Matt Bottrill Leadville MTB Round Up

This year I completed the Leadville 100 MTB in August.

My career as a cyclist has been over 38 years. I’ve won over 60 National Championship medals, represented my country at world championships and won over 500 races.

I am always looking for new challenges and need a goal to train for. This race has always been on my radar and then seeing Tyler Buttterfield complete this last year I thought I wanted to do this. Then watching every Keegan Swenson video I could on Leadville I was obsessed. So a plan was made and I ended up getting a charity place for the @lifetime series. I’m so proud to have done this for them and help raise some funds to help others.

Before doing this event I thought yeah I can do this in 7 hours no problem! I’m no mountain biker but I’m fit and train hard. How wrong was I. This challenge is on a whole other level physically and mentally!

We went to Colorado 2 weeks before the event with the family to try and acclimatise a bit to the altitude, in reality I needed longer but running a busy cycling coaching business and family that just wasn’t possible. I trained between 5500ft in Boulder up to 9500ft in Silverthorne on the run up to it, I knew then things were going to be very different to what I am used to, However nothing truly prepares you for this event, it’s brutal and amazing all at the same time!

The day before the event we went to the pre race briefing and the atmosphere was electric! No race here is like this. The music, the videos and listening to athletes who have done it before, some who were on to their 20-30th year of doing it! I take my hat off to them what an achievement.

The day of the event we all got up at 330am to travel up to Leadville as I had a start time of 630am. Kate, the kids and my very good friend Julie Dibens who supported me on the day with feeds and timing checks etc, truly grateful for her help and knowledge of this event.

The air was smokey from local wildfires so that didn’t help the lungs, I don’t think I realised how much until I finished how it affected me along with the altitude it took a couple of days for my lungs to feel normal again.

The atmosphere at the start was amazing, we made our way out checking off the infamous Powerline going down, knowing I had to get back up this on the way back. Carrying on to twin lakes which is where the main aid point for me was with Julie and the family which is at around the 40 mile mark. At this point my front brake had failed I tried to fix it but just wasn’t having any of it, so that was rubbing the rest of the way, which certainly made things a lot harder, but I just had to suck it up! Columbine was next and the most brutal climb of all, I hadn’t checked this out before the event and I’m not sure if that was a good or bad thing! 🤣 I had to get off and walk at points and if you know me I’ve never had to do this before in an event!

Descending was a bit scary at times with no brake at the back and not wanting to slam on and go over the front end! Back to the guys at Twin Lakes to start my way back to Leadville. Even the flatter parts didn’t feel flatter or easier I felt like I was stuck in the mud, guys much older than me were coming past me like I wasn’t even moving 🤣 Humbling I tell you haha and absolute respect to them.

I’ve done a YouTube video with a full round up of the event which is coming out soon.

I’m no moutain biker and completing this event I learnt so much about myself. I completed it in 9h14m in the end, But a mecanical did cost me time. I would have broke in under 9hrs for sure, certainly not the 7 I’d originally thought. I wasn’t happy really but I can learn from it. I was never going to quit even with having no brakes by the end, I’d put to many hours in training, time away from the family and travelled half way across the world to do this, so even if I had to walk parts I was crossing that finish line!

Nothing prepares you for how tough racing at high altitude starting at 10000ft going to 12500ft when you live at sea level is! Twice I had to get off and push my bike! But the skills and power were way beyond my capabilities. Racing at 12500ft is like having somebody stand on your chest while you’re riding!

What I’ve learnt from this is, I lack the skills but I’m going to learn them and one day I will return to the race to the sky! I now know what it takes. I will learn, improve and select the diffrent components needed.

After the finish I said to my wife and Julie I’ve done it’s time to retire !! God knows how many times I’ve said this over the years. I said the same after sub 7 I’d done it all. How could we do any more !!!

Whilst I’m never going to be the athlete I once was, I want to learn new skills and improve. That’s what I always pass on to others. I know so much about time trial and road race skills. But mountain biking truly is a skill that I have to learn and improve.

I’ve now started some skills coaching for mountain biking, which I also do with my teenage son who loves mountain biking. So it’s a bonus I get to do it with him.

My mantra. Set your goals, learn from your mistakes, improve and go again.

2027 is hopefully going to be my do over of Leadville 100MTB. It’s a very special place.

Bring on the training 👊