Updated: Seven-time Tour de France winner does endurance mountain bike race
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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)
Lance Armstrong (Radioshack) in his final Tour(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
"Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail. Today, I was the nail," Armstrong said after the cobbled stage of the 2010 Tour de France.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Lance Armstrong headed off road for a mountain bike race on Saturday near his home in Texas. The RadioShack rider was competing in the Mellow Johnny's six-hour mountain bike race, sponsored by his Austin-based bike shop, however, he ended up abandoning the race with knee trouble.
The event kicked off at 10:00 am at Juan Pelota's ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas. In the six-hour race format, riders must complete as many laps as they can with the last rider allowed to head out for a final lap at 3:59:59 pm.
"Psyched to race the @mellowjohnnys 6hr tomorrow @juanpelota's ranch. 6hrs on a mountain bike?? May not survive it!!" said Armstrong said in a tweet on Friday.
The seven-time Tour de France winner has plenty of off-road racing experience, including winning the Leadville 100 in 2009. He has also competed previously at races held at the ranch.
There are only three categories for the USAC-sanctioned event: solo men open, solo women open and two-person 80+. Armstrong is contesting the solo men's race and he was apparently headed into it well rested.
"Getting ready for the @mellowjohnnys 6hr. Slept in so now I'm late! 10hrs of great sleep ain't bad tho," tweeted Armstrong on Saturday morning.
Later in the day, he reported his own status as a DNF after abandoning the race. "Been having a few knee issues of late and they flared up today. Quite a bummer. Was feeling pretty good," tweeted Armstrong.
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Juan Pelota's ranch hosted the US Pro XCT series stop on May 30. Max Plaxton (Team Sho-Air) and Georgia Gould (Luna) won. Armstrong did not compete. Last November, the ranch also hosted the Mellow Johnny's Classic, won by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger. Armstrong did race that one and was at the front with JHK until he had to withdraw after a flat tire.
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
