Alban Lakata defended his title at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race Saturday, and in the process set the course record.
Lakata from Lienz, Austria, finished this year’s 100-mile race in 6 hours, 4 minutes, 1 second, more than 12½ minutes better than the previous record of 6:16:37 set by American Levi Leipheimer in 2010.
Sally Bingham won women’s race Saturday and also set a record, finishing in 7:17:01. The Brit ended the four-year reign of Rebecca Rusch, who held the previous women’s record of 7:28:06 set last year.
Bingham was second to Rusch in 2012, back nearly 6½ minutes. Rusch of Ketchum, Idaho, was third Saturday, behind Nederland road cyclist Alison Powers, who was finished in 7:21:57.
Swiss racer Christoph Sauser was second to Lakata in the men’s race for the second year. Saturday Sauser was just one minute behind Lakata after losing by nearly 2½ minutes last year.
Durango’s Todd Wells, who won the race in 2011 ahead of Lakata by more than 4 minutes and did not race last year, was third Saturday 13 minutes back of Sauser.
