Published July 30, 2008 01:10PM
The promoter of the Leadville 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race in Colorado, told a local newspaper that Lance Armstrong has registered for his race and is training nearby for the August 9 event.
“It’s huge for the race, of course, but even more grand and more meaningful to our community, because now the national and the international spotlight will be on Leadville,” promoter Ken Chlouber told the Summit Daily.
Armstrong had said he was going to do Leadville last year but then pulled out citing a scheduling conflict. Floyd Landis did race last year, coming second to mountain bike legend Dave Wiens.
The paper reported that Armstrong has been training in nearby Aspen, Colorado. Acclimatization is key at Leadville, which starts at 10,200 feet elevation and tops out at 12,600.
“(Armstrong’s) coming to win,” Chlouber told the newspaper. “I’m sure he’s got his guns strapped on, and he’ll be coming full blast … We’re going to put him on the front row, right besides Dave Wiens, and I expect it’ll be a shootout right from the get-go.”