Following the celebrated Tour de France, some of the world’s best professional cycling teams will travel to American soil and race in the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, August 9-14, 2011. Enjoy the race by being PART of the support team that makes this event possible! Volunteers are needed for a variety of positions, from one stage to a full week. Providing your energy and expertise is a great way to get plugged into the community and be part of all the fantastic festivities. Positions include Course Marshals, Security, Media Operations, Spectator Marketing and more. Help the Tour of Utah take center stage in the world of professional cycling this August and make it the best experience for the athletes, sponsors, visitors and neighbors. For more information, visit tourofutah.com/volunteer.
Bikes Fly Free on Frontier
June 2011 – Frontier Airlines has removed the flat fee for checked bicycles and will now include them in the standard baggage allowance, meaning customers traveling on Classic or Classic Plus fares can include their bike as one of their two complimentary checked bags and Economy passengers would pay $20 if the bike is one of their first two checked bags. Bikes will be exempt from any oversize fees, but subject to overweight fees and excess bag fees, if applicable. This is similar to the carrier’s current policy for golf clubs and skis. Frontier flies out of Salt Lake City.
[Editor’s Note: We can only hope that the other major carriers follow suit.]
Chip Seal Schedule
June 2011 – If you can, please avoid these streets when chip sealing is in progress. Actual dates of work are weather dependent, so a complete schedule cannot be posted in advance. Schedule updates will be posted to Salt Cycle website blog – saltcycle.com
Salt Lake City – June 2011
Indiana Ave. 900 W to Redwood Rd. (slurry sealed over the chips, about 2 weeks later)
*1700 S. 300 W to 900 W
Brick Yard Road. Richmond to 3300 S
Claybourne Ave (2770 S). Melbourne to 2000 E.
600 S. 800 W to 900 W
*4400 W. 700 S to California Ave.
* 4800 W. 1100 S to California Ave.
And several short streets just south of I-80 off 5600 W.
Salt Lake County – June 2011
Magna:
7200 W. SR-201 to 2100 S.
2100 S. 7200 W to 8000 W
8000 W. 2100 S to SR-201
Parkway Blvd. (2820 S) 7200 W to 8000 W
Kearns:
4715 S. 4000 W to 4800 W
Sams Blvd (5215 S) 4015 W to 4820 W
Millcreek:
Wasatch Blvd. 3300 S to 4850 S
Millcreek Canyon Rd. 2820 E to 3275 E
2011 Utah Bike Summit A Success
By Tara McKee
June 2011 – The 2011 Utah Bike Summit was held on Friday, April 29th at the SLCC campus in Sandy. The night before the summit, Bike Utah hosted a special showing of “Race Across the Sky 2010” at the Jordan Commons Megaplex. A special Q & A was held after the movie with some of Utah’s top Leadville 100 racers, including Elden Nelson (aka “the Fat Cyclist”) and Glen Adams. During the raffle drawing, awesome prizes were given out and included great gear and other prizes from Specialized, I-Bert, DZ Nuts, Rockwell Relay, Lone Peak, Lifetime Fitness, Ruby Snap and many others.
Although the default location of the summit on the SLCC campus in Sandy was a bit controversial at first, those who attended did like the setting and some commented it felt more like a state summit, than a Salt Lake City summit. The registration fee was a new addition to this year’s summit, which helped cover many of the costs, including lunch. In spite of cold, rainy weather that day, participation actually went up; nearly 90% of those who registered attended and participants came from around the state.
Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists made the keynote address titled “Bicycling: A Simple Solution that Makes Cents/Sense.” Ted Wilson, from the governor’s office, echoed that theme as he spoke on benefits from bicycling to the state of Utah. Panels and by other speakers underlined the fact that better cycling infrastructure, cycling events, tourism, and the better health of cyclists actually had good economic benefits to the community and the state. The summit’s expanded format included mountain biking, cycling tourism issues, subjects that included a focus on health, bike events, safe routes to schools and an introduction to the Utah Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Planning Guide.
Surveys showed that one of the most popular features of the 2011 Utah Bike Summit was the “State of the Bike” reports given from five of Utah’s towns. The reports showed off the communities’ cycling infrastructure (including trails), how the city was promoting cycling, and noted some of the cycling events that brought in tourists or engaged the community. Charlie Sturgis made the presentation from Park City, while Dan Stewart spoke on behalf of Moab. Zac Whitmore and Jim Price gave a joint report on the Provo/Orem area and Matt Hasenyager and Josh Jones showed off the best of Ogden’s cycling. During the lunch hour, Kevin Lewis and Paul Huddle made a presentation about St. George and noted the changes that hosting the Ironman have brought to the St. George area and how it has benefited cyclists. Next year’s summit will continue the “State of the Bike” reports with five other communities around the state.
The summit had some wonderful sponsors including Clif Bar, QBP, Alta Planning & Design, SelectHealth, Intermountain Health & Fitness Institute, Enve Composites, DZ Nuts, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and ProBar. Specialized sponsored a dinner and meet & greet reception at the Salt Lake Bicycle Transit Center which followed the summit.
Andy Clark noted that Utah’s rank among bike friendly states had dropped from 10th to 31st place over the last couple years, but made the point, “Utah should not just be in the top ten…but should be number one!” He also made the point after listening to all the state of the bike reports from around the state and presentation about Utah as a top cycling destination, that Utah “was sitting on a gold mine” with the wealth of potential it had for great cycling (and mountain biking) within the entire state.
To see or read some of the presentations, visit bikeutah.org.
Certain Full Face Bicycle Helmets Recalled by Bell Sports Due to Head Injury Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
More info here: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11235.html
Name of Product: Full-face bicycle helmets
Units: About 31,100 in the United States, and about 2,500 in Canada
Importer: Bell Sports, of Scotts Valley, Calif.
Hazard: The plastic buckle that connects the chin straps can fail, causing the helmet to come off the wearer’s head. This poses a head injury hazard to riders in the event of a fall.
Incidents: The firm has received one report of a buckle failing during an accident, resulting in an injury that required stitches below the wearer’s eye.
Description: This recall involves Bell Exodus full-face helmets with a plastic buckle on the chinstrap and model and part numbers listed below. The helmets have an angled visor and were sold in youth size. The model and part number can be found on a removable sticker located on the side of the helmet.
Color Part/Model Number
Orange/Grey/Black 1003825/035011898025
Blue/Grey/Gold/White/Black 1006714/035011917719
Sold by: Walmart stores nationwide and Amazon.com between August 2009 and March 2011 for between $50 and $60.
Manufactured in: Taiwan
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the helmets immediately and contact Bell Sports for a replacement or refund.
Consumer Contact: For additional information call Bell Sports toll-free at (866) 892-6059 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, via email at [email protected], or visit the firm’s website at www.bellsports.com
Cycling Utah’s June 2011 Issue is Now Available!
Our June 2011 Issue is now available as a PDF (7.1 mb download), This is our biggest and best issue ever! Pick up a copy at your favorite Intermountain bike shop or other location!
Featuring :
Contents
Guardian Angels page – 2
Raising Bike Friendly Kids Part 2 page – 4
New Salt Lake City Bike Map Now Available page – 4
Matt Bradley Won’t Let Cancer Keep Him Down page – 5
Tour of Utah Volunteers Needed page – 5
The Bicycle Transit Center: Serving the Needs of Commuter Cyclists. page – 6
Add Some Rail to Your Commute page – 7
Draper Velopark Moves Forward page – 8
Tour of Utah To Show on Fox Sports Network Locally and Nationally page – 8
Buy the Stamp – Cornering on a Road Bike page – 9
Bicycle Collective News page – 11
Velo Weekend Will Feature Tall Bike Jousts and Sprints page – 11
UDOT and DPS to Sponsor Road Respect Share the Road Campaign page – 13
Utah Bike Summit A Success page – 14
Bikes Fly Free on Frontier page – 14
A Women’s Guide to Utah’s Mountain Biking page – 15
Swenson and Bingham Take Sundance Spin ICS (at Soldier Hollow) page – 16
Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival Launched Featuring the 2011/2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships page – 17
Making Utah a Mountain Bike Mecca page – 18
Utahns Excel in 2011 Ironman St. George page – 19
Howat and Booth Crowned Utah State Criterium Champions page – 20
High Uintas May Use Alternate Course Due to Snow page – 20
Booth and Howat Win Bear Lake Classic page – 22
Evans Tops in Sugarhouse Criterium page – 23
Chip Seals and Bicycles – Short-term Pain for Long-term Gain? page – 26
Chip Seal Schedule page – 26
Tour of Utah Team Lineup Finalized – 5 UCI Pro Tour Teams Featured page – 27
As the Wheel Turns — The US Postal Team Soap Opera Continues page – 32
It’s Just a Quick Spin page – 33
Why They Ride: Bike Travelers From Other Countries page – 34
Seven Steps to a Smoother Riding Bicycle page – 35
Ibapah Valley Ramble page – 36
Studies Examine Bicycles and Mass Transit page – 37
MS Bike Ride Celebrates 25th Anniversary page – 37
Bikepacking the Dixie 170 page – 38
Advocacy, Results, Commuter Column, Mechanics Corner, Calendar and More!
Arielle Martin (Utah) top American in Papendal Supercross with sixth-place effort in women’s main event
Papendal, Netherlands (May 28, 2011) –The second stop on the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup circuit concluded on Saturday with the men’s and women’s finals. Arielle Martin (Formerly of Utah, Spanaway, Wash./Intense BMX), the only American to advance to the final, grabbed the top finish for the U.S. with a sixth-place effort in the women’s main event.
Top American men Corben Sharrah (Tucson, Ariz./GT Bicycles), Mike Day (Santa Clarita, calif./GT-Red Bill), and Donny Robinson (Napa, Calif./Hyper Bicycles) advanced as far as the semi-finals but did not qualify for the eight-man main.
The men’s event was won by Marc Willers (NZL) while the women’s event was won by Sarah Walker (NZL).
For complete results from the second stop on the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, click here.
New Salt Lake City Bike Map Now Available
Dozens of miles of new bikeways, all-new cartography, and revised “tips” for bicycling in Salt Lake City are all featured on the new Salt Lake City Bikeways Map, released in mid-May during Utah Bike Week.
Published by Salt Lake City and the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC),the 24” x 36” map shows bike lanes, pathways including the Jordan River Parkway and Bonneville Shoreline Trail, designated bike routes, and quiet streets that are good for cycling. The map also identifies bridges and difficult intersections where cyclists should be extra cautious. Bicycle-specific amenities such as bike shops, bike lockers, and trail access points are shown.
The new map is the first release since 2006.. The new text offers tips on commuting, sharing the road, route finding, bikes and transit, equipment choice and maintenance, along with bike route definitions and a welcome message from Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
The map production was lead by Becka Roolf, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for Salt Lake City, and Dave Iltis, Chair of the MBAC. “The production of the map was a community effort,” said Roolf, “with many local bicyclists suggesting routes, helping to edit our text, and giving feedback on the map itself.”
Free copies of the map are available at all Salt Lake City bike shops. For those who want a more durable waterproof map, a version on plasticized paper is available for $4 at Fishers, Guthrie Bicycle, Bingham Cyclery, Wild Rose, Squatter’s Pub, Wasatch Touring, The Downtown Alliance, Saturday Cycles, Bicycle Center, and Salt Lake City Bicycle Co. Those businesses, Salt Lake City, and a Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy supported the map printing cost.
To obtain a PDF copy of the map or to learn more about Salt Lake City’s bicycle initiatives and the MBAC, visit slcgov.com/bike.
Cross After Dark Series to Include CrossVegas – World Champ Wellens Slated to Race
Four UCI cyclocross races have united to create a series that adds a unique twist to the U.S. cyclocross scene. These prominent race directors announced the Cross After Dark series that will be comprised of nighttime races in September and October.
“We pioneered the idea of night cross in the US in 2002 with StarCrossed and we are excited to be apart of a full-blown series of floodlit cyclocross craziness for our tenth anniversary. I am very excited to see what seemed like a sketchy idea nine years ago turn into a new standard of what a great cyclocross races needs to be,” noted Terry Buchanan, promoter, StarCrossed.
“Who says nothing good happens after dark?” was the comment of CrossVegas organizer Brook Watts. “We’re a group of race directors who like staging events that are ‘prime-time’ and have a different twist.”
Cross After Dark promises an overall prize list for the series of $5,000 to be split evenly between the men’s and women’s categories.
2011 Cross After Dark series races are:
CrossVegas – Wednesday September 14 – Las Vegas NV (C1)
Starcrossed – Saturday September 17 – Seattle WA (C2)
Gateway Cross Cup – Wednesday September 21 – St. Louis MO (C2)
Spooky Cross – Saturday October 15 – Irvine CA (C2)
Cross After Dark races are all established on the U.S. cross calendar except for newcomer Gateway Cross Cup. The Gateway Cross Cup is a collaboration between St. Louis organizer Mike Weiss and CrossVegas’ Watts. According to Mike Weiss, “We wanted to add some Midwestern flair to the U.S. cross scene and the early cross season is the perfect time. St. Louis loves cycling and parties, this promises to deliver both.”
Spooky Cross director Dorothy Wong commented, “Orange County is centrally located to much of the Southern California cycling community and Spooky Cross brings out the best of cross racing including fun, fast racing, costumes, pumpkins… all under the night lights in Irvine.”
Update:
Two-time cyclocross World Champion Bart Wellens will begin his 2011 cyclocross season in the U.S. by racing the opening two rounds of the new Cross After Dark national cyclocross series. Wellens and his Telenet Fidea teammate Rob Peeters, both of Belgium, will make U.S. cyclocross debuts at Cross After Dark Race 1, CrossVegas on September 14th. The pair will then travel to Seattle on September 18th and 19th for the longstanding UCI Washington State cyclocross weekend at StarCrossed (Cross After Dark Race 2) as well as the Rad Racing GP.
“We are extremely excited to begin our campaign in the U.S.,” said Telenet Fidea manager Hans van Kasteren. “Bart has raced road on the east coast of the U.S. with Timothy Johnson, but looks forward to his U.S. cyclocross debut on the West Coast.”
Top European cyclocross racers such as Erwin Vervecken, Francis Mourey, Helen Wyman, and Christian Huele have also raced in the U.S. in recent years, but the Telenet Fidea trip in fall 2011 signals a continued shift in the frequency of top-tiered European competitors traveling to the U.S. to race ‘cross. September is early on the U.S. and European cross calendar, so to see top Belgians traveling so far to compete in some of the strongest U.S. races really speaks to the legitimacy of the U.S. cyclocross scene.
“Traditionally in the U.S., you’ll see top domestic racers travel, vacation, or live in Europe to hone their cross skills against European competition,” said Zac Daab, co-promoter of StarCrossed Cyclocross in Seattle, WA. “This year, Telenet Fidea is heading to the U.S. to string a series of races together for Bart Wellens and Rob Peeters that allow them to gain early season fitness, capture UCI points and test themselves over here before the 2013 Worlds.”
CrossVegas promoter Brook Watts added, “I’ve been preaching the benefits of the early season U.S. races to the Europeans for some time, I think we’re at the tipping point now where they see the value in making a trip over here to compete against our top pros who start the season well prepped.”
Complete Series details will be available at www.crossafterdark.com.
Bikes for Kids Utah Rolls On with Successful Bike Giveaway, Safety Rodeo and Nutrition Instruction
SALT LAKE CITY – May 21, 2011 – Just in time for summer vacation, 1,000 pre-selected second graders received brand new bicycles, helmets and a t-shirt from the Bikes for Kids Utah Bike Giveaway. The May 21 festival-style event, held at the Intermountain Medical Center parking lot in Murray, Utah, also included a Bike Safety Rodeo and nutrition instruction. Greeted by more than 150 volunteers, students and their families walked from tent to tent participating in educational presentations about healthy nutrition by Intermountain Medical Center staff, and helmet fittings and a Bike Safety Rodeo operated by volunteers.
When asked about his experience at the Bikes for Kids giveaway, Jacob Pryor, a second grade recipient from Sandy, said, “My favorite part about today was getting to try out the track [bike rodeo]. I learned hand signals, how to stop, turn left and turn right.” He was also excited to get his bike home and “ride it around the block with my friends.”
Parents echoed similar sentiments as they watched their kids receive unassembled boxed bikes. Recipient families had the option to either take them home to assemble, or build them onsite with the help of several Boy Scouts working towards their Eagle Scout award and bike shop mechanics from around the area.
“My son was just really excited about today. He was excited to help make coloring books for Primary Children’s Hospital and was even more excited when he found out that he was going to get a bike,” said Dina Bain, parent of an Alta View student recipient. “His dad also likes to ride bikes, so I imagine they’ll be riding a lot together this summer.”
New to this year’s Bike for Kids Utah application process, elementary schools and community outreach programs committed to completing a service project with their students before receiving their promised bicycles.
“When you ask people about their first bike, most people can’t help but light up. They remember the freedom and the ‘king of the world’, ‘I can conquer anything feeling’ they experienced as a kid,” said Debbie Reid, Bike for Kids Utah founder. “Today we’re teaching about health and we’re teaching about safety but above all I hope the kids remember the joy they felt here and the giving. I hope they go out and become healthy, active givers who work to be the change they want to see in the world.”
The next Bikes for Kids Utah fundraising event will be the inaugural Bikes for Kids Utah stage race August 5-6 followed by a dinner/silent auction Sept. 23 at the Varsity Room in Rice-Eccles Stadium. More information about the stage race and fundraising dinner can be found online as it becomes available.
The Bikes for Kids Giveaway is made possible through help of volunteers and donations made by individuals and companies such as A-Core Concrete Cutting, Alder Construction, Blackbottoms Cyclewear, Elements Wilderness Program, Fifty Studio, Honey Bucket, Larry H. Miller Charities, Mass Mutual Financial Group, Rotary Club of Murray, Skyline Electric Company, SOAR Communications and Sorenson Legacy Foundation.
Those interested in becoming corporate sponsors, giving individual donations or volunteering their time should visit www.bikesforkidsutah.com, or call 801.656.0472 for more information.
About Bikes for Kids UtahBikes for Kids Utah is a non-profit organization formed in 2006 that provides bicycles for underprivileged children throughout the Salt Lake Valley. It generates support for its cause through its event registration proceeds, auctions, and private and corporate donations. Bikes for Kids’ annual bicycle fundraising events, including casual road rides, timed road races and a dinner auction, raise money to provide 1,000 underprivileged children with new bicycles each year. For more information about the events, please visit www.BikesorKidsUtah.com or call 801.656.0472.
Specialized To Lead Industry Sustainability Initiatives
Pinkham and Hill Win Antelope Island Classic
By Ryan Barrett — Chase Pinkham (Bissell Pro Cycling) and Megan Hill (Revolution Café Rio) took wins in the Antelope Island Classic on April 30. Despite waking to several inches of new snow, conditions improved dramatically by the time the elite racers took the start with dry, if cold, conditions prevailing.
The 63 mile men’s race was animated early by Sam Krieg (Ski Utah-MarketStar). Known for his ability to time trial, his move had the rest of the field on high alert and after a concerted chase from nearly every other team in the race, he was brought back in the fold. Several other attackers tried and failed to get a gap, as the field thinned from the back on the island loop section of the course. It was again Krieg who attacked and opened a gap on the field with two laps left on the island.
Sensing the danger, Pinkham forced a split over the feedzone hill at the beginning of the final out-and-back section of the course. Four riders were able to stick with Pinkham- junior Colin Joyce (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team), Dave Harward (Canyon Bicycles) and last years’ winner Erik Harrington (RMCC/Cyclesmith). Realizing that he had no teammates in the chase group, Krieg continued to push on alone before ultimately being caught inside the final 10k.
Coming into the final climb, the lead group shattered with Pinkham and Joyce opening a gap on the remaining riders. The two played a bit of cat and mouse, with Pinkham jumping first and taking the sprint in front of the impressive display from the sixteen year old Joyce, who was racing in his first Pro 1-2 event! Dave Harward led home the rest of the group to complete the podium.
The Women’s Pro 1-3 covered 43 miles. Despite aggressive racing, the field stayed largely intact longer than that of the men. Ultimately, some spirits were broken by the severity of the course and the insistent attacks.
Two women had a gap on the finishing climb- with Hill (Revolution Café Rio) taking the sprint in front of Kathryn Carr (Vanderkitten). Kaytie Scott (Simply Mac) racing followed shortly after to snag the final spot on the podium.
Utah City Crits Partners with Seven Utah Cities to Host OZone Crit Challenge and Four for the 4th Criterium Cycling Race Series
AASHTO Provides $5,000 to Support Technical Work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System
Support will aid Adventure Cycling Association in assisting states with route selection and technical aspects of creating U.S. Bicycle Route System
Missoula, Montana — This morning Adventure Cycling Association announced that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) is providing Adventure Cycling $5,000 to assist states with route selection and the technical aspects associated with the development of a U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS).
“This marks the sixth year of our partnership with Adventure Cycling,” said John Horsley AASHTO’s executive director. “We are pleased to contribute funds that will provide technical support and other resources to the states as they work to create a U.S. Bicycle Route System.”
On May 2, Adventure Cycling kicked off a grassroots fundraising effort to raise $30,000 to support its ongoing organizing and technical assistance efforts for the emerging route network. “We’re very please with AASHTO’s support of our work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System,” said Ginny Sullivan, coordinator for the USBRS and Adventure Cycling’s special projects director. “We’ve worked together for six years, but in many ways this project is just ramping up as states begin work on implementation and submitting applications to AASHTO for new route approvals. It’s an exciting phase!”
Adventure Cycling’s Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign will run through National Bike Month, ending on Tuesday, May 31, 2010. Using social media tools, a group of dedicated fundraisers, and leveraged funds from a diverse roster of business and organizational donors, Adventure Cycling hopes to inspire cyclists across America to donate $10 or more to help build this national network of cycling routes. As of today, Adventure Cycling has raised over $20,000 through this effort.
Thirty states are now working on U.S. Bicycle Routes and during the first week of May, AASHTO approved the first new U.S. Bicycle Routes in over 30 years. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. A powerful voice in the transportation sector, its primary goal is to foster the development of an integrated national transportation system.
“With the new route approvals and widespread state support for the U.S. Bicycle Route System, we had hoped to see slightly more robust donations during this year’s campaign,” said Winona Bateman, Adventure Cycling’s media director and an organizer of the campaign. “However, we are tracking ahead of last year and AASHTO’s generous donation puts us much closer to our goal.” Last year, the campaign raised over $27,000.
The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a proposed national network of bicycle routes that span multiple states and are of national and regional significance. These routes will serve as visible and well-planned trunk lines for connecting city, regional, and statewide cycling routes, and provide transportation and tourism opportunities across the country.
A highly collaborative effort, the U.S. Bicycle Route System project is spearheaded by a national AASHTO task force and involves officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits organizations such as Adventure Cycling, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.
Adventure Cycling has provided dedicated staff support to the U.S. Bicycle Route System project since 2005.
Since 2006, Adventure Cycling’s work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System has been supported by Adventure Cycling members and donors, as well as by grants from Bikes Belong, Educational Foundation of America, Lazar Foundation, New Belgium Brewing Company, SRAM Cycling Fund, the Surdna Foundation, and last year, by funds from AASHTO’s Center for Environmental Excellence.
When complete, the U.S. Bicycle Route System will be the largest official bike route network on the planet, encompassing more than 50,000 miles of routes. Learn more atwww.adventurecycling.org/usbrs.
CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT INAUGURAL LEADMAN TRI—LIFE TIME EPIC 250 IN LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (May 14, 2011) – An elite field of some of the fittest amateur and professional triathletes competed in the Leadman Tri – Life Time EPIC 250 May 14. Truly unique, the inaugural event provides a challenging 250-kilometer course through the desert outside Las Vegas.
Competing against a stellar field of world-class professionals on the event’s ultra-distance course, Angela Naeth (CAN) won the women’s professional division at 10:29:43 and Jordan Rapp (USA) won the men’s professional division at 9:32:19.
In the women’s full Leadman division, Tara Norton (CAN) finished second with a time of 10:56:06, while Katya Meyers finished third with a time of 11:39:24. In the men’s full Leadman division, Troy Jacobson finished second with a time of 10:33:24, followed by third-place finisher Kurt Holt with a time of 12:20:52.
For the women’s half Leadman division, Reenie Griffin finished with a time of 9:19:04. In the men’s division, John Sliney finished at 7:13:33, followed by second-place finisher Art Johnson with a time of 8:06:16 and third place finisher Jason Bezon with a time of 9:29:47.
Saturday’s Leadman relay division saw the team of Hugo, Perry and Cooper take first place in 10:04:28, thirty-three minutes ahead of Team Hileman, who came in second with a time of 10:37:34. The team of James, Cutts and Janess rounded out the podium with a time of 11:41:11.
The Leadman 250-kilometer ultra-distance triathlon includes a five-kilometer (3.1 mile) swim in the shadow of Dead Man’s Island, 223-kilometer (138.6-mile) bike through the Valley of Fire State Park, and a 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) run along a trail that once brought workers and materials to build Hoover Dam.
For information on Leadman, including future events, please visit www.leadmantri.com.
About the Leadman Tri – Life Time EPIC 250
Born from a legend carved in the Rocky Mountains just outside Leadville, Colorado, the Leadman Tri – Life Time EPIC 250 is a new ultra-distance triathlon category produced by Life Time Fitness that challenges professional and age group athletes to a five-kilometer swim, 223-kilometer bike and 22-kilometer run. Additional event information is available at www.leadmantri.com.
