Two races, two days, two bikes. Former U.S. professional road race champion Alex Howes (EF Education-Nippo) will compete in the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB race on Saturday and the SBT GRVL 144-mile GRVL race on Sunday at the Leadboat He will complete two races in the Challenge.

The Colorado native continues to train at his home in Nederland, just over 8,200 feet in elevation, where he has won the Ned Gravel. He recently competed in the US Mountain Bike Nationals in Winter Park, Colorado, where he finished ninth, just three weeks after placing 11th in the US Pro Road Race Nationals.

This Rocky Mountain high altitude adventure spanned 250 miles over two days and required different equipment, different skill sets, and a 2.5 hour drive between the start line in Leadville and Steamboat Springs.

"LeadBoat will certainly be tough. But I'm looking forward to it," Howes told Cycling News.

"Training at home for this weekend is going well, and I'm enjoying the hard long rides above the tree line.

"I can't say I'm targeting either race. Leadville is probably the more important race for GC. That said, SBT is a better fit for me and I've circled it on my calendar for the past few years. [Howes finished fifth in the Leadville 100 MTB two years ago, less than eight minutes off the winning pace of Howard Grotz (three-time winner) and just over three minutes behind EF Education Nippo teammates Lachlan Morton (third) and Peter Stetina (fourth). Morton and Stetina will also compete in the lead boat race this weekend.

"Howard Grotz is always a favorite to win, even if he has had his nose in the books the last few years. Pete Stetina has the engine and has really improved his mountain biking skills since finishing fourth in 2019. Lachlan Morton just won the [Alto] Tour de France and has been riding his mountain bike every day since," Howes noted about the competition, and also mentioned Keegan Swenson and Payson McElveen as riders to watch.

"Living at high altitude (8,500 feet), I expect to have an advantage over the riders from lower altitudes. I know the Leadville course well, and although I have never seen the full SBT course, I have run it many times in the past. The track conditions change on a daily basis."

Leadville's course is 104 miles of out-and-back, mostly forest and mountain roads, with the lowest elevation at 9,200 feet and the highest at 12,516 feet, with the Columbine Mine climb. And the Powerline climb reaches a grade of 26 percent in one section.

"The race boils down to two key parts: Columbine and Powerline. Columbine is tricky because it's easy to red and you can't recover at that very high altitude. Powerline is all about what is left in the tank. Overall, we are going to have a more controlled effort throughout the day compared to past races."

SBT's GRVL will be his first time competing, but there will be "crazy experiments" on two different courses.

"You will be riding two different bikes. It's possible to complete both courses on the same bike, but it's hard to be competitive on both because they are so different. In Leadville, I will be riding a Cannondale Scalpel. He will ditch the dropper post and go with a lighter tire, but otherwise not much will change. There may be a lighter setup, but I think this bike is more comfortable and efficient for a 6+ hour race.

"For the SBT, I ride a Cannondale Super Six Evo. I am always amazed at the capabilities of this bike. He won in Flanders, led Rigo (Uran) into the top 10 in the Tour, and Lachlan rode 5500 km in France. I hope he doesn't regret this crazy experiment."

As for the transition between Leadville and Steamboat Springs, that plan is not as solid as the equipment.

"That part is still being worked on. The hope is to drive to Steamboat that afternoon and sleep there that night. We'll eat well, rest well, and focus on hydration. I may have to put my legs in the yampa for an ice bath in the Rockies."

First up is Leadville. He predicts that time will be crucial here for Leadville's ultimate first win. [Leadville is where time is the difference between winning and losing, so the key to a Leadboat win will be to be at the top of the leaderboard from day one. There are only two days of racing, so we can't cut corners on either day one or day two.