Lance Armstrong (above) pulled away from the field just 35 miles into race and never looked back in Leadville 100 mountain bike race on Saturday, winning the nation's highest-altitude endurance test in record time.

Despite rain at the start and a flat tire at the end, Armstrong trimmed nearly 17 minutes off the record, winning in 6 hours, 28 minutes, 50 seconds.

He dethroned six-time defending champion Dave Wiens, who came in second in 6:57:01.  Last year Weins held off the seven-time Tour de France champ by about two minutes.