FIVE IN A ROW
Keegan dominates, Sarah Lange surges, and Ruth Holcomb takes U23 first at the Leadville 100
Leadville 100
In 2020, the Leadville 100 was canceled due to covid. In the five editions following, Keegan Swenson has dominated the race, topping the podium each time and holding the record for the top three fastest times.
The Leadville 100 is Keegan's playground. He has raised the bar, and brought the entire field up with him.
The htSQD
The Course
Held entirely above 9,000 feet and climbing to a height of 12,500 feet, the Leadville 100 is an out-and-back race traversing roads, double track, and trail. Riders face just over 100 miles of grueling high-mountain racing, with 12,300 ft of elevation gain.
The Women's Race
While Keegan has taken the men's race by storm, the women's race has been more competitive, with new contenders finding their way onto the podium each year.
Continuing her breakout season, Sarah Lange followed up her 10th place Unbound and 4th place SBT finishes with 5th place at the Leadville 100. She now sits fourth overall in the Lifetime Grand Prix and is constantly proving she belongs in the conversation of the best athletes in gravel.
"Leadville is a funny race for me. The climbing plays to my strengths and I seem to do well at altitude. The problem is that with all the climbing comes lots of descending, and despite my lack of MTB skills, I still targeted this race."
- Sarah Lange
CONCEPT
U23
Ruth Holcomb is a college student, a new member of the Santa Cruz htSQD, and now a U23 first place finisher at both Unbound and Leadville.
Hailing from Durango, Colorado, she has a long history of trail riding, making the Leadville 100 a natural fit for her talents.
"Truly one of the hardest days I’ve had on the bike ending in 17th at my first Leadville and 1st in the u23 category... Most of all it was special to be out there with a whole posse of Durango girls for almost the entirety of the day, so so cool to be out racing with people I’ve ridden with and looked up to since I first started riding."
- Ruth Holcomb
The Dark Horse
Kaylee Blevins isn't a household name. That's because she set racing aside after success as a junior to chase a career in medicine. All accounts point to that going well — and it seems like she hasn't lost her cycling magic either.
She came to Leadville for her first professional race in years, and placed 18th.
Final Results
Keegan Swenson | First | Men's Elite | 5:45:35
Sarah Lange | 5th |Women's Elite | 7:17:16
Alexis Skarda | 7th | Women's Elite | 7:27:19
Alex Howes | 48th | Men's Elite | 7:25:29
Samara Sheppard | 15th | Women's Elite | 7:43:05
Ruth Holcomb | First | U23 Women's | 7:43:47
Kaylee Blevins | 18th | Women's Elite | 7:49:49
Deanna Mayles | 19th | Women's Elite 7:54:05
Laurel Quinones, Velocio Exploro | 25th | Women's Elite | 8:20:42
