This should be interesting..
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Leadville Showdown: Lance And Floyd
Landis, Armstrong battle on mountain bikes back on for August 11
By David L'Heureux
July 13, 2007:
The race is back on.
Leadville, CO is no stranger to a gunfight. But according to Leadville 100 race organizer Ken Chlouber, not since the days of Doc Holiday and Texas Jack has the highest incorporated town in the U.S. had this kind of showdown.
"It's going to be a gunfight on bicycles," said Chlouber in response to the news that the battle between 2006 Tour de France champion Floyd Landis and seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong is back on at the 2007 edition of his race.
Chlouber and fellow race organizers reached out to Landis after Armstrong confirmed his participation earlier this year. The stars aligned, literally, for Chlouber when Landis agreed to show up as well. Then Lance backed out after Floyd decided to race citing a scheduling conflict. Apparently, Armstrong's schedule has cleared up and Chlouber and company couldn't be happier.
"For me it's just incredible to have this quality of athlete come to our race," said Chlouber, a retired mine worker who started the Leadville Trail 100 foot race 25 years ago to help put the one-time boomtown back on the map. "It is huge for Leadville to get the worldwide attention that having Lance and Floyd here will bring. Everyone is so excited about it."
Chlouber added, "these are probably our most famous visitors to Leadville since President Ullysses S. Grant was here in 1878."
Neither Landis, who had an unceremonius return to racing at the Teva games in Vail, CO, nor Armstrong, who competed in the New York City Marathon last fall, are strangers to the sport of mountain biking. Landis was a successful pro mountain biker and 1993 junior national champion before turning to road racing in 1999; Armstrong finished third at the short-track cross-country NORBA Nationals in 1999, just one month after his first Tour de France victory.
"This race is very well suited for a rider like Floyd," said Michael Henson in an interview before he resigned as Landis' advisor. The 100-mile course is laid out on single and double track all above 10,000 feet. "Physiologically it's perfect. He has superior mountain biking and bike handling skills, and he was such a great mountain bike rider in the 90s."
Leadville 100 organizers asked Chris Carmichael, Armstrong's friend who put this race on the radar for Lance, if there were any problems with them extending an invitation to Floyd.
"I didn't want to upset the apple cart with Lance coming, so we called Carmichael and asked him if it was a problem," said Chlouber. "He got back with me almost right away and he said, "Bring 'em on."
Henson said that Landis is interested in the challenge of facing Lance, as well.
"It's in good fun," said Henson. "Floyd is certainly motivated."
As for the level of competition, Chlouber thinks it will be pretty intense.
"In my opinion, they are coming to win," said Chlouber. "They are coming to kick some ass."
The race is scheduled for August 11. The course starts at over 10,000 feet of elevation and peaks at 12,600 feet, with myriad steep climbs and descents.