Eatough, Sawicki defend 24-Hour Mountain Bike Titles

"Nine national champions were crowned at the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships this morning after the nation’s best ultra-endurance mountain bikers wrapped up 24 grueling hours on the trails of Wisconsin’s Nine Mile County Forest.
 
Riders set out on Saturday for as many laps as they could complete on the 14-mile course in a 24-hour period. When time ran out this morning, Chris Eatough (Baldwin, Md.) and Pua Sawicki (Mililani, Hawaii) both defended their titles in the men’s and women’s solo divisions.
 
It was the fifth year in a row for Eatough to take the win in the men’s open division, but he first had to overcome strong opposition from runner-up Josh Tostado (Breckenridge, Colo.) who hoped to dethrone the four-time defending champ. Early on, Eatough and Tostado clearly defined themselves as the strongest riders in the 36-man field and the ensuing battle saw the pair swap the lead several times and complete 20 laps of the 14-mile course before the clock stopped.
 
Sawicki successfully defended her title from a year ago with 18 laps which she completed in 24 hours and 3 minutes. Taking a huge lead right from the start, she put 13 minutes on her nearest threats in just the first lap and continued to distance herself from the rest of the 11-woman field over the 24 hours."

Via USA Cycling.