Racing Leadville and Breck Epic back-to-back.

Cory Wallace, renowned Canadian endurance MTB racer, 5-time 24hr Solo World Champion and longtime Squirt Cycling ambassador just completed Leadville 100 and Breck Epic back-to-back. As someone who has the extraordinary ability to always see the glass half full, we caught up with him to find out how it went, what strategies he used to cope with high altitude racing, what gear he chose and much more.

1. What motivated you to take on both events, especially since there were no open days between them?

I've raced both events the past two years and really enjoy the challenge of backing up Leadville with the 6-day Breck Epic.  Both years Lachlan Morton also raced both, taking the win both years at Breck while I finished in 3rd and then 2nd last year.  I think it's proof that our bodies are capable of more than people often let their minds think they are. It's also a lot of travel to come down here from Canada so I want to make it worth the time and commitment!  Both Breck Epic and Leadville are amazing races so it's special to get to race both of them within a week.

 2. Did having no rest day in between work out better or not?

 A rest day would help for sure giving more time to travel and prepare for the next race but having them back to back makes you very organized and focused.

3. How was your Leadville experience? Was it your first time competing in the event?

My Leadville experience was great as always as the event carries such a great atmosphere around it.  I've race Leadville 5 times now.  Performance wise I was pretty average this year, beating my time of 2021, when I last raced a gravel bike here, by 9 seconds.  Adding Leadville to the calendar last minute meant I wasn't properly acclimated so I'm ok with the average performance.

4. How was Breck Epic and was this a first-time event or not? 

It was also my 5th Breck Epic. This year it was very competitive with a strong Pro field.

 5. How did you find and cope with racing at the high altitude of Leadville (10,200 feet) and Break Epic (between 10-12,000+ feet)?

My body does well at altitude. I spent a lot of the winter in Nepal training at altitude, so even though I only had 5 days in Colorado before the races, the body was able to adjust to the high elevations very quickly and it was to my advantage. It seemed to take 3 race days before the body really felt at home at 10 000 ft and higher.

6. You try to spend time in Nepal each year training and racing, which is also at high-altitude. Would you say this benefited you at both Leadville and Breck Epic?

100%. I think the more history you have training and racing at altitude the better the body is able to perform at it year after year with more capillaries and more memory of how to adapt. You also learn how to manage your race efforts, and just how important it is to put more focus on recovery at altitude

7. Any specific training you did in preparation for these events?

I do specific Isocapnic training for my lungs for 15-20 minutes every morning with my Isocapnic Breath Way Better Apparatus.  I climbed one mountain at 8000 feet and also tried to get a few training rides up high in Canda before I left, but this was only at 4000-6500 feet.

8. Did you ride the same bike and setup at both events? Anything specific about your bike and/or gear that you changed for either event?

I raced the Otso WaheelaC gravel bike at Leadville and the Kona Hei Hei Full Suspension at Breck Epic.

For Leadville I think a mountain bike with drop bars would be a bit better. The Gravel bike is fast in sections but it's pretty rough with just 40 mm of front suspension.

For Breck Epic I was very happy with my bike and setup.

9. Are you pleased with the outcome at both events?

Leadville I was hoping for more, a sub 6:30 finish time to be specific. Finishing in 6:41 was a bit of a disappointment but given the circumstances of no specific training for the event and the events happening before the race (Having my hometown of Jasper burnt by a wildfire, hosting the Rockies 24hr race, and travelling), I think my performance was ok.

Breck Epic I had a tough first two stages finishing 10th both stages but found my legs in the last 4 days, setting a couple PB's and moving myself up to 3rd overall in the end. I was very happy with this result in the stacked field.

10. Is there anything new you've learned that you'd like to apply next time?

 The importance of showing up early in Leadville to acclimate, pre-ride the course and prepare for the event. It is such a high level now that there is no room for error.

11. What was your experience with Squirt Cycling Products during the event, and how did it benefit you?

Using Squirt Cycling Products during the event was amazing. I had zero flat tires, largely thanks to the Squirt Sealant with Beadblock technology. The Squirt dry Wax lube also kept my drivetrains clean and running very efficiently. I packed a small Squirt Chain Lube to re-lube my chain on days with multiple creek crossings in Breck Epic which kept everything operating at peak performance. At Breck Epic the Squirt Bike Wash Station was available to all the riders and was great for making sure the bike was clean for the next stage and the environment was also looked after since the bike wash is biodegradable.

12. What's your favourite Squirt Cycling product, and why?

Squirt Long Lasting Chain Lube. It is long lasting and keeps the bike clean.

13. What is next for Cory Wallace?

Some rest days at altitude here in Colorado then it will be back to Canada to race the Trans-Rockies Gravel Royale from August 24-27. After this I'll head back to Jasper to help with the rebuild as we re-enter the town for the first time after being evacuated in late July.  Mid-September I'll head over to Australia to first defend my title and go for a 6th Straight 24HR World Solo Title. After this I'll do some more adventuring and racing down under at the Cape to Cape Stage race and possibly the Whaka 100 in New Zealand to cap off the race year!