For every of the previous three years, Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz) has not simply gained Leadville 100 MTB, he has smashed information. Last 12 months he stormed throughout the rocky, high-elevation terrain in his first sub-6-hour effort, ending in 5:43:31 and crushing the file time by 15:06.
These performances are usually not nearly profitable occasions, however the margins to main contenders. Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost) was second to Swenson at Leadville in 2021, eight minutes off the profitable tempo. Swenson was 14:30 quicker than second-placed John Gaston in 2022, and final 12 months 14:29 quicker than runner-up Alexey Vermeulen. Last 12 months Morton recorded his private greatest time at Leadville, 2:49 quicker than 2021, however completed ninth and simply over 33 minutes again of Swenson.
Other than simply “cross the road in entrance of him”, Morton mentioned it gained’t be straightforward to knock Swenson from the highest spot at Leadville for the reason that race stands out as the hardest one on the calendar to match his dominance.
“I’d say Leadville might be the toughest race to compete with him. It’s positively very a lot a health take a look at. There’s restricted alternatives to invent a tactic the place you may get a bonus over him,” the reigning Unbound Gravel 200 champion advised Cyclingnews and a number of other media final week throughout a Leadville pre-race digital press convention.
“I believe it could take somebody on a reasonably special occasion, and doubtless Keegan on a not so special occasion, to beat him simply wheel to wheel. You by no means know what can occur. There’s all the time the prospect that individuals have dangerous luck, and alternatives come up, so you do not want that on anybody, however it’s positively a actuality of the type of racing we do.
“At the tip of the day, it is a bike race. There’s six hours of various issues that may occur on the market, so that you type of simply received to indicate up along with your greatest self.”
Likewise, Payson McElveen (Allied Cycle Works-Red Bull) confirmed Swenson goes into Leadville as the person to beat, and for McElveen, present a path to maneuver into the general lead of the Life Time Grand Prix introduced by Mazda off-road sequence. Like the previous two years, Swenson enters the 2024 Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB introduced by Kenetik as the general chief of the Grand Prix, however solely by one level over McElveen. And shut behind are the duo of Matthew Beers (Specialized) in third and Morton in fourth.
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“I’ve type of needed to distance myself somewhat bit from what Keegan can do on this course, as a result of it is frankly, simply type of arduous to wrap my head round. If you take a look at his efficiency on the assorted segments in comparison with the remainder of the sector, it is kind of like he is doing a distinct sport than the remainder of us on this course,” McElveen advised reporters in the identical digital press convention.
The current winner of the 100-mile, three-day Life Time Leadville Stage Race, McElveen was fourth in Leadville in 2021, 13:42 behind Swenson, after which improved his time by virtually 7 minutes in 2023. But he nonetheless misplaced large floor, ending eleventh to the record-setting Swenson.
Swenson opened the door for an in depth Grand Prix leaderboard with a fifteenth place end at Unbound Gravel, the 200-mile behemoth gained by Morton, whereas McElveen earned prime factors because the second-best Grand Prix finisher in eighth general.
“Fortunately, so far as the Grand Prix general goes, it is best 4 of six, not each race counts. I’m actually excited for races like Chequamegon [MTB in Wisconsin] and [Rad Dirt Fest] in Trinidad, the place perhaps on paper I’ve a bit higher alternative to go toe to toe with him,” McElveen admitted.
“In regards to the way you beat him at Leadville, I’d echo what Lachlan mentioned. You’d must have some fairly severe issues go unsuitable, not less than at this stage. I simply type of hold chipping away at it and making an attempt to get higher on this course, and simply take note of my very own efficiency greater than evaluating myself to somebody who’s fairly a generational expertise at 10,000 plus ft.”
McElveen, a Colorado resident, used the stage race to prep for Saturday’s ‘race throughout the sky’, which is characterised by 12,480 ft of elevation acquire over 100 miles, the beginning in Leadville at 10,152 ft above sea degree. He mentioned the stage race was “a reminder of simply how unbelievably arduous the 100-mile course is, and it put a superb dose of respect again in my thoughts”.
After Crusher within the Tushar was cancelled in mid-July resulting from wildfires in that space of Utah, which then eradicated the scheduled third cease of the Grand Prix, Morton traveled to Leadville for a take a look at the course and to take a look at new tools. After years in Boulder, Colorado, Morton now lives in California, and he went house to coach in July, then returned to Leadville 10 days earlier than the competitors.
“I have never approached it this manner earlier than, as a result of I had the posh of residing in altitude up till this 12 months. I believe it will be high-quality. It’s so excessive, there’s solely a lot adaptation that occurs. It’s type of remembering what it looks like, how you can race it, and simply typically getting snug with that feeling of getting much less oxygen accessible. I’m to see the way it goes,” Morton mentioned.
“It’s a race that pulls you again 12 months after 12 months as a result of there’s all the time one thing you’ll be able to enhance on. Ultimately, you are going to trip up Columbine for no matter it’s, 45 minutes or an hour, and whoever’s received the legs goes to get to the highest first. It’s robust.”
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is now the third of six races within the Life Time Grand Prix Series, after the Crusher within the Tushar cancellation. The elite males will begin at 6:15 a.m. MDT on Saturday. For the primary time within the thirtieth anniversary of the mountain bike race, the elite ladies may have a separate begin, 5 minutes behind the elite males. Coverage will supplied on Instagram channels for Life Time Grand Prix and Leadville Race Series (@ltraceseries).