Do it again, Dave!
Will Dave win his 7th, or will revenge be sweet?
It is what the mountain bike world has been waiting for, and this weekend sees the rematch finally take place. Dave Wiens versus Lance Armstrong. Legend versus Legend. The six times winner of the race facing one of cycling’s best ever. Last year, Wiens was able to take it, and shortly after Armstrong announced his intention to return to professional cycling. This year, having made his return, he is back.
Road to Leadville
The past few weeks have been full of speculation about who has had the better preparation for the race. Lance Armstrong has left no one in any doubt about his form, after his performance at the Tour. While Armstrong was circling France in the toughest road race, Dave Wiens was crossing the Alps taking part in the TransAlp Challenge, the hardest mountain bike races in the World. He rode for 8 days, with over 50,000 feet of climbing. It is an amazing experience for any cyclist, and perhaps a good preparation for a race like the Leadville 100.
Dave and "his" race
Born in 1964 Dave Wiens has been a part of the mountain bike scene for nearly 20 years. To his name he has 2 US XC National Titles, multiple World Cup wins and has been made a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. In 2004 he turned his back on professional mountain biking to spend more time with his wife and kids. There was one race though, that had its claws into him. The Leadville 100. The “Race Across the Sky”. An ultra-marathon in his home of Colorado. A race straight across the Rocky Mountains, with 15,600 feet of climbing. It is a race which sees half of all starters drop out
This race, a race with such a special atmosphere, has been attracting the best riders since 1983. Wiens has established himself as the king of the event. Every year since 2003 he has raced and won the feat, and not without competition. In 2007 he beat Floyd Landis to defend his title, and last year, Lance Armstrong stepped up. Dave won with a new record time of 6 hours 45 minutes. This legendary head to head had a lot to do with the participation of the seven times Tour de France winner, who had got a taste for victory again and was looking to stretch his legs pre-empting his comeback.
Career Highlights
| Two-times UCI World Cup race winner |
| Two-times US National Mountain Bike Champion |
| Six-times Leadville Trail 100 race winner |
| 2006 Adventure Racing World Champion |
Interview with Dave Wiens
How did you prepare for Leadville?
I began riding my bike regularly on April 1st. Before that, I did lots of all different kinds of skiing and I also played a good bit of ice hockey. I raced the Sea Otter Classic XC race in mid April and then continued to quality but random training on both the road bike and the mountain bike. I raced the US Marathon Championships in Breckenridge Colorado on July 4th. This was a 50 mile race. I was doing well, riding in third place when I had a mechanical. After a long repair, I jumped back in and finished in 12th. After this race, I trained hard in Denver, Colorado for 5 days and the returned to Gunnison to prepare for the TransAlp Stage Race in Germany, Austria and Italy. Those, nearly two weeks in Europe, have become the heart of my training program for Leadville this year. It's a brand new approach for me but I welcome the change after doing essentially the same training regiment in preparation for Leadville the past two years (2007 and 2008). In addition to riding bikes, I also lift weights and stretch on a fairly consistent basic.
What do you expect from the race in 2009?
I expect Lance to be much, much fitter. Last year when we raced, we had trained for just a few weeks and had not yet decided to make his return to professional cycling. This year he is back to his racing form and just off of the Tour de France as well as the Tour of Italy. I also always expect other riders to be very strong. Other potential contenders include Floyd Landis, Tinker Juarez and perhaps Jeremiah Bishop. I have even heard that Levi Leipheimer might be racing there even though he was recently injured. Other unknow riders could be strong as well. I expect a very hard race this year! It will be very difficult for me to win the Leadville 100 for the seventh time.
What do you make of Lance’s year so far?
I thought Lance might be able win The Tour this year. I was really impressed that he was able to come back after three years off of the racing circuit and be able to ride to 3rd place in the Tour de France. There was lots of pressure on him because he has many detractors and people who are critical of him, especially his coming back to professional cycling. Regardless of what some people say, he has inspired people around the world through his work with cancer and the Livestrong Foundation
