LATICRETE®, a world leader in the manufacturing of innovative systems for the installation of ceramic tile and stone, recently sponsored Ivan Teper in the annual Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb on July 21 in Denver, Colorado. The 28-mile bicycle race starts at an elevation of 7,500 feet above sea level and ends at 14,130 feet on top of Mt. Evans, where the highest paved road in North America terminates. Teper, who currently resides in Northern Virginia, completed the grueling race in four hours and twenty-nine minutes (4:29).

Teper, who has leukemia and is anemic, rode over 1,000 miles in preparation for the brutal course at Mt. Evans, and more than accomplished his goal of “just crossing the finish line.” It certainly wasn’t easy. The high altitude and thinning air only served to complicate an already difficult task, cycling straight up a 6,630-foot course. While Teper did not win the race up, he may have won the race down, descending the 28 miles in just 57-scary minutes through intense thunder and hail storms that moved in just after he completed his ascension.

The annual event, named after five-time winner Bob Cook, who passed away in 1981 after a courageous bout with cancer at the age of 23, began in 1962 with only a handful of riders. This July, 1,075 racers and riders participated in 10 different age categories. Tom Danielson, a world-class racer with Team Discovery Channel won the race for a second time, crossing the finish line at 1:43:04, one-minute and forty-four seconds off his own course record of 1:41:20 (2004).

“It was a brutal ride,” said Teper. “I can remember looking up toward the top of this barren rocky outcrop and I could see were the small figures of bikers zigzagging their way towards the clouds. For the last hour, I was so tired I couldn’t reach down and grab my water bottle for a drink. When I crossed the finished line, I put my bike down and cried like a baby.”

LATICRETE International is a global leader in the manufacturing of tile and stone installation systems, known and trusted for industry leading innovation and expertise. For in-depth technical support and answers to your installation or application questions call toll free: (800) 243-4788 ext 235, or outside the USA: (203) 393-0010. E-mail: support@laticrete.com. Comprehensive LATICRETE and industry information can be found on the web at: www.laticrete.com. LATICRETE® is a registered trademark of LATICRETE International, Inc.