Wednesday, August 19, 2009

LEADVILLE 100 TRAIL RACE

THE LEADVILLE TRAIL 100 MT BIKE RACE
Starts in the little town of Leadville Colorado
at 10,200 feet
The race goes up to 12,600 feet at the 50 mile mark
and it is back to town

We rented this fine little house and filled it with 12 of our friends
Bike Tech racers and support crew
Doug and Kathleen shakin'
getting their drinks ready for the big event

Caroline out for an easy ride on the paved mineral belt the circles the town
and shows off some of the old mining structures
Abbey, our youngest crew member - and certainly the cutest
Some of the Bike Tech support crew
Erin, Sweet Amy, Jenny and John

Some very strange support folks
Kathleen riding hard
Kat had a very good race
After the very wet and cold start
and the tree that she hit and the superman that she did coming down the Columbine
She completed 60 miles and rode for eight hours - just barely missing the cut off.
The smile we see is just for the camera
She dug very deep and suffered AND finished way better than in 2008.
John helping Ricky - one of three guys who have done all 16 of these races
Ricky is low end
Not only the same bike for all 16 - ready for this - same rubber.
and he has had some top 10 finishes.
Says his bike weighs 29 lbs.

Paul getting some help from Caroline at the second aid station
Paul is a determined, tough, guy who just keeps going and going ...
If it wasn't for a chain incident he would have surely got the PR he was after.
Doug checking in with his family
Doug was ready for the 9 hour fast guy big buckle
He would have got it
but for a crash
A comment from Doug about the crash and just how fast he really is

"What's with crashing on one of the easiest parts of the course!?! I looked at my splits coming down Columbine and I had the 56th fastest time out of 1061 riders who made it thru that time check ... how could I have biffed so hard later on one of the easiest parts of the course?!? I still have no recollection of that incident."
Support work is over
Crossing the finish line - Check out Doug's time
Mike's saddle - broke early in the race
kept him riding very cautiously.
Click and see the broken rail
But, Mike finished with a personal best of 9:35
Very good, indeed.
The program and hard training certainly paid off.
Mike was ready for the sub 9 hour finish too.
But his broken chain - that he was able to fix
broken saddle
and some of the worst weather/racing conditions in the history of the LT100
He was very happy when race director gave him his medal.
Doug and Mike telling lies - ah, stories about the race
The Guys rode in and out of the cold rain several time during the event.
It as a very difficult day in the mountains.
EPIC
Doug is wearing some different post race decoration - some sort of cool down device

Lance Armstrong won the race - imaging getting to race with the MAN
The beauty of the race - we all toe the same line.
But our champion is and has been for years - David Weins

Doug - actually got in a terrible accident with about 10 mile to go
Doug's Dad - the good Doctor - tending to his cuts, scraps, bruises, separations ...
We don't really know the extent of his injuries ... we are praying for a complete recovery
But the dude finished the race.
Looking at the results on Mike's computer.

A chain repair clinic
Paul broke his chain and ended up walking for over an hour
and wasn't able to make the 75 mile cut off time
It was a hard day of racing
But all of our racers - in spite of their difficulties
were racing better than ever - much better.
Happy, satisfied, and ready for more Racing Across the Sky
Our medal winners

It was a difficult day - but PR's for every last one of our Bike Tech Team

8 comments:

  1. Very nice - and well put - thanks for everything. What a support you all were to this KAT. Great pictures and post.

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  2. Nice write up John. This was one of my toughest races to date. Suffered alot but it was well worth it. All the time spent in the basement riding the rollers paid off. So what's it going to take to get that 9 hrs? Perhaps a move to the mountains and quit my day job. Hmm does not sound bad except it will not pay the bills.

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  3. Mike -
    Amy's a hard working resourceful girl - I'm sure she'll take care of your every need.
    You've got the 9 hour finish in you
    John

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  4. You folks are amazing! Thanks for the pictures and write up - awesome jobs all 'round!

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  5. Congrats to everyone and thanks for the pics. Nice work, Doug & Mike with your smokin' times! So, what's the Adamson story - you're on the start list, you have the wristband, but there you are standing around at the Twin Lakes aid station.

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  6. Well done gang, true tough men and women!

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  7. What a fabulous and exciting day! The tension at Twin Lakes dam aid station before the 4 hour cut off and waiting for Kat was excrutiating--and so sad cheering those on who came after the 4 hour cut off, but didn't know it or were still pushing hard.

    It was an awesome day of pushing forward and perservering for Doug and Mike. Waiting at the finish line and waiting for an 8:55 finish and 9:15 finish that turned into 9:22 and 9:37 was HARD and the worry in our minds that something happened--oh, wait, something DID happen :-(

    Prayers to Doug for a smooth recovery from bad knees, elbow and collar bone damage.

    John, Kat, Paul, good times; you'll get the course next year!

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