Rebecca Rusch wins world title for 3rd consecutive time,
while Greg Martin defends title for 2nd year.
Ketchum endurance athletes Rebecca Rusch (Specialized/RedBull) and Greg Martin (Spot Bicycle/Dales Pale Ale)have successfully defended their 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike Word Championship titles after riding more than 180 miles with 27,000 feet of elevation gains during the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Mountain Bike Championships in Canmore, AB July 25th-26th, 2009. This is a Three-Peat for Rusch who is now the undisputed Queen of 24 Hour Mountain Bike racing. She won the World title in both 2007 and 2008. For Martin, this is his second win in the Single Speed Division; his efforts were enough to place him 5th overall in the race.
Rusch led the race from the start and was able to hold off a late charge from Jari Kirkland of the U.S., who finished one lap behind. Martin's race unfolded in the early afternoon when he passed two racers to gain the lead which he never relinquished.
Rusch can now consider herself part of sporting royalty. As Roy Wallack reported on www.24wsc.com "The relentless Reba, as her friends know her, has lived so many high-achieving athletic lives: paddler, climber, adventure racer, and now endurance mountain biker that another championship medal and jersey didn't seem like that big a deal. But it was because this was something that would put her up there with Michael Jordan, Shaq and Kobe, and other great sports champions throughout history: A Three-Peat."
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