Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race
17th August 2010 by brtoone
(From the editor – Lennie Moon completed the epic Leadville 100 mountain bike race this past Saturday, and I’ve posted his race report below. Epic!!!)
I got a whopping 3.5hrs of sleep the night the before and arrived at the start line at 5:30, laid my bike down and went back to the car because it was about 36degrees outside. The race started with the shotgun blast an hour later. It was an awesome sight being in the middle of 1300 riders headed out 6th street with Mt Massive in the background. I had on a thin base, arm and knee warmers, jersey and my wind jacket for the start but I was shivering. It was about 5mi downhill and then dirt before we started the St Kevins climb. It was all I could do to stay on my bike with all the other riders around me falling off and pushing. People were just in the way. I ended up warming up there so I wasn’t cold for long. Following St Kevins is a long fast descent on the road. This is a good time to take care of nutrition so I downed a cliff bar and drank a bunch of Heed.
Next up is the climb of Sugarloaf which starts on the road for a mile of so, then a right turn to dirt road for tow or so and then a left switchback to a rocky, rutted jeep trail. The pitch wasn’t too bad, about 6-10% and the pack startes to thin out here so I just climbed at a comfortable pace and marked time. Not sure how long this section is but I guess its a few miles and maybe 1500-2000ft of vertical.
The backside of Sugarloaf is where the danger starts. This is called the Powerline descent and on raceday a rider in front of me fell here and nearly lost his life. He had facial injuries and was losing blood from his temple area. Also another rider collided with him breaking his ribs. Following rider had injuries too (collarbone?) This section is dangerous because its steep downhill and full of ruts. You really have to be smart about picking your line. The bottom of Powerline is famous because the ruts are huge, almost as deep as your wheels. The big problem is the ridges of these ruts dead end and if you don’t pick your line right, or the rider in front doesn’t then you are just bound to fall at a high speed. I was happy I made it through that, another obstacle out of the way.
Following Powerline is a creek crossing that you want to ride around so you don’t ruin your drivetrain followed by a long, flat pavement and dirt section. Obviously, this is were you can get a good paceline going. Freaking mountain bikers have no idea what to do here. I was lucky enough to get behind two different guys at two different times. Both took monster pulls for a long time. I swear I tried to help but they just wanted to pull! We were cooking, 25mph with a tailwind on the flat. I was amazed but each one of them popped themselves and I never saw them again. I swear I tried to help! This section leads to the Pipeline with the first big aid staition. There is a mini Tour de France atmosphere here with cow bells and people on each side of the course cheering you on. It was amazing but I just blew thru as fast as I could.
I guess its about 15mi to the next aid station with the Pipeline area which is pretty flat dirt with a few popper hills. The biggest obstacles here were big holes in the road filled with water. You want to miss them and take care of the drivetrain. Its a good place to eat here too. As well as doing all that I stuck it in the big ring and time trialed through this area. Here is were I felt my first twinge of cramp… Oh crap.
Next a singletrack section and this is an example of how to lose time. This was mostly downhill, just fun single track in a nice big open area. I found myself behind a big dude and a girl who were going real slow. The girl was in front braking for everything. I looked behind and there was a line of about fifteen people, all going slow. Obviously a backup. Finally after about ten minutes she fell and took the dude out with her. Since she was OK, I went around them crit style and rode as hard as I could. I dropped everyone. Not on purpose though, I was just tired of waiting! This section finished and a couple of more ups and downs on dirt roads fed into the Twin Lakes aid station after 40mi and about 3:12 on the clock for me.
If the Powerline is a mini Tour de France for spectators then the Twin Lakes aid station is full on TdF. Everyone is cheering, cowbells, tents, people dressed crazy, you name it. I’m riding moderate to find Kim who is crewing for me. She does a great job refueling me in no time and sets me on my way up the Columbine climb.
I guess Columbine is 10mi long with over 3,000 ft of vertical. It starts tame at about 9% up an open field and then into the aspen trees with switchbacks. The dirt on the frst half is loose but its no problem for climbing. This kind of started hard for me but then I settled in. I also started to tell myself that I couldn’t be content with the pace the riders in front of me were setting. After I began feeling well I began passing lots of people. You can’t attack here because there is no AIR and you won’t recover. Any big effort comes at a price so you have to stay steady. Typical for me was to get on someones wheel, ride there for a bit and then just lift the pace for a little while. Then I would settle, work on the next rider, and do this all over. I passed a lot of people on Columbine. Every now and then I would feel a twinge of cramp. Crap, not even halfway!
1/3 up Columbine came one of the coolest parts of the race. I heard “riders” and saw Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (JHK) and Levi barreling down the hill. Everyone cheered them on and in a flash they were gone. Next, pro after pro came barreling down the hill and they were cheering us on as we were climbing. I loved it. This continues all the way to the top. You bave to be careful to stay on the right side because you don’t want to take them out!
Once you get out of the treeline Columbine really kicks up. There are parts where I saw 19% on my Garmin. During training on Monday, I cleared 95% of the mountain but that was with fresh legs. After 40mi no civilian can get up that mountain without pushing. So, that is what you see, you look up into the sky and all you see on the switchbacks is people pushing there bikes all the way to the top. It seems like forever but guess what? If you push you can get 2mph, if you ride you can get 2.5mph! Big deal! This knowledge would help me manage my cramping later.
After you reach the top of Columbine there is a 100ft downhill in about 500yds to the turnaround. I found out in training that if you stop at the turnaround and linger then your legs cool down and its a major effort to climb back up that 100ft. In the race I didn’t stop, I climbed back up the rise and then stopped, took a leak in the wide open and ate a cliff bar so I could digest on the way back down.
The Columbine descent is a monster. At the top think a little wider than the bump trail, wide open above treeline, a lot steeper and a long line of people still pushing up on the left side. I came down the mountain as fast as I could. The only thing slowing me down was riders in front and I was trying to pass them. I didn’t know I could descend a mtn bike so fast. Once I got into the trees I didn’t slow down either. Pedal on the straights, break for the switchback, lay it over, straighten, pedal again, repeat. I was flying and having a blast. At the bottom I found Kim at the Twin Lakes aid station, refueled and got on my way. 60mi down. I’m gonna make it!!!
It was here that I ran into my first real problems. I guess it was 6+hrs, I began cramping a bit more and I started having a quezzy stomach. I started to bonk a bit too. Problem was I was I having trouble eating too. I would bite off some cliff bar and I couldn’t swallow. It tool a lot of water to dissolve a bite of cliff bar and get it down. I was eating cliff blocks too but I would put one in my mouth, chew,and it would just sit there. I tried to drink my Heed and it would make me feel more quezzy. All I did was just hold the rider in front of me in check and kept pedaling. Also, now my little chainring bolts were starting to loosen. I could tell by the noise and the tinkling sound down there. Should I stop? Heck no.
Back to the Powerline aid station, TdF light again. Saw Tracy Mckay and he gives a word of encouragement, thanks! Find Kim and refuel. I told her I had a bad hour and she tells me I’m making good time. Really? Here is what saved my stomach. I had packed bananas with her and I was able to get a half down. I settled down immediately and was on my way. 25mi to go.
Back to the flat section, headwind now but I’m lucky to find a group and six of us try to start a rotating pace line. About three of us know what we’re doing… Freaking mtn bikers. Two of us were teaching this super strong girl how to paceline. She would get to the front and just drive away but then stay there. Finally she got it. 14mph mtn bike paceline into a 15knot headwind. I was getting tired. Powerline climb coming up, I’m cramping and I’m happy because I know I’ll be able to push and stretch my legs out.
The return up Powerline is steep. Probably 30% of the field can clean it with fresh legs. With 80mi legs only the super elite can clean it. I was warned to be mentally prepared for it to take forever and it did. After about 1/4 mi straight up it crests a bit and you can ride but after a while you have to push again. I see people try to ride while I’m pushing and they aren’t getting away from me. I can push just as fast. What the heck, I can’t cramp while I push and I’m stretching my legs.
Finally thats over and its time for the descent of Sugarloaf. Not too steep but rocky and fast. I kill it descending as fast as I can and not worryng about the risks until I catch up to two guys going a bit slower. There’s nowhere to pass so I just hang til that switchback where it turns to dirt. I pass those guys there and burry it down the dirt road, big ring as fast as I can go.
Wow up St Kevins on the road, and I’ve got nothing. People are passing me back. I think its different people though. Then I settle in. Someone says 2.5mi uphill to the mini aid station and I’m going 4.5mph. This is gonna take forever. Finally, I hit the aid station and I grab a dixie cup of Coke. Its still uphill on dirt for a while though. I begin to wonder if I’m gonna make 10hrs. Finally, I reach the top of St Kevins and start down. Remember how steep and rocky it was? I’m only on the brakes enough to check my speed but I’m flying down the mtn. I catch up to this old guy who passed me up the mtn but he’s going pretty fast so I just follow his line. As we reach the bottom I hear something crack on his bike and he endo’s at about 20mph. I stopped right beside him and asked him if he’s OK and he was shaken but he says yes so I continue.
5mi to go and my watch says I still may be able to make 10hrs. Slight downhill, tailwind, 29er, big ring, little cog, after 9hrs 45min I’m flying at 25mph trying to make it home. I can’t believe the power I’m making. Where’d this come from? I pass Lee for the last time and tell him if he had gears he could have rolled a 9! I’m actually happy because I know he can’t get me back without gears and I know he is the only Alabama competition.
The last obstacle is called the Boulevard. Its about 6% climb and rocky for the first 500yds before it starts to smooth out. Its about 500ft up vertical back into town and I go from flying at 20mph to crawling at 6mph and I’m cramping big time. Why did I roll the flat so hard? Oh well, I settle in, 10hrs goes by but who cares. Its a left then a right, crest the hill and you can see the buildings of 6th and Harrison come into view. People are in there driveway cheering you on. You see the banner and the red carpet. I’ve been waiting for a year for this when I fell in love with this event and saw others come home. Now its me! I roll slow over the carpen so I can savour it. Then I try to pop a wheelie and CRAMP and almost fall off my bike!
Here’s a quote from Dave Wiens during the award ceremony. “Leadville’s not about who wins or finish times or anything like that. Leadville’s about a start and finish at 6th and Harrison and a day in Hell.”
Guys, I hope some of you decide to do this sometime. It was so much fun!