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Cory Wallace has done it again.
Our Jasper champion has just won his third straight 24 Hour Solo World Championship, riding a colossal 465 kilometres to win the mountain bike endurance title in Brazil.
鈥淚 just ran my own race and it was amazing to win a third one,鈥� Wallace said.
鈥淚t was the icing on the cake.鈥�
Wallace, 35, successfully defended his title after winning the championship in Italy in 2017 and in Scotland last year.
He said: 鈥淭he race was in Canmore a couple of times so I got to race it and had decent results - but just knew I could win it one year if I had enough focus.
鈥淚t took about 10 years to win my first one.鈥�
And now he has the hat trick.
Wallace grew up in Jasper and comes back to train on home soil before his big races.
鈥淚 like to be in Jasper the week before because I know all the training routes,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always new ones showing up but I usually stick to the main ones like the Palisades and Signal.
鈥淧alisades Lookout is a good intense run to build up the muscle power.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not all about physical fitness.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a mental game,鈥� said Wallace.
鈥淵ou have to stay in the moment, really focus on what鈥檚 going on - where the lead is, how far ahead they are.
鈥淚f you think too far ahead it gets really overwhelming.鈥�
And Wallace has great support at the World Championships from former biking partner Leighton Poidevin.
The two used to compete in 24-hour races but when Poidevin retired in 2017 he went to Italy with Wallace to help him along the way.
Wallace said: 鈥淎 support crew is so key, after every lap they have to look after the bike and feed you.
鈥淚t is a big part of why I have won.鈥�
Wallace, now in Colorado preparing for an upcoming six-day riding event, said he will race the World Championship to defend his title again next year in Australia.
He trains and competes year-round, but only takes on one 24-hour a year.
鈥淚 have found doing one a year, it puts me back in reality,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to dig so deep, and you suffer out there, but after it makes everything else seem easy.鈥�
