Race participation is determined by lottery held February 1. Race entry is a cherished feat in itself. This year thousands of entrants vied for the 1,000+ coveted slots.

“Every one wants to ride with the man,” states Race President Ken Chlouber, referring to Armstrong’s participation in last year’s race as well as his commitment to be at this year’s starting line.

In 2008, Dave Wiens of Gunnison successfully defended his title by beating 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong by just under 2 minutes and setting a new course record of 6:45:45. Wiens has won the “Race Across the Sky” every year since 2003.

Last year was Armstrong’s first finish in a competitive bike race since he retired following his seventh straight triumph in the Tour de France. Armstrong will be back at the start line in August after his participation in the 2009 Tour de France in July.

“Lance may be the only racer I know of who used the Tour de France to train for the Leadville Trail 100,” jokes Chlouber.

Read the rest of this entry »