Cyclist Keegan Swenson rules Leadville Trail 100 MTB once again, clinching his fifth straight first-place finish in the elite men's division.
In the high-altitude race across the sky, Keegan Swenson once again proved his dominance in the elite men's division of the Life Time Grand Prix. The four-time defending champion clinched his fifth consecutive victory at the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik, extending his overall lead in the Grand Prix standings.
Swenson, riding for Santa Cruz Bicycles, set a pace at the front 20 minutes into the contest alongside Simon Pellaud and John Gaston. The trio created a 45-second advantage over a chase group, which included the likes of Cole Patton, Payson McElveen, Bradyn Lange, Taylor Lideen, and Hugo Drechou.
As the race progressed, Swenson continued to push the pace, creating a 10-second gap to Pellaud on the lower slopes of Columbine Mine. Meanwhile, Gaston, a three-time podium finisher at Leadville 100 who focuses mainly on US ski mountaineering (skimo), had crashed in the Twin Lakes aid station but reconnected with Pellaud on the ascent.
Swenson crested the top of Columbine Mine solo, but fell short in his mission to race the clock and set a new record. He completed the 100-mile mountain bike endurance race in 5:45:35, a time that, while impressive, was 7:54 slower than his course record set two years ago at 5:43:29.
John Gaston (Specialized) finished as runner-up, 15:16 behind Swenson. Gaston, who was aiming to be the second rider to go under the 6-hour mark, narrowly missed by 51 seconds. Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro) completed the race in solo third, 7:30 behind Swenson.
The chase group fought valiantly, but ultimately it was Swenson who emerged victorious. Torbjørn Røed, Payson McElveen, Andrew L'esperance, Taylor Lideen, Chad Haga, Zach Calton, and Bradyn Lange completed the top 10 finishers.
In the women’s race, since Kate Courtney (the winner at Leadville) is not competing in the Grand Prix, Cecily Decker has moved to the top of the women’s series standings by opening a two-point gap over Sofía Gómez Villafañe, with Melisa Rollins now in third.
The current Life Time Grand Prix elite men's standings after Leadville are:
| Position | Rider | Points | |----------|-----------------------|----------------| | 1 | Keegan Swenson | Leading by 7 points over 2nd | | 2 | Simon Pellaud | 87 | | 3 | Torbjørn Andre Røed | Not specified but ahead of 4th |
The women’s standings show Cecily Decker leading, followed by Sofía Gómez Villafañe and Melisa Rollins.
The 100-mile route had a total of 12,480 feet of elevation gain, starting from the highest incorporated city in North America at 10,152 feet above sea level. The men's elite start for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik took place under calm winds, moderate temperatures, and very dry conditions at 6:00 a.m. MDT.
Sports enthusiasts witnessed a thrilling race as Keegan Swenson once again showcased his dominance in the elite men's division of the Life Time Grand Prix. The high-altitude race, the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik, served as another platform for Swenson to extend his overall lead in the Grand Prix standings, with sports like ski mountaineering also being showcased by athletes such as John Gaston.
