For mountain bikers who like high elevation racing on dirt roads, Leadville Trail 100 is the holy grail. As one of the most well-known mountain bike races, getting into the Leadville Trail 100 has always been difficult. The 2012 LT100 Qualifiers are six races located across the country, each offering 100 total qualifying starting positions.
LT100 Qualifiers, announced today, are long with lots of climbing, and are similar to the classic course at Leadville in that they avoid technically demanding singletrack trails and consist mainly of rugged jeep roads and gravel and dirt roads so they do not require exceptional bike handling skills.
LT100 Qualifiers locations and courses were vetted by Leadville Technical Director Dave Wiens, a six-time Leadville Trail 100 champion and member of the Mountain Biking Hall of Fame. All of the races are fully supported with aid stations and mechanical support, are chip-timed and produced with a high degree of professionalism.
The action begins in April, at the Austin 100 at Rocky Hill Ranch, known as one of the first and best mountain bike ranches in Texas. This 1,500-acre playground will host the first 2012 Leadville Qualifying Series event. Only solo racers will be eligible to qualify for Leadville, however there are two- and four-person relay divisions for those who want simply enjoy the race and hang with friends.
On June 2, western racers can compete near Flagstaff, Arizona, for the 4th Annual Landis Cyclery Barn Burner 104. Promoted by Red Rock Racing Co., this race starts at an elevation of 7,000 feet, and comes closest to Leadville in terms of lung burn. Racers ride through the beautiful Coconino and Kaibab National Forest and camp on private land. A lightning filled monsoon storm punctuated last year’s race, so be ready for heavy weather. Duo and Quad teams may also participate.
Later in June, the Wilmington Whiteface 100 in New York’s Adirondack Mountain range offers a great chance for mountain bikers from the northeast to qualify. The race will start and finish at Whiteface Mountain and will explore the jeep roads near Jay and Saddleback Mountains before climbing up the front of Whiteface Mountain which was the site of the 1980s Olympic Winter Games downhill ski races and is, in fact, the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies.
For racers interested in riding only 50 miles to qualify, the Leadville Silver Rush 50 is just the ticket. Cut the Leadville Trail 100 in half. Remove all the easy parts. Throw in technical descents, and racers will have a good understanding of what 100 might be like.
West coasters will head to the Tahoe Trail 100 on July 22. Straddling the borders of Nevada and California, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is a mountain bikers dream. The Tahoe Trail 100 offers 100 kilometers of beautiful trail views of Lake Tahoe, rocky summits and breathtaking pine forests are found in every direction from the host location of Northstar-at-Tahoe.
Crested Butte, Colorado is the home of the Alpine Odyssey100, as well as the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. The landscape surrounding this world-famous skiing area boasts nearly two million acres of pristine wilderness. The Alpine Odyssey racecourse encircles Mt. Crested Butte and Mt. Baldy and travels through areas noted as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado." This is the last chance to qualify, so save flower gazing for another time.
For more information, check out: Qualifying for the Leadville Trail 100 Qualification System.
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