Team Kappius Mountain Bike Team: Leadville 100

Toni Geer in her first Leadville 100

1400 riders lined up at 6:30 on a brisk Leadville morning to start the Leadville 100. It was 34 degrees but the sky was crystal clear. Lance Armstrong had pulled out the week before but a star studded field remained led by Levi Leipheimer. The already popular race swelled to the largest field ever after last year's movie - "Race Across the Sky". Rider after rider said they came because of the movie.

Ward Baker through the Powerline aid station at 30 miles

Justin's / Titus managed to get four riders in the race through the strict lottery process & we had a great day out there. Ward Baker led us home in 17th place overall setting a personal best by 10 minutes in 7:35:56. Toni Geer, riding her first Leadville with a goal of finishing was 27th woman in 10:45, well under the 12 hr finish time. Drew Geer in his 6th Leadville & Kelly McGrew also with multiple Leadvilles did not have the legs for the day & rolled in in 151st & 165th (9:04 & 9:11).

Leadville has really grown over the years & a mass start of 1400 riders of all abilities on a paved downhill start requires a bit of attention. Ward, being seeded on the front line from last year did not notice any of this & screamed off the line with Levi & JHK. Leadville vets will recall the start used to be neutral at 10 mph until the dirt a few miles in. This is no longer the case & that is probably just as well - the rapid initial pace strings the huge field out a bit. Start position outside the top 100 is first come, first serve & battle to keep your spot. Toni & I started near the end. Recalling the fantastic moves of Thomas Dooley a few years earlier I rolled right up the right, inches from the edge & passes hundreds & hundred of riders in the first 3 minutes. Despite this, as the race really started on the dirt after 5 minutes, I was 5 minutes back & 300 place.

The out & back profile with the peak climb up Columbine to 12,550 ft

The first climb is St. Kevin; just 3 miles long & 10-15% grade. The surface was fast & the only problem here is traffic - you just can't ride fast. That does have the advantage of forcing an easy start for a long day. By the second climb - Hagerman pass; 6% for 5 miles topping out at 11,000 feet - the sun had warmed us to a very nice riding temperature. Off Hagerman there is a fun drop down the "Powerline". That becomes less fun on the ride home but the early morning descent is a lot of fun. The recent rain packed the track very fast & smooth but the large groups exercised some wise caution. You can't win coming off powerline but you can DNF here. The "pipeline flats" are fast easy riding, typically 20-30 mph. The pace depends largely on what group you can put yourself into here. Long pacelines form in the wide open areas of road & double track.

For you long time Leadville riders, there is a new piece of trail skipping the infamous "Northface". This is a great trail but it does add 1/2 mile each way & adds a total of 3 minutes outbound & 7 minutes inbound (as calculated by my GPS tracks over the past several years).

Across the Twin Lakes Dam, pick up a quick feed & head up Columbine - 8.5 miles, 3,100 feet of climbing on easy road with an average grade of 7% & a max of 20%. This tops out at 12,550 feet. On any given training day, this climb would not be hard. The last 2 miles average 11% & are easily ridable - unless you are racing Leadville. On race day, 3 1/2 hours in, the narrow 20% grade gets walked by most riders. Around the turnaround aid station, down Columbine in fast 2 way traffic, across the dam & into the wind. The slog home across the pipeline is often a trying section. The sky stayed clear but the winds picked up to 15 mph straight into your face coming back. Still the riding is easy & there are no huge climbs.

Coming back up the Powerline at 80 miles if always the most painful time. I rode this clean & easy the day before Leadville in a 27-32 & stayed in a zone 2 heart rate with no effort. After 5 - 6 hours Powerline is a brute. It is a 3.8 mile climb averaging only only 7.5%. The max grade is 22%. After this heinous effort you are rewarded by a nice drop back down Hagerman pass, back on the pave to climb 3 miles but now the wind is a strong tail wind! All nice mostly down hill riding then until the "Dirty Boulevard" - the last gradual climb to the finish.

103 miles - 10,700 vertical climbing

Drew Geer returning across Twin Lakes at 60 miles

Leadville is an exciting race. It is not technical. There is no butteryflowysmoothalicious sweet single track. It is a very hard day. What there is "energy". The field is huge. The top riders are riders you pick up an autograph from - & you are on the line with them (well - kind of, seeing as you are really 1000 riders behind them). The feed zone at Twin Lakes is populated by 5000 people screaming for everybody - you run a gauntlet that feels like the crowd on L'Alpe d'Huez. Unless you are one of the top 3 riders, you are not riding for place. You are riding for a personal performance & every other rider out there is helping you. There is camaraderie. The "sport men" syndrome does not exist here (this occurs in most bike races where the the 50th place sport men scream at all other riders - particularly the expert women - "get out of my way", despite the fact that they are not even in the running for anything). The goal is to ride your best, finish (under 12 hours), finish under 9 hrs for a "big buckle" etc. I was able to talk with several of the top 10 riders after the finish & they were thrilled with the race. They loved & it will be back.

This is a race to do at least once - it can be fun, it can be miserable, but if you race mountain bikes you have to do Leadville.

Drew - directeur nuthead