Lance Armstrong was a surprise entrant and a surprise winner at a 63-mile mountain bike race in Crested Butte, Colorado on Sunday. Armstrong won the Alpine Odyssey, by three seconds in a come-from behind victory. The event is a qualifier for August 13’s Leadville Trail 100, one of the most prestigious mountain-bike races in the country. Armstrong, who finished in 4:32:21, decided to race at the last minute on Saturday. He trailed Krause for most of the event, and later said that he was cramping on a climb over Schofield Pass on the second loop of the course. But he was able to refuel and, somewhat surprisingly for a rider known as a climber, caught Krause on a technical downhill section. Two-time defending Leadville champion Rebecca Rusch won the women’s title. Rusch was one of 15 female riders to break five hours, finishing at 4:51:37. Armstrong told reporters that he has no plans to race Leadville, which he won in 2009, ever again. “I’m too old. I’m retired,” he said.
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