Eagle Engineer Wins Breck Epic After Gear Failure at Leadville 100

Aspen —“On the first day, I finished within a minute of first place, so from there, it showed me the potential that I could maybe fight for the win.”

That is how Michael Anderson, a 32-year-old Eagle software engineer, described the moment he realized his Breck Epic wasn’t just a race. It was a title shot.

Anderson won the 30-plus, non-professional division at the Breck Epic with a cumulative time of 17 hours, 13 minutes, and 23 seconds. The Vail Daily reported that this victory caps a year of momentum for the Eagle cyclist, who finished the Leadville Trail 100 MTB in 8 hours, 19 minutes, and 26 seconds earlier this year. That Leadville finish came despite his gear shifter bolts coming loose two miles into the 105-mile event.

The five-day stage race, held from Aug. 9 to 14, was a grueling test of endurance. Organizers shortened the event after inclement weather forced the cancellation of the Aug. 13 stage. For Anderson, who moved to Vail in 2021 and picked up mountain biking with a focus on downhill speed, the transition to long-distance stage racing has been rapid. He told the Summit Daily that his initial passion was fueled by adrenaline, but it shifted to a love for “huge days in the saddle” and big backcountry rides.

The race wasn’t just a solo victory for Anderson; it was a proving ground for the entire Eagle County cycling community. Several local riders competed in the event, and their results paint a clear picture of the talent density in the valley.

Avon’s Courtney Scheffler finished second in the women’s 40-plus category. Ernest Saeger placed 10th in the men’s 40-plus division. Then there was Sam Brown, an Eagle resident who had a different experience. Brown was sitting in second place in the pro men’s field after the opening stage but had to drop out after a crash on day two. According to the Vail Daily, Brown clipped his pedal and went over the bars about 40 minutes into the second stage.

The incident highlighted a different side of the sport’s community spirit. Macky Franklin, who ultimately finished 11 seconds off the overall podium, stayed with Brown until medics arrived. Brown noted on social media that he was “very appreciative” of Franklin’s presence and the kindness shown by other riders who stopped to check on him.

While Anderson took the age-group title, the overall pro women’s category was dominated by Deanna Mayles. The 32-year-old Colorado Springs athlete, who swept the mountain bike events at the GoPro Mountain Games in June, won all five stages of the Breck Epic. She finished with a cumulative time of 17 hours, 42 minutes, and 29 seconds, nearly 35 minutes clear of runner-up Leah Van der Linden.

For Anderson, the win is a data point in his own development curve. He noted that finishing in the top 20 of the 2023 Grand Traverse showed him he could be “really good” if he put his mind to it. The Breck Epic win confirms that trajectory.

The practical bottom line for locals is simple: the talent pool in Eagle County’s mountain biking scene has deepened. It isn’t just about the pros anymore. Riders like Anderson, Scheffler, and Saeger are competing at a level that requires serious training blocks and logistical planning. For the community, this means more local faces on podiums in major national events, and it reinforces that the valley’s riding infrastructure supports high-level performance. Anderson didn’t just win a race; he validated the local training culture that has been building since his move to Vail.