Leadville Trial 100 MTB, Supported by Saint-Gobain, Blazes a Trail through the Rockies
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A cavalcade of amateur and professional bike racers met on the 11th August 2012 in Leadville in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA, to compete in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB. Saint-Gobain, a leading supplier of high-performance polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite bearings to the bike industry, was proud to be one of the sponsors of the event this year, honouring the organisers and athletes with a Carbo-Loading Dinner ahead of the race as well as support on the big day.
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB takes place every summer in Leadville Colorado, which, at 10,200 feet above sea level, is the highest incorporated city in the USA. The gruelling 100-mile course crosses some of the most difficult terrain in the Rocky Mountains, with some four miles reaching above the tree line. Competitors have no more than thirteen hours to finish the trail. Since the first marathon in 1994, the event has become so popular with both amateur and world-class professional cyclists that entrants are now picked by lottery. For a unique look at the course and some of the athletes taking part, please click here to watch Saint-Gobain's video.
First woman over the finish line on the day was Rebecca Rusch, her fourth Leadville win. She completed the course in 7 hours 28 minutes and 6 seconds, setting a new women's course record. Speaking at the prize giving, race organiser Kimo Seymour said, "The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is an extremely challenging course that draws talent from across the globe. We would like to thank Saint-Gobain for its support of this event. Its partnership helps to make all of this is possible."
As well as sponsorship of competitions like the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, Saint-Gobain supports bike racing through innovation of the small parts it develops for bike manufacturers. The design and composition of its lightweight NORGLIDE® composite bearings can be the key to a medal-winning performance.
About Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Bearings and Tolerance Rings SBU
Saint-Gobain is a global leader in the design, production and distribution of innovative, high performance materials for industry and employs around 195,000 people. With operations in over 64 countries, Saint-Gobain is the 60th largest employer and among the top 100 global industrial companies worldwide. Last year, Saint-Gobain achieved global sales of over Euros42 billion. Saint-Gobain is listed on the stock exchanges of Paris, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Brussels and Amsterdam. Saint-Gobain's global strategy is focused around three core markets: Construction Products, Innovative Materials, and Building Distribution; and, the company is committed to play a leading role in developing energy efficient innovations for the housing and construction sectors, protecting the environment, and managing growth in a sustainable fashion.
With 15 sites and six R&D centres globally, the Bearings and Tolerance Rings Group, a division of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, provides 'engineer-to-engineer solutions-in-motion' to high volume international OEMs in the automotive, leisure, energy, industrial, and other markets. Backed by a heritage of product innovation, technology, advanced materials and market leadership, they are dedicated to working with customers using their extensive engineering expertise to deliver standard and custom solutions in NORGLIDE® bearings, RENCOL® tolerance rings, SOLGLIDE® bearings, JOINSHIM® rings, and NORSLIDE® cable liners that meet the most demanding applications. For further information, please visit: www.bearings.saint-gobain.com
