Keegan Swenson wins record-tying 6th straight Leadville Trail 100 MTB in thrilling sprint finish

Keegan Swenson found himself in unfamiliar territory late in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB. The course-record holder, who has ridden into the finish by himself the last five years in a row, was surrounded by a pack of six other cyclists on the return trip to the Cloud City.

“I just was, like, running through the different scenarios,” Swenson said of his mindset halfway through the out-and-back 102-mile mountain bike race. “Whether it would be a sprint or if I could go solo from a ways out — I was kind of ready for anything.”

Despite crushing the 7-mile, 3,100-foot climb to Columbine Mine and building a 30-second advantage at the turnaround, Swenson was swallowed up by German Andreas Seewald, Swiss rider Simon Pellaud and New Zealand’s Matthew Wilson as well as Americans Cole Paton, Bradyn Lange and Aspen’s John Gaston. While many pre-race prognosticators expected a duel between Swenson and Durango’s Quinn Simmons, the Tour de France pro couldn’t hang with the peloton over the course’s 12,500-foot high point and wound up placing ninth. In the end, it was Gaston — the man who has finished second to Swenson three times in the last four iterations of the event — who wound up duking it out with the reigning world cross-country marathon mountain bike champion over the final 15 miles.

“Gaston is an animal,” Swenson said. “I have the utmost respect for that guy. He just does a couple bike races a year, he comes out and just beats on us out here in Leadville. He’s an absolute engine and he’s always great to race with.”

Gaston surged up the paved Turquoise Lake Road and together with Swenson built a formidable lead over Lange and Wilson as the others fell off.

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“I mean, that’s the first time in my life I’ve been able to stick with Keegan over there, so I was really stoked,” Gaston said. “It was just really fun to ride with him. And I thought we had enough to hold it.”

He thought wrong.

Lange and Wilson reeled in the leaders by the safer, lower section of St. Kevin’s. The four poured out onto the last pavement stretch and spent the ensuing mile looking around, waiting for someone to pounce. It wasn’t until they crested the chunky, steep grade at the bottom of the Boulevard — with fewer than three miles to go — that Wilson sprinted to the front. Swenson was the only one who could respond to the move.

“It was a proper fight to the finish,” he said.

Wilson, who placed outside of the top 40 three times in last year’s Grand Prix and was just 28th at Unbound Gravel, didn’t come into the event as a total unknown. But he certainly hadn’t attained any results of note when Scott decided to sponsor him last year.

“They saw what I was capable of before I’d done anything,” he admitted.

As fans followed the action on their phones at the finish line, tracking Gaston and Lange’s chase of the top two, Wilson continued looking over his shoulder at Swenson. On the 18 percent pitch coming into town, Wilson pressed into the pedals.

“I was pushing pretty hard on that drag over the top,” he said. “Just figured it might soften Keegan’s legs up a bit.”

On the ensuing downhill before the gradual uphill final half mile, Wilson veered left.

“I knew Keegan was going to come around on the right,” he said. “(I) kept my eye on him and then, just give it hell at the end.”

Swenson waited until 200 meters remained before executing a final dash. He went around Wilson and inched past the 24-year-old at the red carpet, but barely. Both riders were doused by the celebratory champagne and both crossed the line in 5 hours, 20 minutes and 26 seconds.

“This guy’s got a lot of power, so I was a bit worried. I have a pretty good kick, but you never know at the end of these races how it’s going to be,” Swenson said. “I think (having) it slightly uphill and high enough elevation that I think it played to my favor a little bit and I was going off the wheel.”

While it might have seemed like a surprise ride to some, Wilson knew he had the breakout performance inside all along.

“I’ve known I’ve had the form and ability to get results at Life Time, but just for whatever reason haven’t quite been able to put it together yet,” he said. “I came here to get a podium. I knew I had the ability for that. I’ve been at the front of these races before but unfortunately haven’t quite sealed the deal.”

Lange (5:20:50) finished one second ahead of Gaston for third as Seewald (5:21:45) rounded out the top five. Gaston said Saturday was probably his last Leadville 100.

“It was very dynamic. Very different than any other Leadville I’ve ever raced,” Gaston said. “I’ll be back here. I told my kid, if he wants to come ride it, I’ll come back. But I think that was probably the last one, at least at the pointy end.”

With the win, Swenson ties the record of six-straight titles set by David Wiens in 2008. As for whether he’ll come back for No. 7?

“Oh yeah,” Swenson said. “I mean, I keep coming back.”