LEADVILLE, Colorado – Levi Leipheimer, riding in his first major mountain bike race, broke fellow American Lance Armstrong’s record time to win the Leadville 100 on Saturday.

Leipheimer, seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong’s team-mate on the RadioShack squad, won in six hours, 16 minutes and 37 seconds to break the old mark of six hours, 28 minutes and 50 seconds set last year by Armstrong.

Armstrong chose not to defend is 2009 Leadville crown, citing a hip that remains sore from a crash in last month’s Tour de France.

Leipheimer set the record despite going over the handlebars once during the trek.

A field of 1,500 riders started at 10,500 feet and climbed 2,000 feet more in the top US cycling high-altitude endurance challenge, contested over 100 miles (160 km).