Part-time Ketchum firefighter Rebecca Rusch, 40, is back on top of the world as a solo female mountain biker.
On a wet and muddy course Rusch successfully defended her Elite Female title Sunday in the 10th annual Solo 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Championships July 26-27 at Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
In addition, Ketchum's Greg Martin won the singlespeed category of the world finals.
The only woman to finish 14 laps, Rusch came to the finish in 23 hours, 26 minutes and 21 seconds. Her lap times ranged from 1.17:00 to 2.08:00. The second-place rider doing 13 laps was Australian 24 Hour female champ Katrin Van der Spiegel in 22 hours and 59 minutes.
The 12.25-mile or 20 kilometer WSC course featured a mix of climbing (37%), descending (43%) and flats (23%). Total elevation gain per lap was about 2,100 feet.
Commenting on the hilly course to BikeRadar.com reporter John Stevenson after the race, Rusch said, "That was the hardest course I've ever done. Add in the rain and the cold and it was 10 times harder."
Australian riders flourished in the tough conditions. Aussies captured the top four places in the Elite Men's category after 16 laps led by winner James Williamson, 22.49:09. There were 34 competitors.
Rusch rode her brand-new 2009 Specialized Era bike. Before the race she said on her Web site, "It's a mean machine and feels like a dream. All new suspension, a super stiff frame and very light ride. I'm one of the lucky few to have one of these bikes since they're not officially in production yet."
She also commented beforehand, "It's really stunning here and the riding is unreal. The course has quite a bit of technical climbing and descending—definitely the hardest 24 Hour course I've seen. Compared to last year, there are more international women here so I don't really know what to expect."
Last year Rusch placed first last year at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Ca. and she was second in the world—and the U.S. champ—in 2006 on a Georgia mountain bike course.
In the singlespeed class, Ketchum rider Martin completed 14 laps in 24 hours, 16 minutes and 22 seconds. He won among 15 competitors.
