Posts tagged brings

by Bernhard Benke

Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 Brings Biggest Names in Mountain Biking to

Life Time Fitness, Inc. :  (NYSE: LTM), today announced that the greatest names in U.S. mountain biking—including 10 current and past National Champions, six U.S. Olympians, and four Mountain Bike Hall of Famers—will compete in the Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 Race Across the Sky :  August 14. The renowned event is the original 
ultra-distance mountain bike event, beginning and ending in the heart of Leadville, Colorado, located 100 miles west of Denver.

Led by major stars of the sport, this year’s field is poised to break the Leadville Trail 100 course :  record of 6:28:50, set in 2009 by seven-time Tour de France Champion, Lance Armstrong. Challenging Armstrong’s bid to repeat as Champion will be six-time Leadville Champion Dave Wiens, who bested Armstrong in 2008. Together, the two remain the only riders to ever finish the course in less than seven hours.

Joining Wiens will be top Tour de France performer and Team RadioShack rider, Levi Leipheimer and Matt Shriver, last year’s third-place finisher. Making their first appearance at Leadville will be a trio of the nation’s top mountain biking professionals, including: Jeremy Horgen-Kobelski, Todd Wells, and Jeremiah Bishop. These highly-decorated cyclists have won multiple national championships and are looking to set a pace unlike anything previously seen during the Leadville Trail 100.

On the women’s side of the race, defending Champion and three-time 24-hour Solo World Champion Rebecca Rusch is back to defend her title and will aim to beat the women’s course record of 7:58:52, which was set by Laurie Brandt in 1997. A strong field of contenders will challenge Rusch, most notably last year’s runner-up Amanda Riley Carey.

Top athletes scheduled to appear include.

Women

- Ligia Madrigal (CR)
- Gretchen Reeves (CO)
- Amanda Riley Carey (ID)
- Rebecca Rusch (ID)

Men

- Jeremiah Bishop (VA)
- Alex Grant (UT)
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (CO)
- David ‘Tinker’ Juaraz (CA)
- Alban Lakata (Austria)
- Levi Leipheimer (CA)
- Ned Overend (CO)
- Manuel Prado (CA)
- Chris Sheppard (OR)
- Matt Shriver (CO)
- Max Taam (CO)
- Dave Weins (CO)
- Todd Wells (CO)
- Len Zanni (CO)

Since 1994, the Leadville Trail 100 has been attracting thousands of racers to the Colorado community. This year, 1,500 participants :  from 48 states and 21 countries will race on single- and double-track dirt roads on the 104-mile out-and-back course, featuring 11,600 feet of climbing and peak elevation of 12,600 feet at Columbine Mine. Based on past course results, approximately 65% of riders are expected to finish within the event’s 12-hour time limit and receive the coveted Leadville Trail 100 silver and gold belt buckle.

About the Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 Race Across the SkySince being founded in 1983 by Ken Chlouber, the Leadville Trail 100 has been known as the best ultra-distance event in mountain biking. Starting and finishing in the historic downtown area of Leadville, Colorado, a boom and bust mining town in the heart of the Rockies, the race takes place over an approximate 50 mile out-and-back course within high altitude mountains and valleys. Each year, thousands of participants compete in a series of “Race Across the Sky” events presented under the Leadville Trail 100 Series banner. For more information, visit leadvilletrail100.com :  .

About Life Time Fitness, Inc.Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LTM) is a healthy way of life company based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The Company is dedicated to providing programs and services that help its members connect and engage with their areas of interest, and achieve success with their health and fitness goals. Life Time Fitness designs and operates distinctive, multi-use sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa/resort centers that help members lead healthy and active lives. As of August 9, 2010, the Company operated 89 centers in 19 states and 24 markets. Additional information about Life Time Fitness centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com :  .