Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) referred to as her win final yr in Leadville, Colorado, “life-changing”. She had some doubt creep into her thoughts this yr about defending her title on the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB offered by Kenetik, however latest outcomes have boosted her confidence to just accept the tag as ‘race favorite’.
That one signature victory was then adopted by a podium at Massive Sugar Gravel and second general within the Life Time Grand Prix sequence final fall. This yr, after a podium at RADL GRVL and therapeutic rapidly from a damaged left wrist, she completed sixth at Sea Otter Gravel and was 14th general at Unbound Gravel 200. Then she piled on a string of latest victories – SBT GRVL, Firecracker 50, Leadville Race Collection.
“My confidence is basically good heading into Leadville. The altitude right here can humble folks, and I’ve been humbled right here earlier than, however I am feeling nearly as good as I might be,” Rollins informed the media at Tuesday’s digital Life Time press convention.
“I had a reasonably good Sea Otter. I did not have the perfect Unbound, and then you definately begin questions, was final yr a fluke? We do not know.
“I am simply completely happy the sector is elevating and I am actually excited to have the ability to be part of it, as a result of as a racer, that is all I care about. I simply wish to be within the race. The profitable half is basically cool, and I after all wish to win, however on the finish of the day, I simply wish to be within the race.”
For extra motivation, she solely wants to have a look at her mom and father. Each have competed at Leadville 100 since she was a younger woman. 9 years in the past Rollins lined up at her first Leadville race as a sophomore in school, impressed by her dad and mom. She completed second in her 20-29 age group and was thirty sixth general for girls.
“It is going to be my dad’s twenty seventh time doing it, I believe. What makes the race actually particular this yr is that it is my mother’s twentieth time doing it. After I end, or once we each end, it will be an enormous celebration.”
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Eventually yr’s Leadville 100, Rollins powered up the bottom of Columbine in a lead trio with former champion Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialised Off-road) and Michaela Thompson, a 22-year-old rising star of gravel. Throughout the highest and on the descent, Rollins moved away solo and received forward of Villafañe by 3 minutes, 53 seconds, and Thompson one other 24 seconds again.
She mentioned she anticipated the lengthy climb to Columbine Mine to be a decisive mid-point of the race once more.
“Columbine, I believe the race has blown aside there nearly yearly. Whether or not it sticks or not relies on what you’ve got executed as much as that time.”
Like males’s four-time winner Keegan Swenson, she lives in Utah, however on the alternative aspect of the Wasatch Entrance close to Salt Lake Metropolis, the place the elevation is near 4,500 ft above sea stage. She will be able to experience at larger elevation all year long, which helps her keep away from some chaos at Leadville, however she nonetheless transfers a number of weeks early to Leadville.
She used the Leadville Stage Race as a part of the conditioning for prime altitude, like she did final yr. And like final yr, she received the stage race. This time throughout the three days, she completed 22 seconds sooner than mountain bike legend Kate Courtney, and only one minute forward of Villafañe and Lauren Stephens. She’ll see all of them once more this Saturday, in addition to an all-star listing of different contenders.
“I positively really feel a whole lot of stress coming into this race, in all probability greater than I ever have, and perhaps greater than I anticipated. I am simply completely happy to have confirmed that I am able to doing it once more by how the stage race went,” Rollins mentioned about profitable Leadville Stage Race on the finish of July.
Rollins is using for Liv Racing Collective this yr, so he has a totally new setup. She mentioned she had two setups earlier than her stage race begin, one with flat bars and one with drop bars, and did not resolve on drop bars till the evening earlier than.
“I had two setups able to go. I had my mountain bike with flat bars, and I had truly a newly arrange drop bar bike as a result of I hadn’t fully dialled within the match. Keegan will snigger, as a result of he informed me at first of the yr to do that setup, I might in all probability must dimension down a body. And I did not,” she mentioned with fun.
“I used to be a bit of bit scared that I’d get dropped on Powerline happening, and that was my solely apprehension to operating the drop bar setup. However I am truly precisely the identical pace, if not sooner, on each descent with drop bars. To be trustworthy, the drop bars are freaking enjoyable. It is like new bike day over again.
“I am tremendous proud of my setup. I believe it is wonderful. I do not know that the bars matter that a lot, however I believe this race offers a really distinctive alternative to check out a setup. I am actually excited to have the ability to do this, particularly after probably not ever wanting into it final yr.”
Life Time Grand Prix
Sofia Gomez Villafañe, who has received the ladies’s Grand Prix general twice, shares the ladies’s standings with Cecily Decker after two occasions. Decker was the highest sequence rider at Unbound Gravel 200 (second general) whereas Villafañe was the highest sequence rider at Unbound Gravel (second general).
Cecile Lejeune trails by 15 factors in third place. Rollins is tied with Hayley Preen in fourth, only one level behind Lejuene.
Leadville Path 100 MTB is the third cease of the six occasions on the calendar this season.
