Leadville Trail 100

Injured soldiers from Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan will race the Leadville Trail 100 with the organization Ride 2 Recovery

At the HerbaLife base camp in Leadville, an injured soldier shows how his bike has been customized to accommodate his prosthetic arm

An injured soldier shows how his bike has been customized to accommodate his prosthetic arm for his Leadville Trail 100 race

Injured soldiers from Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan will race the Leadville Trail 100 with the organization Ride 2 Recovery

Some of the best tricks for setting up your bike for Leadville are inexpensive and easy

Check out the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 race highlights

We sat down with Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail 100 and former race director Merilee Mauqin about the history of coveted belt buckle trophy.

Leipheimer: "I don't know if I've suffered that much, ever before"

The profile of the ruthless course

Here's the official course map of the 2012 Leadville Trail 100

The list is filled with the most recognizable names in professional mountain biking as well as road cycling

For a race like Silver Rush 50, Colby Pearce says he would never regret dual suspension, plus he shows off his prototype Kappius hub

If you've got Leadville qualification on the mind, consider Eszter Horanyi's gear recommendations and trail analysis before you line up

Check out whose rides in the Barn Burner 104 qualified them for the 2012 Leadville Trail 100

Know what you're up against in the Barn Burner before you race so you can pick the right equipment and prepare for the course

Life Time Fitness has announced the qualifying events for riders hoping to tackle the 2012 Leadville Trail 100.

Register here for the Leadville Race Series qualifiers

Check out the winning bikes of the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB

More photos from the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB race

Rebecca, Gretchen and Pua really burnt up the Leadville course with record breaking finish times.

More race action from the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB race

Lots of photos from 2011 Leadville MTB 100

Todd Wells Leadville bike setup

Mountain bike racing is traditionally a solo endeavor. But this year's Leadville 100 may buck that trend thanks to a quartet of Team Cannondale pros lining up at the start on August 13.

2011 LT 100 Mens finish and post race interviews. Finish live video and sound with Todd Wells and Albin Lakata M's 1st and 2nd.

2011 LT100 Womens finish and post race interviews. Finish line video and sound from Rusch, Reeves, W's 1st and 2nd.

2011 Leadville Trail 100 results, top 50 men and women

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Rebecca Rusch's nickname is the Queen of Pain, but perhaps the Diesel Diva would be more fitting.

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells is a different rider than he was last year. Eight pounds different to be precise. And that's not including a lighter bike.

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells and Rebecca Rusch (both on the Specialized team) won Saturday’s Leadville Trail 100. Rusch shattered the women's record she set last year, while Wells made up for a frustrating ride last year in which an early mechanical kept him out of the hunt for the top of the podium

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells and Rebecca Rusch (both on the Specialized team) won Saturday's Leadville Trail 100 on a sparkling clear warm day in the Rockies.

Gallery of the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB Start

Video of Ken Chlouber talking with racers at the Leadville 100 pre race meeting.

Pre race interview with Pua Mata

Among a handful of fast women set to face-off with Rusch are top riders such as Jenny Smith, Kelli Emmett, Gretchen Reeves and Sari Anderson.

Pro rider Nate Whitman gives us the daily update on the Leadville Trail 100 from the Herbalife24 Basecamp. Hear the latest weather and trail conditions.

How many Olympic gold medalists are racing the 2011 Leadville 100 on Saturday? One for sure. That's Bart Brentjens, winner of the first ever Olympic cross country mountain bike race at Atlanta 1996. Bart-man also won bronze at Athens 2004, plus a ton of World Cup races during his long and prestigious pro career.

Go time is near. The start of the 2011 Leadville 100 is less than a day away. Soon you'll be on your bike, facing down a 100 miles (actually 103) of high-alpine mountain biking along with about 1,800 of your new best friends.

Hear the latest weather and trail conditions. Nate also gives advice for athletes how to prepare in the last days before the race.

Among the names on the potential winners list of the 2011 Leadville 100, Alban Lakata's will be the least familiar for most. Unless you're a true devotee of the mountain bike racing game, you may not know that this 32-year-old Austrian won the 2010 world marathon title and is his country's reigning cross-country national champ.

Whitman is setting no specific time goals for 2011. Instead he simply hopes to "have a great race and feel strong during the last few miles on the Boulevard. If that happens it will mean I was able to stay with the top guys for a good portion of the race. That would be satisfying."

Pro rider Nate Whitman gives us the daily update on the Leadville Trail 100 from the Herbalife24 Basecamp. Here the latest weather and trail conditions. Nate also breaks down the pro womens race and gives you the key riders to watch.

Interview with Todd Wells

Interview with Gretchen Reeves

Recovery tip from Todd Wells

He may not be a pro in the traditional sense of the word. But as one of North America's best known cycling coaches, it's certainly interesting to see what Chris Carmichael will saddle up come race day at the 2011 Leadville 100.

Gretchen Reeves Pro Tip Video

John Heiss, PhD and Herbalife24 Director of Sports and Nutrition, gives us tips on pre-race nutrition.

Whether your goal is outright victory, a sub-9-hour time, or simply to finish the race inside the 12-hour cutoff, there are definitive tactics for long-haul racing that can tip the scales of success in your favor.

Trail Watch Tue. Aug 9 - Leadville Trail 100

Tips from Ken Chlouber

Herbalife24 Prolong

Herbalife Leadville 100 - Weather and Trail Conditions for August 8th.

Wherever Smith ends up on August 13th, she'll arrive there aboard a Breezer Cloud 9 29er, a bike she calls "absolutely perfect" for the fire-road heavy Leadville circuit.

On August 13, Jacques will be piloting a custom Eriksen 650b hardtail.

On August 13, Jacques will be piloting a custom Eriksen 650b hardtail.

Rider discuss the appeal of the Leadville 100 MTB race

Great Living at 10,200 ft.

The pros give their take on the hardest part of the Leadville 100.

Propelling Johnson for this seven-day tour of the Colorado Rockies will be a new-for-2011 Cannondale Scalpel 29er. This sub-21-pound bike was first spotted at Sea Otter back in April, but has yet to show up at your local bike shop.

Propelling Johnson for this seven-day tour of the Colorado Rockies will be a new-for-2011 Cannondale Scalpel 29er. This sub-21-pound bike was first spotted at Sea Otter back in April, but has yet to show up at your local bike shop

"If you've put in the training and are fit, I don't care if you are doing a race in Morocco where all you can eat is ant larvae, you'll make it work. The training is the key." – Dave Wiens, six-time Leadville 100 champion

The Bend, Oregon-resident won the Downieville All-Mountain World Championship last year on Giant's Anthem X 29er full-suspension bike, and is roundly considered one of the best descenders on the North American cross-country circuit.

If you're looking for a group ride or some pro advice on the Leadville Trail 100, this is the place to be.

Experiment beforehand, not on race day. Sip steadily instead of chugging occasionally. Drink at least one bottle (or the equivalent thereof) per hour. And make sure your drink of choice is fortified with electrolytes and carbohydrates, not just plain water.

Todd Wells' Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er

Asking a group of mountain bike racers what's the right bike for the Leadville 100 is like asking a kitchen full of master chefs what's the best thing they ever ate. A wide variety of answers is guaranteed – and there is likely merit to all of them.