Bicycle race triumph: Keegan Swenson clinches fifth straight elite men's win at Leadville Trail 100 MTB event
Keegan Swenson Dominates 2022 Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB for Fifth Consecutive Victory
Keegan Swenson, the four-time defending champion, once again showcased his dominance at the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik. The 100-mile mountain bike endurance race, which started from the highest incorporated city in North America at 10,152 feet above sea level, included a total of 12,480 feet of elevation gain.
Swenson set the pace at the front of the race, accompanied by Simon Pellaud and John Gaston. The trio maintained their lead throughout the race, with Swenson putting in a 10-second gap to Pellaud on the climb to Columbine Mine. Swenson crossed the finish line solo, completing the race in 5:45:35, his third-best effort at the high elevation race.
Pellaud completed the race in solo third, 7:30 behind Swenson, while Gaston finished as runner-up, 15:16 behind the champion. This year, Gaston targeted being the second rider to go under the 6-hour mark, but narrowly missed by 51 seconds.
In the women's race, Melisa Rollins led the series after the Leadville event, establishing the foundation for her eventual overall title that season. The chase group of five riders, including Cole Patton, Payson Mcelveen, Bradyn Lange, Taylor Lideen, and Hugo Drechou, trailed the leaders by nearly 45 seconds.
With the victory, Swenson padded his overall lead in the elite men's division of the Life Time Grand Prix. Simon Pellaud moved to sole second place in the Grand Prix standings, 7 points behind Swenson's 82-point total. Torbjørn Røed was 5 points behind Pellaud for third in the standings.
The men's elite start for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB took place under calm winds, moderate temperatures, and very dry conditions at 6:00 a.m. MDT. In the three times that Gaston has finished second to Swenson, he has been consistently 15 minutes back. Johnston, a member of the chase group, had to limp into an aid station after breaking his back wheel due to a large rock. Gaston, a three-time podium finisher at Leadville 100, crashed in the Twin Lakes aid station but reconnected with Pellaud on the ascent.
Swenson's course record of 5:43:29, set two years ago, remains unbroken. This year's race saw intense competition and thrilling moments, further solidifying Swenson's status as a formidable force in the world of mountain biking.
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