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Armstrong & Livestrong win Snowmass 12-hour

…and then rockets off into the distance.

  • Lance Armstrong rides in the 12 Hours of Snowmass
  • Beaver Creek's Jay Henry was first up the climb…
  • …but Armstrong was just behind in fourth position.
  • Henry's first lap was also the fastest of the day at just 40:57.
  • Endurance racing legend and mountain bike Hall of Famer Mike Kloser heads off on his first lap for Beaver Creek…
  • The near-3000m top of the course offered stunning views…
  • …with Livestrong's Len Zanni close behind.
  • …and there was even a hot air balloon festival off in the distance though it's unlikely most racers took the time to notice.
  • 2008 Leadville 100 winner Dave Wiens heads up the climb for the first time though Max Taam has already passed him for the lead.
  • Taam comes into the transition area to tag Armstrong and puts the Livestrong team in first place.
  • Wiens comes in shortly afterward…
  • …and Henry sets off in chase of Armstrong.
  • Save for the fire road sections that bracketed each lap the course was decidedly technical and even included this rocky (and slippery) creek crossing.
  • Armstrong approaches the creek in full flight…
  • …powers through…
  • …emerges into the sunlight…
  • …and then rockets off into the distance.
  • Henry was soon to follow…
  • …and apparently had traded his initial full-suspension Gary Fisher for a hardtail.
  • Armstrong's routine was clearly dialed.
  • Armstrong would emerge from his hotel just minutes prior to Taam's return, he'd casually warm up on the grassy areas surrounding the start, then enter the transition area in full flight.
  • Clean handoffs were key to a smooth race.
  • Armstrong and Henry chat things up as they wait in the transition area.
  • Zanni cruises into the finish and secures the win for Team Livestrong.
  • Kloser couldn't catch Zanni but still logged a super fast lap to come in just shy of the 7pm cutoff.
  • Len Zanni, Lance Armstrong and Max Taam atop the podium as winners of the men's trio category in the inaugural 12 Hours of Snowmass.
  • Team Beaver Creek riders Dave Wiens, Mike Kloser and Jay Henry graciously accept second place.
  • Rocky Mountain Racing riders Derek Henderson, Michael Mathers and Bryan Mickiewicz finished third.
  • Waltworks/Fuentes Design rider Yuki Saito not only hails all the way from Japan…
  • …but even won the men's solo category.
  • Karen White of Team Type 1 doesn't just talk the talk; the Australia native has Type 1 diabetes herself yet still raced the women's solo category.
  • Team High Maintenance rider Amy Hermes looks happy to be (mostly) done with the climbing, particularly as she was racing on a singlespeed.
  • Nat Ross interviews Sari Anderson after she put in the fastest female lap of the day of just over 47 minutes… on a singlespeed no less.
  • Armstrong says that one main reason he's embarked on a comeback is to raise awareness for cancer activism. Local resident Jacques Houot didn't race but rode the course for fun regardless. Hwas diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years but is still kicking at 73 years old.
  • Likewise, Boulder resident Sean Madsen was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in 2002 but beat it down shortly thereafter and is still riding strong.
  • The 12 Hours of Snowmass course was relatively short…
  • …but nearly all of its 450m of climbing came in the first 5km.

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…and then rockets off into the distance.

© James Huang