Chris Eatough (right), is seen in the first aid tent following the 24 Hour Solo World Championship. He has an IV. He is positioned in the first aid tent after the 24 Hour Solo World Championship, with an I.V.
Trek-VWs Chris Eatough arrived in Conyers, Georgia for what was supposed be a virtual coronation. Six-time World Solo champion for 24-hours had defeated every major opponent in the past six years. He was expected to win his seventh 24-hour title but he far exceeded his expectations. After winning his country’s 24-hour national title, Craig Gordon of Australia took second place in the cross-country championship. He then traveled to America to compete for the 2006 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Championship title. It was a race royale that saw both racers fighting for their lives. They were each put on intravenous fluids just minutes after the race ended. Gordon finished the race with 31 laps on the 8-mile course while Eatough did 29 laps.
Racers have 24 hour racing rules. They can stop racing after the 23rd hours if they want to. The winner of the race is the rider who completes the most laps within the time limit. If there are ties in lap time, the winner will be the rider who completes the last lap first. Riders may start their final lap up to one second before Sunday noon, which is the 24-hour mark. They get credit for that lap provided they finish the race before 1 p.m. on Sunday, the end the 25th hour.
Eatough finished his 29th lap at 1
MBA spoke with Eatough, who admitted that he had been through some tough times in his past. He said that this race was the hardest of his life and that Gordon had pushed him harder than anyone else. Although Gordon won, Eatough was exhausted and in pain by the time he crossed the finish line. His team had to carry him to the medical tent. He was placed on a cot, and intravenous fluids were injected into his arm. Eatough was sitting under the same tent, covered in blankets, in cold sweat, in spite of the 70-degree temperatures. He also had a tube in one arm. Eatough shook hands under the tent with the new champion and stretched out.
Gordon then spoke to his wife via cell phone, while he was lying on the cot. Brandon Draugelis (21-year-old Locust Gap resident) was Cannondale-mounted and finished third in the men’s elite class. He completed his 29th lap in 48 minutes, just 48 seconds after Eatough.
Trek-VW’s Susan Haywood won women’s event. This was a reversal of some disappointments at the Trek-VW camp. Haywood finished 26 laps within the time limit, beating Rebecca Rusch of Ketchum in Idaho who did 25 laps. Louise Kobin from San Jose, California completed her 25th lap just 75 minutes later.
