Ernie Lechuga is no stranger to cycling success at a high level. He began his road cycling career in the 90’s and earned a spot on the coveted Team Jelly Belly. After retiring he moved to NW Arkansas where he now helps other cyclist unlock their potential through his coaching business, Leborne Coaching. In recent years he’s been signing up for more endurance cycling events. He’s done Silk Road twice and this was his fourth attempt a the Arkansas High Country Race. Last year he had to pull out of the ARHCR due to liver problems that almost cost him his life.
This year, he came back with a plan to set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) with a goal of 4 days, 8 hours. The previous FKT was set by Ted King in 2020 with a time of 4d 20h 51m, Ernies goal would put him well again of King if he was able to pull it off.
The FKT didn’t come easy as Ernie had to deal with mechanicals and physical ailments. He had to dig deep and when he did, he found God, for which he credits his victory. In the end he was able to set a new FKT with a time of 4d 14h 13m, beating out King by over 6 hours.
As a fan of the sport I’m left with two questions. How long before someone can beat this new FKT? And what spark has been lit inside Ernie? Time will tell, and I’m here for it.
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