Call of a Life Time Season 2 – Episode 4 | Leadville Trail 100 MTB (Men’s)

Starting at 10,000-plus feet of elevation, immersed in the magic of the Colorado Rockies, the men of the Grand Prix elevate their game to Race Across the Sky at Stop #4 of 7: the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB in Leadville, Colorado. After winning each of the first three races, Leadville favorite Keegan Swenson looks to break the 8 year old course record.

A film series by Cold Collaborative

Executive Producers: Kimo Seymour & Michelle Duffy Smith

Directed by Shannon Vandivier

Producers:
Zoe Andrikidis
Bowen Parrish
Shannon Vandivier
Rebekah Sands
Ryan Cross

Edited by Blake Campbell

Field Producer: Zoe Andrikidis

Photographer: Wil Matthews

Assistant Editing by Tyler Domingue, Bowen Parrish, Shannon Vandivier

Cinematography by Hayes Baxley, Brian Freeman, Nathan McBride, Bowen Parrish, Benjamin Kraushaar, Connor Witton, Shannon Vandivier, Tyler Domingue, John Mathews, Joey Chapman.

Special Thank You to: 2023 Life Time Grand Prix athletes, the Life Time team and our partners at Mazda.

Learn more about the Life Time Grand Prix:

Website: http://www.lifetimegrandprix.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lifetimegrandprix
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lifetimegrandprix
X: http://www.twitter.com/LTGrandPrix

Learn more about the Leadville Trail 100 MTB:

Website: http://www.LeadvilleRaceSeries.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/LTRaceSeries
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/LeadvilleRaceSeries
X: http://www.twitter.com/LeadvilleRaceSeries

#cycling #gravel #mountainbike #grandprix #lifetimegrandprix #gravelbike
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Keegan Swenson the Heber Express he’s got five minutes on Peter STNA and then a zip code to the rest of the group this is Keegan’s race he takes this seriously this is his hometown and he wants it so here we are coming into uh fourth stop

Of the lifetime Grand Prix one of the biggest and the baddest probably one of the hardest and uh pretty exciting to have the Grand Prix coming back here to Leadville for the second year in a row I mean Keegan’s the man to beat everyone knows it he’s showing up on Saturday not with a tactic of am I going to win but by how much the course record’s on the line he’s made it very apparent he’s G for it swon now on the home straight

He’s got nothing but daylight give it up for your men’s winner what I think he is is the hardest worker and most talented at the same time when you put those two together you get that sort of level we’re just not as good and

We have to figure that out if we want to try to compete with him head to-head Keegan swensson your winner and Lin Morton in third place Lin Morton locky is a interesting cat you know he’s he’s a fun guy he’s never won here this is

The race that he put a check mark on at the beginning of the season and he wants to win this race Cole patented a name that really stands out to me this is his stepout season that’s my prediction col really strikes this balance he’s not necessarily the five-star favorite so

He’s going to sit back he’s going to let the race unfold in front of Him it’s pretty surreal to think that uh halfway through this race top of Coline these Riders are exactly halfway through the Grand Prix of 2023 and uh we decided it was time to up our game so we’ve decided to change things up a little Bit it is Friday August 11th and we are about 400 ft above Leadville gearing up for the Leadville 100 MTV heo great to be up here in the helicopter with you today and Janelle I’m uh pretty honored to have the opportunity had the Good Fortune of uh being involved with the

Redville race series for oh 16 or 18 years now it’s pretty amazing the way these events change people’s lives by what they accomplish out here all starting at 10,200 ft above sea level around this County this city everything that goes into allowing these events to be here and supporting these events to

Be here we are talking search and rescue the sheriff’s department the police department the office of emergency management it goes on and on our city our County government I want to give it up for this town and for having us here and continuing to bring us here and

Support us to be here so let’s give it up for Leadville yesterday was all about getting the Expo area set up with all the tents and you know for packet pickup you know helping out vendors all that kind of stuff this morning I’ve been in a meeting with the

County around just making sure our medical is dialed all on course making sure that our law enforcement is all set that we have course Marshals and law enforcement at all the key areas I’ll be walking around just making sure that there’s nothing out of place

You know when we come for some big event like this we all can lose sight sometimes and so I think there’s this genuine appreciation that Leadville is a very different Community you know we got six plus 14ers around us and you see it when

You look out and it never gets old Le is a very emotional race you you need to put all your mind all your strength in your leg and that’s what I’m looking for to have a lifetime experience when you think about mountain biking in the United States and you’ve been around

The scene you think about Leadville the winters are long and tough and the summers are short and the weather’s wild it’s just brought out the the toughest Runners and Riders to participate in these events this is uh my first high elevation mountain bike race I done a few other you know 100 m

Races but nothing like this we all are going through the same goal so yeah we’re all trying to push and motivate our s to do we’re going to do it we’re going to do it mountain biking in Leadville is synonymous to Road riding through Italy and France it’s the Pinnacle event to

Win we start in downtown lville at 6th in Harrison they roll down the Boulevard and they hit dirt and immediately start climbing St Kens climb is the name of the game in this thing there’s 12,000 ft of gain St ke’s out of the gate to Carter Summit where they’ll bomb down into turquoise

Lake hit in speeds of 50 mph and then right back on the climb up towards Sugarloaf and hegerman pass and then one of the toughest descents on the course power line it can get Chunky and challenging and that’s where we’ll often see the strong and technical mountain bikers come

Out after power line they’re moving forward through pipeline a lot of rolling Terrain two tracks Trails before ultimately making their way to Twin Lakes it’s kind of the biggest crew point on course thousands of people there supportting their Riders huge party Zone awesome environment and then the Riders

Are hitting the Crux of the course which is Coline it’s a 3,000 ft climb about 7 m long averages 9% 12,500 ft of elevation the air is thin the trail gets tight it’s the most technical climb on the course Riders are just cracking and blowing up and at that point we really

Know how the race is unfolding and then they turn around and do it all Backwards there’s a lot of hard things that are going to happen for everyone who’s racing tomorrow but why don’t we go ahead and reframe things in a positive way share something that you’re looking forward to during the race tomorrow I don’t want to say it but I’m really looking forward to winning

Tomorrow um top step of the podium it’s been tough for me to get there but uh I honestly I don’t I don’t see a Universe in which I don’t get there um yeah I don’t know I’m probably not going to win um no I’m looking forward the race I like I

Like the Race part um the hurt the hty part that’s not that much fun but the tactics the games um you know there’s a there’s a mountain bike race with mountain bike racers that require a little bit of Road tactics which is fun cuz I to be that guy out there and

They’re like do this do that and I’m like no I’m a roie I’m so crafty uh I’m looking forward to that personally like I want to do this for longer than just this year like in the in the states and um I was kind of struggling a bit and feeling the

Pressure but for more races to go and plenty of times to make amends and I think once you leave the attitude there’ll be hopefully yeah better Sensations for me Guys that have had consistency it kind of breeds like a calmness I’m feeling really good like I think that I have really stepped it up this year just physically mentally in every way and to be consistently fighting at the front that’s really good for me really motivating to just like stay in

That fight but yeah hoping to keep moving up I don’t have like a number in my head that would mean success or not I was like I just want to show up at the start line knowing up down most of the things that I need to do to perform

And then wherever that gets me that gets me and then the guys who have had some bad luck you do start to see a bit of that worry set in it’s it’s been tough year um after a mediocre result at se otter got like an overuse injury with my

IT band on my left knee did not sleep at all last night fever like chills all the standard stuff a ripping headache so yeah make the call at 5:00 a.m. in the morning tomorrow yeah like everything last year went well I didn’t really have any bad

Luck I didn’t get sick I didn’t have a flat I didn’t crash like I needed to be reminded what it’s like to not just get it I’m not here for top five here for more than that if you are not like ready to rip for the next two months it’s

Going to be really hard to come into big sugar and still be excited cuz I mean it’s going to be it’s still going to be so close you’re going so full speed trying to fight for form early in the year there’s like this shift that happens August always feels like late season to

Me Wheels fall off people start scrapping for last minute things Riders who haven’t had a good season start to panic and it’s just it’s a different vibe finishing six in the the Grand Prix field at sioda that was you know not so bad and and maybe where I thought I I

Might be um in terms of expectation but from there it’s it hasn’t hasn’t gone so well for me Unbound with obviously there was a mechanical disaster there getting straight to I just basically trained myself into the ground we got to crush her and another throw away you tow the line with that

Killer Instinct and the expectation that I’m going to leave all of myself out there how how was your ride yeah it’s good sweet man we went and rote down power power line power line yeah forar is part of the course yeah the lifetime Grand Prix doesn’t wait for

Anyone I feel the pressure for sure and I think athletes are all coming from different angles to the Grand Prix some from other countries and some just here trying to make it you know living in Vans and all that sort of stuff you’re fast so fast being here N9 weeks with my

Wife and daughter back home so that was tough know if you’re a parent maybe you can relate like it’s yeah it was quite quite surreal meeting them at the airport oh my god really was hard I found it yeah probably harder than perhaps I was expecting you know like um I guess

If the racing was going really well maybe it was maybe it would be easier but like I was just sort of getting nothing back it just changed my mindset a bit you know I had that distraction of them uh and the enjoyment of showing them

Where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to and um yeah to be honest not like anything of experienced before got four events to go on the Grand Prix and um yeah my heart set on on you know getting back up the standings where I think I should be So so we got to Boulder a week ago where both my wife and I grew up so we kind of use the Leadville Steamboat Race block as like a reunion excuse It’s been it’s been pretty full gas but it’s also been a lot of fun um

It’s been hard to be a serious bike racer but yeah that’s all right okay there they are my grand prix this season has been a story of disciplines I have royally underperformed on the mountain bike and I’ve been Podium contention or fighting for the win in all the drop bar

Races yeah pressure you know that’s kind of back in my bread and butter World Tour climber you want some cheese long climbs just go up mountains quick so I got dedicated again and uh kind of got my old world tour legs back and things were really clicking and uh

All of a sudden push came to shove and it was just Keegan and I on top of the first climb we had this Gap solidify it and then the final climb was going to decide it unfortunately I dropped my chain right as The Descent started took back 90 seconds and then

The lights went out it was a good ride not going to say I would have beat him on the day but I would have really enjoyed you know going blow to- blow with him on the final cold of crush Picture the races this morphing changing thing the race is your River it’s ever changing the Riders are all these drops of water so it’s not like I’m playing off a single guy I mean of course you have to beat Keegan to win the race but each one is this small part

That makes up this bigger thing what is driving those Riders I love all parts of it for me it’s just about finding that internal Harmony and apply myself to all the parts that make gravel this cool unique thing well and I’m in this sh that’s really like one line yeah my God it’s

Terrifying I was up here like two weeks ago and we were riding around I was like hey hold my beard I know how to ride power line yeah and just sent it and like there’s a bit in the middle that’s like real and dude came off the line it

Was literally just my NE going I was like can’t see the trail I did the same thing as you did I got here and I was like let’s go check out Pine like old time sake and same thing drop in you’re like yeah that’s

Rip and then it got down I was just like is this the hard tail like is this that much more scary on the hard tail and then I took the full us out there the next day and it’s just like no it’s just just bumpy I’ve been lucky and like I’ve been

Able to transition out of road racing into racing more off-road and gravel and mountain bike and now now um all the races I do I get to choose essentially I was trying to find an alternative to the richy stem but honestly I think the whole apparatus has a bit of 90s flare

Which I think is appropriate with the Richie stem yeah that’s true right I’m here because I want to be and I don’t have to be here it’s because I’ve chosen to be here and that changes everything there’s no EX external pressure it’s a good feeling you know

It’s like you’re alive cuz you’re like all right I’m need to compete like let’s get on with it it’s like it’s like a game really isn’t it it’s not like a real job that’s the way I approach it now when you don’t want to do this anymore you don’t do it

Anymore and if I felt like I used to feel racing on the start line here I wouldn’t show up you know Heegan won Le Bill last year in a time of 6 hours and 1 second Keegan is I think it’s safe to say gunning for the course record Today all right riders this is it the stage of cycling Leadville Trail 100 get into those Corrals and get ready for a long day in the saddle and good luck good morning everybody we are super stuck we got a great day on tap for you lville lville

Lville we’ll see you to finish family love you give me a five count Spectators here we go in five 4 3 2 one the record is at 55835 any time you can gain time on a course it is essential when you’re going for the course record and you look at

The athletes who have been racing Leadville for the past 29 years there’s never been a lack of talent it’s also anytime you can save energy in a race like Leadville they want to keep as muchy as they can in the reserves when they get back to that power line climb

At the end of the day but we’re only about 5 minutes into today’s race and we’ve seen one Rider on the front setting Pace as the Riders head out of town that is Tobin ort blad of the hit squad there are privateers and then the factory teams Keegan’s hit squad team

And you have the specialized team and they have good Riders under the same jersey with sometimes team directives on who to help when the record is set back in 2015 by Alber Lata went 55835 and uh yet to be broken I want to win this race again wanted to last two

Years so to you know come back and do a 3p would be pretty cool and then you know the record’s a big deal I came up a bit short last year and it’s kind of haunted me all year this isn’t road racing this is mountain bike racing what do you make of

The that Tobin is setting Pace right now Keegan’s really dissected the course the beginning section is a place where there’s minutes to be made up I think we’re starting to see more and more Road Race tactics coming into Mount biking and gravel Keegan has some splits that he

Needs to hit to set the pace he needs to set to beat the record and I I’m going to lead him out he asked me is there anything I can do to like help make sure you get the record at lville I was like you just drill a start and just string

It out and just rip and hopefully that’s worth a couple Minutes like Tobin we’re just going to need you to sit on the front go as hard as you can for an hour and then you got 5 and 1 half more hours to go when you have a teammate willing to let’s just say sacrifice his results

That’s pretty big in this sport you know it pays to have uh have someone to help you and and I think we will see more and more kind of Team Dynamics you know people getting together and helping each other out in these Races we are with our lead men as they take the left hand turn onto the meaty part of the Sugarloaf climb it looks like we have a group of about 25 30 Riders on the front Keegan Swenson followed closely by Lin Borton it looks like Russell fster wall on his

Wheel little Gap to John geston Keegan doesn’t like to just beat a record like he doesn’t want to Beat It by two seconds I think Keegan wants to Beat It by minutes and I think he has a pretty bold pacing strategy I think he’s almost more hungry for the record than

He is like actually winning the race so there’s the chance he blows himself up he looks super comfortable you know getting a little bit of Gap up here on the top of Sugarloaf he can probably be a little bit more conservative when he heads down power line that’s the spot

That really can ruin people’s day cuz it’s so hard on the tires I have my own strategy in terms of pacing like of course I’ll contribute to the front group but I’m not going to overexert myself out there just to help Keegan get the record Lin Borton in Forth Keegan in

Second wheel Russell finsterwald in the lead you’ll see the the speed pick up it’ll start to drop off and they’re going to hit the infamous power line descent I think it’s kind of a ride or die effort cuz if it’s going to be a hard Pace all day if a gap opens up

You’re not going to be able to close that gap down if there’s a motivated group moving down the roads you know Lin knows from last year came over in the lead group flatted you know came off the bottom of power line I don’t know probably in 30th had to chase all

Day if Keegan does get away just don’t give up it’s bike racing anything can happen oh this looks like we have a mechanical Russell fiter wall Howard Gods just gave him a look this is not good going to have to handle this Quickly Lexi looks like just went by Alex house go guys’s go and we’ve got Russell back up and going got a quick hit of air there looks like he’s back on his bike let’s hope that holds for him I don’t know I don’t like to race for second so I’ll just

Give it everything till the end and we’re looking at 10 riders in our lead group Howard grz Braden Lang Zack Colton Lin Morton Cas Melvin Paul Patton who’s been having a fantastic season spent a lot of time over the last few weeks training on this course I

Think that he could have a very strong result today tied for fifth in the Grand Prix he’s having a good year I think that as a competitor obviously unless you’re winning you’re never quite satisfied you know pipeline’s kind of a long roller flat section it’s first aid

Station on the day so some of them probably took the feed you can see Lin Morton moving up there on the left of all the races like Leadville is always one that Sparks me up a bit more I I think normally holds his cards pretty close to the vest but he is put

In a lot of time and energy you know it’s kind of hooked under the skin that until I like get out the ride I having my head here then I’ll probably have to keep coming back you know where professional cycling is in North America all these Riders are

Having to up their game we’re seeing just smoking time these are record setting Paces right now that they’re on the most frustrating thing is like making so much Progress Way higher power numbers way more experience but so ises everyone else everyone else is stepping it up

Too it’s just kind of a never ending battle it’s a proper competition this and you need to be like showing up with your A game otherwise you’re not going to be at the [Applause] front it go where it go where it go so we just saw our leaders pass through

We had a big group of about 15 Riders they’re working really well together everything strung out single file we didn’t expect to see a group quite this big going into the base of Coline so expecting fireworks to go off as they hit up 12,500 ft all the race favorites were there we

Saw Keegan swensson leading us through Lin Morton looking super comfortable Ryan sish was also in that group Peter vakit Pac Melvin saw Braden Lang in there having a great ride all right the second group led by Andrew LeBron Kyle Trudeau in there Russell Finster wall did not make the initial

Separation surprised to see Russell in his second group and Pete STNA hanging on the back of that group as well so two big pre-race favorites Russell feral and Pete St that did not make the initial separation we’re going to see how things blow up here on Coline we’re going to

Catch them when they pass back through Keegan as a person super great guy he’s always been super supportive of me but as a competitor it can be just so frustrating just like okay who’s the best of the rest up to the infamous Coline climb here this thing is the monster in the

Middle of the race it’s usually a game changer about 7 miles long from from the bottom to the very top they’re going to climb about 30 3100 ft and just under 7 miles just it’s amazing you got to just keep having belief and hope but there’s no denying that like

Everyone’s getting sick of being in Keegan Shadow now when they went through the last timing mat at Twin Lakes it was a group of about 15 if you want to win a race in North America right now you need to beat Keegan Keegan attacked Alexi veran followed he hasn’t flatted in years he

Has crashed but it hasn’t been like detrimental crashes it’s impressive Keegan is doing what he needs to do to maybe set a course record today it’s interesting you know we’re seeing Keegan start doing his thing and and running away with it and I think a lot of people

Are wondering like when’s the luck going to run out Keegan is solo he’s looking for as much time as he can probably another five minutes Keegan will break out into what we called The Goat Trail so he’s about to get to the good stuff been nothing but like impressed with him as

Much as I’d love to beat in you know I think if someone showed up and had better legs than him he would own it um but just no one showed up with better legs yet so you can tell from the way he’s riding how steep it is you know

What else is amazing I I’m guessing we’re at 124% right now we got word Keegan was riding a 42 front ring and look at the Cadence he’s putting out on this thing there’s only so many athletes in the world that can do that kind of power

At that altitude that’s a big thing that Keegan really excels at is power at altitude he doesn’t lose as much power as most people do Keegan looks like he’s running away with his fourth of four victories I mean is he even touchable this Season at the top of the Coline mind 12 ,500 ft Air’s Ray are thin Egan is riding like a sea level so we’ve just come on a group of Chasers Alexi ver Mullan in front of this group Cole pattent in second wheel Howard grz in third wheel about to hit the turnaround he

Must have put four or five minutes on them on this climb look at this H Bo he is just putting on on a clinic today should be game on for The Descent racing is his focus in life he doesn’t have any like these side hustles where he’s doing

Podcasts and doing meet and greets at the venue all the time he’s here to race and that’s pure and simple that’s it looks like he just passed Howard grz Lexi veran and John Gaston The Tide is totally turned for the Riders who are in Pursuit Keegan Swinson well on our way to a sub six probably a course record I just clocked him at 46 miles an [Applause] hour R go call when we came out of Twin Lakes Keegan Swenson had a lead of eight minutes on this group of six so John

Gaston that Co Howard grz Alexi veran and Cole Patton just behind I knew before the series Keegan was going to be the guy to beat and there was a lot of people talking about like ah like how they’re going to do and gravel and whatever and I was like I saw that guy

Roll he’ll be fine following Lan Morton and Peter vot I think Lan was somewhere in the top uh 10 coming off of Coline so they may be chasing back a little bit here but they look to be in good shape We R C epic together earlier this year and that

Was like another good insight into his process we sat around for like a week in the backyard just fiddling with bikes man i’ never thought that much about bikes in my life he’s got like three different sets of ties he’s trying like he’s doing all kinds of stuff that no one else is

Doing there’s not luck involved like there’s not a piece of equipment on his bike that he doesn’t test and think and then test the alternative I mean there’s a reason he doesn’t flat we’re back at the pipeline aid station and uh Keegan’s just come in leading we think but he’s got somewhere

Between an 8 9 minute lead if he can hold that 8 minute it’s going to be hard for these guys to catch him when he gets back to that power line climb he is very methodical nerding out about different things to make racing more efficient really he knows when to

Take risks and when not to take risk but I think main thing is I think his work ethic Keegan’s one of the guys who probably works the hardest in the [Applause] field he lives it you know he thinks about it he prepares in a way that is very

Professional he’s on the pavement and about to turn into Power Line by my calculations right now he’s about 6 minutes ahead of last year’s Pace coming into the bottom of Powerline he’s a regular guy you know like loves his motorbikes loves trucks he’s just uh you know a guy out there

Like living his best life I think you get the feeling that he’s just doing something he he loves doing you know and that that grind and that push it’s not hard for him cuz he’s just he’s doing the one thing he actually really wants to do you

Know the chase group just got to the bottom of power line Zack Colton Alexi veran John Gaston Howard grz I think Cole Patton is still in there 30 seconds down I see Lin Alexi veran had a phenomenal year last year this year he needs a win I

Like him in a Sprint you know we’ve got power line now so we’ll see what happens I just got an update that they are 18 minutes down it’s kind of his to lose at this Point I don’t want to ever offend anybody but I’m just going to be blunt knowing that you’ll never be as good is Keegan is that a thought that you have and is that deflating as a racer I don’t know that I want to know and I’ll also

Admit I bet I bet you I’m operating on 90% of my capacity with everything else that I do so there’s the belief that you can be as strong strong as in yeah I think that’s why I show up I don’t think I like I I would struggle to show up if

I think I if I didn’t think I could beat him and I think there’s moments that I know you know that Keegan will will be riding you know and he’ll kind of simplify things say oh you know they don’t train as much as us and I’m like

Dude Keegan we don’t train the same amount like he train way harder than I do nobody works harder than he does Deegan is almost back to May Queen on the pavement we’re going to have to tell the folks on the side of the road to watch out because they’re going to

Think it’s a motorcycle buz and buy him and uh look at him I mean he’s stood up and he is just hammering there’s definitely moments like that where you cross the finish line you’re so incredibly stoked on doing something you didn’t think you were going to do and you’re like he did

What he went how fast and you’re like dude I saw him like 3 hours ago what happened he might be as much as 20 minutes ahead right now and he is just flat out flying he is on course to crush the record but I think that’s the goal we need a

Keegan we all knew that he wanted to come in here and knock down the record there all these rumors about him potentially having someone help him helping him you know work for for and whatnot he has absolutely crushed it to me right now Keegan represents the best of

Us when you go over to Europe and you want to race with a team or you want to grow the sport he’s the person that I hope people aspire to just to watch the way that he’s carrying the speed the efficiency is a beautiful thing it’s just so impressive

He is so deserving of this performance but it’s always a chance coming down Sixth Street into Leadville Keegan looking at a win here today at the stages cycling Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike we’re talking a stellar day here for Keegan in in Leadville you wants to set a record no one will ever

Beat but Keegan’s dominance to me is fun and exciting I wouldn’t say it’s demoralizing at all get for and I think he just did it 43 minutes and 29 wow Keegan swon your 2023 stages cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB Champion what a champion the lead was minutes the last

Time we checked it was 22 minutes and he absolutely Absolutely we’re looking at probably around a 14 minute course shattering record how you feeling about that fantastic you know it was great last year I came up just so short of the record and this year I was you know I was like just went all in and you know

If I blew up the end I blew up I was I was going to send it and I didn’t want to just get the record by a few seconds I wanted to you know make it mine ke started this build in 2018 to who he is now and it’s like it’s

Just been cool to be along for the ride man I spent a lot of time like just dialing in this bike and I think I made the perfect bike for this race I had a pacing plan I had a fueling plan all it was life was for me to not suck and get

It done so uh yeah and then to take what we’re doing in the Grand Prix over to Europe and raise worlds like to see it all come together the reason I ride a bike way to go man Keegan swon all right Josh second and third place who are we

Looking at now the last report we gave everybody it was very close yeah it was super close here I’m going to ship gears and go back over to our overall I’ve been a part of bike racing my entire life practically and I felt like I’ve always been chasing something I’ve always been

Chasing this feeling of truly loving your job and finding that place where it all connects so this is it Alexi ver Mulan and John Gaston are right now duing it out for second and third and for the first time like American gravel’s done that it’s the place to be

Alexi and and John have between two and 3 minutes here on Cole and then Cole’s probably got about a minute on hoe we’re setting a precedent for what it is to be a professional gravel racer whether it’s lifetime Grand Prix or anything else it’s just so inspiring to be a part of

We knew Lexi had the had the ability he just was you know he’s off to a slow start this year but look at him now and he’s going this is really going to move him up in the placings of the Grand Prix like do I get sick of going to

Emporia like are the races hard yeah but it’s just it’s it’s a feeling I can’t explain and I like I’ll tell my dying day tell everyone to apply Crest in the hill so they’re going to pick up speed you know we may see someone kind of try to take off here

John looking over his left shoulder Alexi sitting back on the wheel somebody is going to have to make a move there goes Alexi ding deep Di and deep who’s it going to be John trying to hold on but he just doesn’t have it all the way to

The end there he goes opening up that lead cring it out to the red carpet and what a finish for second place oh congratulations to both Alexi and John for a fantastic day at Leadville I have never been so excited and so dismayed on the result like Keegan is a hell of with racer it is not fun to finish 25 minutes behind somebody could ke set the record without Tobin at Leadville 100% did Tobin absolutely set the tone for the fastest

Leadville start ever in history holy it’s been cool just like workshopping races together and talking about how the end might play out and then seeing him execute it every race Tobin’s one of the best teammates I could ask for you know always like down to sacrifice himself so um you know

Hopefully I can repay the favor someday that was the most impressive display of anything I don’t care winning 14 races out of the year like I that will never be repeated in my opinion ever I also don’t think it’s going to continue all the time the cracks and the

Armor are coming there’s marathon world championships there’s gravel World Championships there’s other events that you know as the sport grows in the US are going to be interesting to him you go and win Leadville twice when you was he going to go sub 540 I think he’s

Always gonna want to try to win the Grand Prix and he can probably do it without as much Focus as he put on it that’s scary but I think there’s going to become moments where he’ll realize that you know Keegan’s dominant but he’s not unbeatable it has been a lead bill for

The history books Keegan is no longer content to just take first he’s going for shattering records along the way it’s good to see the legendary Lain Morton on top of the leaderboard but even now the points are close and we still have three very different races Left