Hi. I’m finally due to do Leadville this year. Is there any chance of going sub 9 from white. I live in UK so had to gain a lottery place. FTP is 315 - just under 4wpk but I’m more of a long distance animal. Cheers.
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Yes, they use chip time not gun time. You’ll hit traffic going up St. Kevins but honestly you aren’t going to be in the hole by more than a few minutes due to it.
There is also supposedly a guy who starts at the back every year for charity and usually goes sub-9.
Most of the time you’ll lose/gain will be on upper Columbine, on the way back to Powerline in the flat windy section, and going up Powerline.
A skin suit and a helmet swap at Columbine (swap from aero to vented for the climb and then back to aero for the flats) will be worth a good bit of time back.
4w/kg at sea level gets you in the ballpark of sub 9
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Check out Ryan Hall’s podcast he did with his younger brother Chad Hall. Chad missed his start, thought the race started a half hour later than it did, started from last and got up into the top ten.
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The year I did the LT100MTB I saw that guy who starts in the back for charity. He is absolutely ripping through people in the beginning. He seems to not waste any time moving up at the start of the event.
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Definitely. I missed it by 18 minutes, because I ran out of food and water (I’m an idiot that doesn’t double check things).
Biggest problem I had was that I got stuck behind people walking up Columbine when I could have been riding. If I’d pushed a little harder earlier on that likely wouldn’t have happened. I would have likely done it had I got a good paceline on the flats, but sadly there were only three of us working together for most of it.
No big deal though… my aim when I turned up was sub 12!
Edit - I’m slightly amused by the idea of a skinsuit for it. I was wearing baggies and running flat pedals. 
Oh, and as you’re from the UK, you might want to consider hiring an altitude tent. Best decision I made.
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Thanks to the replies. I am a little concerned about altitude although I’ve never suffered before over 2000m in the alps etc. Reckon Leadville might be a different league ? Not sure about power targets but will work it out. My support crew (one mate) is unlikely to have had both vaccines so I may be solo without support. Will this be a problem ? Sorry to bombard you with questions but pretty excited that I may actually get out there at last.
Also not sure about altitude tent. Mrs P is unlikely to be happy. 
My wife slept in another room for a month, wasn’t the end of the world, but I can see how it might be a problem… and yeah, top of Columbine was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I was basically going “up” a flat and panting like a dog.
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Wow. That’s amazing. I’m thinking that maybe a stretch too far for me ???