She’s every woman. She’s a mother. She runs a family business. And, oh, by the way, she is the world’s fastest woman’s bicyclist ever.
Yes, that’s right. On Monday, Denise Mueller set a new women’s land speed record of 147.757 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
And, yes, she is an inspiration and a role model and this is exactly why she was selected as El Tour de Tucson’s 2016 dedication recipient.
The 34th El Tour de Tucson presented by Tucson Medical Center is on Saturday, Nov. 19, and is expected to outpace last year’s event with 60-plus charities to reap the benefits of an expected $15 million.
Mueller follows in the footsteps of U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, and three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, among others.
One more important fact: Mueller finished first in last year’s 75-mile race, by 0.05 of a second.
“Few realize the dedication it takes” to capture this record,” said John Howard, three-time Olympic gold medalist, 1981 Ironman World Championship winner, former cycling land speed holder, coach and mentor to Mueller. “She’s 43 — no spring chicken — but doesn’t look it and has three kids. She is the most dedicated. It rained and we were flushed out of the last day or she would have had the men’s record as (167 mph held by Fred Rompelberg). Very few women can do the same as men, as they have to exceed the limits most assign to them.”
Mueller is still trying to put into perspective what it means to be the fastest women’s bicyclist ever.
“I looked at the video and still don’t believe it’s me,” said Mueller. “You don’t sense you are going 147 mph. It’s almost like being in the back seat of your parents’ car reading a book. You have tunnel vision. We had a textbook first run. I never doubted it after that. There were no missteps, no wobbles — I didn’t fall over. I had a solid base. It was about trusting the bike, the driver, myself.”
The 60 days of El Tour kick off Saturday with a new event, the Loop the Loop.
It runs from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cyclists are invited to join at any place on the Loop.
