Leadville 100 qualifier in Crested Butte welcomes embattled rider
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Wobbling across on a fully flatted rear, Lance Armstrong crossed the line in first, a new record of 6:28 at the 2009 Leadville.(Image credit: Rob O'Dea)
“I don’t think we’re in France anymore Toto.” Lance Armstrong reminds himself of the disparities between road and mountain competition (Image credit: Trent Bona Photography)
Nearly one month on from being banned from any sanctioned events for life, Lance Armstrong is preparing to race again this weekend at the Alpine Odyssey in Crested Butte, Colorado. The race is a qualifier for the Leadville 100, a race Armstrong won in 2009 and is expected to compete in again in 2013.
He has been banned from participating in the Ironman triathlons and the Chicago Marathon, as both types of events are run under federations which are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Agency code.
Because the Leadville Race Series is not sanctioned by any such federation, race organiser Karen Jayne Leinberger of Life Time Fitness sees no problem with his participation, but denied statements from someone she called "a race volunteer" that Armstrong was invited to get more press coverage and boost the race's image.
"From the Leadville Race Series perspective, Lance - just like any other participant who registers for one of our events - is welcome at any time. You see, our organization is passionate about promoting cycling and hosting great events to further the sport. Is this event sanctioned? No. Many of our Leadville Race Series events are not. In fact, this is true across our Athletic Events portfolio. No special treatment or consideration was given here. It’s going to be a beautiful day in Crested Butte with hundreds of racers. One just happens to favor yellow."
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