Rainbows in the Rockies: Keegan Swenson and his Specialized S-Works Epic 9 Takes on Leadville 100

When the sun rises on Saturday morning, during the 32nd iteration of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, all eyes are going to be on Keegan Swenson. At the same time he’s stepping up to the start line as the five-time defending champion, he’s also embarking on a new chapter of his professional career. 

After his offseason transfer to the Specialized Off-Road Team, Swenson comes in with a historic winning streak in addition to his crowning achievement of the 2025 season, where he took home the Marathon Cross-Country World Championship title. But if anyone knows how to handle the pressure at 10,000 feet, it's Keegan.

To match that historic World Champ status, Specialized built him a custom-painted S-Works Epic 9 featuring iconic rainbow bands layered over the carbon frame. In cycling, those rainbow stripes are more than decorative paint. Rather, they serve as a visual reminder of his world-title victory last year in the Swiss Alps. 

Beyond the striking paint job, the rig is entirely built for business, eschewing the funky drop bars and fork fairings of his rig from last year’s Leadville 100. Tunes for Leadville’s high-altitude climbs and new fast reroutes, with RockShox Flight Attendant suspension and Roval Control World Cup wheels, SRAM XX1 drivetrain, and Better Bolts throughout. His cockpit is super clean with a negative 30-degree stem and blips on the inside of his shifters for aero positioning. 

This year’s race isn't just a copy-paste effort from previous years, either. Due to forest reroutes from the ongoing Willow Fire, race directors had to bypass classic staples like Powerline, swapping them for a new 102-mile layout that loops around Turquoise Lake. Even with the course tweaks, the day still packs over 9,900 feet of climbing. 

Swenson holds the traditional course record of 5:43:31, but this terrain will have him considering a tactical reset against a stacked Life Time Grand Prix field, and some special additions like WorldTour pro Quinn Simmons.

Despite the new bike, the new route, and rivals chasing him down, Swenson is the gold standard of American off-road racing and will certainly be putting on a show. His ability to suffer at altitude and dictate the tempo makes him the favorite to take home a sixth straight belt buckle. But we won’t know until Saturday.