Rebecca Rusch battled brutal weather and intense climbs to win the Leadville 100 over the weekend. It took Rusch just eight hours and 15 minutes to complete the 100 mile course despite some sleet and stiff headwinds on the way to the finish. “I could barely feel my hands or hold the bars at a couple of points,” explains Rusch, “The sideways sleet was stinging my legs and the only choice was to keep riding and try to keep the blood flowing.”
It was Rusch’s first time racing the Leadville 100 which is one of the biggest endurance mountain bike races in the world and she led the whole way. Being a rookie to the race she had to rely on course information from friends and other riders and even went so far as to tape a map to her bike.
Rusch also relied on her Suunto t6 during the race and logged an average heart-rate of 144 and climbed over 11,535 feet during the eight plus hours.
Besides taking the victory, Rusch also got another thrill – sharing the podium with Lance Armstrong. The seven-time Tour de France winner shattered the course record on the men’s side – riding the last few miles with a flat rear tire.
The win for Rusch is just another in a dominating year. Rusch won her third straight 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Championship title last month.
No comments:
Post a Comment