Reports have started trickling in from the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race, and although I don’t have everyone’s information, here’s a sampling of what’s come in. All CTS Coaches and Staff who rolled away from the start line (15 including me, I think) finished the race. The CTS Aid Stations at the Pipeline and Twin Lakes feed zones supported 60 racers wearing CTS gear throughout the day, and several others who were in need of help but without support. On top of that, the CTS-manned aid station at the top of the final road climb (we refer to it as Carter Lake Summit) serviced hundreds of racers. CTS gave out several hundred water bottles throughout the day, and I was happy to see a lot of them on people’s bikes and in their hands the following morning. Oh, and CTS’s flagship athlete, Lance Armstrong won the race.
Actually, the even bigger story was the performance of CTS Athletes behind Lance. CTS Athlete Max Taam (coached by Jim Lehman) finished 6th, Manuel Prado (current Costa Rican National Champion coached by Adam Pulford) finished 8th, and CTS Coach Jason Tullous finished 10th. After Tullous, CTS Coach Jake Rubelt finished his 8th Leadville 100 in 8:01:06 for 21st place. Max’s coach and Manny’s coach were even in the race themselves; Lehman finished 24th and Pulford broke the nine-hour mark with a time of 8:33:40. CTS National Sales Manager Steve Harp crossed the line with Pulford to break nine hours on his first attempt at the race, and CTS Kirk Nordgren was the last of 130 riders to finish in less than 9 hours. Actually, as I explained in yesterday’s blog, Kirk finished 5 seconds too late, but Ken Chlouber and the crowd gave him the big belt buckle anyway.
After Kirk, riders continued to roll across the finish line for another four hours. Nick White, who works in the Tucson office and coaches 2008 Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander decided to make the Leadville 100 his first mountain bike race ever, and he crossed the finish line in 9:32:38. CTS Coach Jay Guyot, also up from the Tucson office, finished in 10:11:12. CTS Editorial Director Jim Rutberg completed his fifth consecutive Leadville 100 in 2009, this time in 10:23:36. It was the slowest of his five finishes, but he made it through on experience even if was lacking in fitness this time around. CTS Coach Teri Pitman passed Rutberg on the Columbine climb and stayed ahead of him all the way back to Leadville to finish in 10:17:48. Between them there was CTS Coach Mike Durner, who was on track for a sub-9 hour finish until stomach problems left him vomiting off his bike. He took care of himself as best he could, relied on the other CTS coaches at the aid stations, and persevered to the finish.
CTS Coach Lindsay Hyman finished the Leadville 100 on her first attempt in 10:45:59. Not bad considering she’s only been riding a mountain bike since March of this year. CTS Coach Joe Collins finished his second Leadville 100 in 11:11:01, and CTS Coach and Athlete Services representative Jessica Niles crossed the finish line at 11:44:00 to earn her first Leadville 100 belt buckle. I think that’s everyone, but I’m sure someone will remind me if I forgot a coach who was in the race.
The 2009 Leadville 100 was a great event, not only for me, Lance Armstrong, the CTS Coaches, and dozens of CTS Athletes in the event, but for more than 850 racers who crossed the finish line in less than 12 hours. Every rider in the race has a story, and tomorrow I’ll post some of the stories that I’ve been getting via email.
Chris Carmichael
P.S.: One rider during the race asked me if it bothered me that so many CTS water bottles were dropped along the course, and I don’t know if he’ll see this, but he raises an important question. We gave out a lot of bottles, and some were dropped on the ground along the course. There were also a lot of wrappers from energy bars, gels, etc. that riders left behind. While it’s best for all of us to carry as much of our trash as possible off the course as we leave it, it’s also important to know that race volunteers go back over ever inch of the 100-mile race course and pick up trash left behind by racers and support crews. So yes, it would have been best if no CTS water bottles were left on the course last Saturday, but fortunately, by the time the competitors in this Saturday’s Leadville 100-mile Run hit the trail, it will be as clean or cleaner than it was before the mountain bike race.
