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Alexandre Ribeiro made his dozens of days riding 5 to 9 hours in the steep hills near his home in Rio de Janeiro pay off on November 28 on the second day of the 25th Ultraman World Championship. Ribeiro’s 7:30:35, 5th-best-ever split for the 171.4-mile ride from Volcanoes to Hawi, complete with 8,500 feet of climbing, gave him a lead of 23-minutes over rookie Mike LeRoux, 38 minutes over veteran Miro Kregar and 40 minutes over dangerous runner and 1997 Ultraman champion Peter Kotland. “That ride was the key,” said Ribeiro, who had learned from 2007 Ultraman winner Jonas Colting of Sweden to wait for the final climb up to Waimea and over the Kohalas to make his move.

Along the way, first day leader Richard Roll of Malibu and Miro Kregar of Slovenia crashed hard in separate incidents on the old Red Road, but got up, shrugged off the bruises and scraped skin to finish with the day’s 6th and 4th-best times. Australian-born Kona resident Rip Oldmeadow biked hard and led the first descent but incurred penalties which would later disqualify him. Jason Lester proved once again that the one-armed man isn’t the suspect The Fugitive is looking for, but rather an amazing athlete who posted the 16th fastest 9:21:22 split on the day. Mike LeRoux proved that a 6-day desert runner can post a 5th best 7:55:46 bike split, and Trix Zgraggen of Switzerland proved that the this two-time Swiss Gigathlon champion can set the second-fastest ever second day Ultraman women’s bike split of 8:39:58.

Related galleries

Ultraman 09 day 1
Ultraman 09 day 3

Photo Gallery ® Timothy Carlson