Some of Durango’s top cyclists were fighting for spots on the podium at this year’s Stages Cycling Leadville 100 Trail MTB.
Over 1,750 cyclists endured the 105-mile high-altitude course.
Keegan Swenson dominated the race and shattered the previous course record by 15 minutes and 4 seconds, crossing first overall in 5 hours, 43 minutes and 31 seconds.
“I was so short of the record (last year), so this year I just went all in, and if I blew up in the end, I blew up,” Swenson said. “I didn’t want to just get the record by a few seconds, I wanted to make it mine. I just put my head down and gave it everything I had on my way back from Columbine. The conditions were good, the course was fast and tacky, there was a little bit of wind and some rain, but the boys were rolling and everyone was down to ride.”
Alexey Vermeulen finished just ahead of John Gaston in 6:08:01 to place second, but some Durangoans were on their rear wheel.
Former Fort Lewis College rider Cole Paton finished fourth in 6:09:20, while Howard Grotts placed fifth in 6:11:14.
Payson McElveen (6:18:37) and Todd Wells (6:23:18) placed 11th and 14th, respectively, while Cody Cupp placed 22nd in 6:37:19. Sam Hart (6:56:27) and Beckett Ledger (7:06:24) finished 38th and 48th, respectively.
“Result was fifth on the day, but a PR time-wise,” Grotts said. “Everyone has stepped up their game up lately and this was no exception. It was hard, but also really inspiring to race when everyone is in top shape. And of course congrats to (Keegan Swenson) on an unearthly ride.”
A year after not finishing, former Skyhawk Sofia Gomez Villafane won Saturday’s race in 7:09:48. Villafane was the lone woman up front for half the race, but Ruth Winder closed the gap in the final couple of miles, forcing Villafane to really test her fitness to win the race.
“I rode 49 of the 50 miles from the turn around point to the finish line solo; the most gut wrenching three and a half-hours of my life,” Villafane said. “With these mass start races, I often feel we are told we are playing checkers yet as a female you really have to be playing chess in order to win.”
Villafane said she should have waited for a group of four men around mile 70 in order to recover between pulls, since the riders behind were possibly working in groups. She opted to keep pushing by herself, and it worked out.
“This race broke me last year, but it also lit a fire in me to work on my weaknesses,” Villafane said. “So proud of the effort I put forward today.”
Winder crossed second in 7:11:12 and Alexis Skarda won bronze in 7:19:03.
Sarah Sturm was the next Durangoan to finish, crossing seventh in 7:30:12. She said was “extremely disappointed” with the result.
“I wanted a lot more,” Sturm said. “I expected a lot more from my body. I pushed myself as much as I could, so that makes it even more upsetting.”
Sturm started the race second in the Life Time Grand Prix, but slipped to third overall behind Skarda after the result.
Ellen Campbell also scored a top-10 finish, placing ninth in 7:37:01. Kaylee Blevins (7:51:56) and Michaela Thompson (8:11:55) finished 17th and 18th, respectively.
Trish Thomas (8:20:44) finished 27th among all women, but also won the women’s 40-49 division. She will travel to Auburn, Alabama next month to defend her marathon mountain biking national title.
Other La Plata County riders who competed included Craig Konz (159th, 8:09:23), Francisco Peynado (167th, 8:03:31), Mike Hurst (172nd, 8:13:31), Chris Albanese (243rd, 8:31:22), An-Mei Ellisor (66th, 9:22:08), Art Steimer (867th, 10:43:54), Matthew Garrison (998th, 10:46:57), Justin Bogan (1,241st; 11:57:16).
Mike Garrison, John Grotenhuis and Charlie Milliet also competed, but didn’t finish.
The race featured 12,000 feet of elevation gain, including the challenging Columbine Pass, the high point of the race at 12,500 feet above sea level. Riders ranged in age from 18 to 80 years old, representing all 50 states and 25 countries, 59 of which were Leadville citizens.
