24 hours of Moab will be the end of the trail for the endurance specialist
Chris Eatough (Trek Racing Cooperative) (Image credit: Trek Bicycle)
Six-time 24-hour Solo World Champion and long-time Trek mountain biker Chris Eatough will retire from professional cycling following the upcoming 24 Hours of Moab, which will also double as the 24-hour US National championships, on October 10-11.
Eatough turned pro in 1998, and he initially focused on cross country races, but soon found his forte in endurance racing - in both 24-hour races, 100 milers and off-road stage races. When making the transition to racing endurance events, Eatough combined cross country race speed with a meticulous approach to logistics and support. His trademark highly choreographed transitions during 24-hour races set the bar high for his fellow competitors in such races.
"For the past 10 years, I have lived my dream as a professional mountain bike racer," said Eatough. "Now, it's time for me to move on. I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family while still staying involved with the sport I love through product testing for Trek and my coaching business. Championships are great, but even more special to me are the friendships I have gained through my time in the racing community."
Eatough, who recently celebrated the birth of his second child, became famous to many in the mountain bike community as the star of 24 Solo, a movie which told the story of his bid for a seventh-consecutive 24-hour Solo World Championship.
In his career, he has also won 10 100-mile mountain bike races. He claimed the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series title in 2007, and he's won races like the BC Bike Race, and the 24 Hours of Moab.
Eatough raced his entire pro career aboard Trek Bicycles and has most recently raced for the Trek Racing Cooperative after his former team, Trek / VW disbanded at the end of 2008. "He embraced a burgeoning discipline (of endurance racing) - quite possibly the most physically demanding the world has ever seen - and turned it into his specialty," said Trek's Michael Browne. "His attention to detail, his discipline, and his pure willpower demanded the world take notice."
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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.
