Leadville 100 Race Squad…

With Lance Armstrong coming off a successful Tour de France and now preparing  for the Leadville Trail 100, the buzz  surrounding the race is bigger than ever. With Cannondale as the leading bike sponsor of the event, Team Monavie-Cannondale is hoping to mix things up at the front of the race. Will the squad make it???

Leadville 100 squad:

• Jeremiah Bishop??- Although his T 4-5 compression fractures sustained at the Intermontane challenge are healing up fast, he may not quite be ready to saddle up for 100 miles of high altitude MTB racing. With  the help of physical therapy, extra milk, monavie, and positive mental energy, JB has made huge improvements in the past 2 weeks.Only time will tell if he will be ready to  line up on race day!

• Ben Sonntag???- Our other wounded soldier! Ben reports that his external injuries are nearly healed up. The black eye has faded to grey, the bruised hip is yellow, and the road rash is no longer red. It’s the internal injuries that continue to plague him.

” I have not been drinking, but when I wake up I feel like I have a hang over, I can’t walk straight, feel dizzy, and generally beat down. The doctors tell me this is normal for a concussion but it does not make it any easier.  The Leadville Trail 100 is coming up fast and I am not confident I will be healed up in time.”

• Alex Grant- Alex is getting ready. Although he has been very busy with his work as a sales rep since returning from the BC stage race, he has been slowly preparing himself for racing at altitude. Sleeping, riding, and soaking at Alta, Brian Head, Jackson Hole, and various Colorado ski towns over the past month will hopefully help Alex ride at the front of the race.

• Tinker Juarez- The legend is always ready. Tinker has been racing bikes for so long he does not need to prepare specifically for any one race. Tinker is always in good shape and with a little extra time spent in the Mountains East of LA he will be ready for the dirt roads of Leadville.

• Bryan Alders- In contrast to Tinker, Bryan is relatively new to ultra endurance bike racing.   

  “With the Leadville100 fast approaching I figured I better make a last ditch effort to find some high altitude  riding.  So I headed to 12,000 feet with some buddies for a great day of riding on the Monarch Crest Trail.  The climb starts at 11,312 feet. It quickly brings you above treeline for some excellent single track the rolls right down the crest of the continental divide.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

   About halfway through you reach the nice low altitude of 10,842 feet.  Finally some oxygen, it’s all relative I suppose.  We stopped for a quick lunch of yam jam sandwiches (don’t ask) and continued our way down the mountain. Banked corners and excellent views lined the next 2 1/2 hours of rolling singletrack.

  About 4 ½ hours after the start we reach the car, parked at 8,000 feet.  The air was thick and plentiful.  Leadville is going to be a challenge.”