Matt Page in action at the 2010 24-hour solo world championships in Canberra, Australia
Matt Page has recently arrived home in Wales after a busy and impressive season of racing. Page’s abilities span from pure cross-country to world-class marathon and 24-hour solo racing, and he has enjoyed a prolific year. His biggest win came when he became British champion at the 24-hours of Exposure, but as he told MarathonMTB.com, his passion for endurance racing has begun to extend beyond the 24-hour format.
“My biggest win was at the UK 24hr Solo Championships in Newcastleton,” said Page of the event that has seen him adorned in the red-and-blue bands of national champion since May.
Page has spent the past month in Australia, where he showed-off his British jersey at the 24-hour world solo championships. He finished sixth, but felt he should have improved on that position.
“The 24-hour world championship was a massive event for me and sixth position is great, but I was a little disappointed with it as I know that I wasn’t able to show what I really have to offer. I suffered many problems during the race, mostly related to the weather conditions which were ultimately out of my control.”
While his British championship win was a highlight of the season, Page also made an impact at his first major European marathon, the Grand Raid Cristalp in Verbier, Switzerland. Page finished 13th overall, an impressive display ‘on debut’ at the UCI C1-ranked event.
“It was the first time I had entered such a massive European marathon and I loved every minute of it,” he said.
The addition of international events to his schedule has created its own unique challenges of the team Wiggle rider. Living in Wales, many events already involve lengthy travel and Page has become accustomed to careful preparation. He is hopeful that the overseas experience this year will bear fruit in the racing seasons to come.
“It has been a tough year to juggle training and work, and racing overseas was another complication to add into the mix,” he said. “In general we planned very well for the races I did overseas, but we have also learnt a huge amount and there are things I would change if we were to do this year all over again.”
Although marathon races are growing every more popular, participants feed into the sport from a variety of backgrounds. Not unlike previous Australian national road champion Peter McDonald, Page began his ‘racing’ career as a courier.
“I’ve always been fascinated with endurance racing, but what really made the difference was spending two years as a cycle courier in Cardiff City. Riding 100+ miles a day, four days a week regardless of how good or bad I felt or what the weather was doing gave me a great base to work from. With a good base I started doing well in longer races and pulled off a surprise win in 2007 in a big 12-hour solo.”
The 12- and 24-hour formats are very popular in the UK, as their land access laws provide great access to trails, however it is typically forbidden to use them for competition. One exception to his rule is the Montane Kielder 100. A gruelling 107-mile event that weaves its way along the border between Northern England and Scotland.
Although Page registered a DNF at the race this year, he drove the pace hard in a chase group that managed to pull back the early break and small group of chasers. In terms of reaching success at marathons or ‘enduro’ races, Page is matter-of-fact about what is required.
“You have to make sacrifices in order to succeed. This year has been really crazy and I don’t really have a regular life outside of work/racing/training. If you want something enough then you will do anything to achieve it. If you have a busy life then planning ahead is probably the most important factor. If you’re not great at motivating yourself then getting a coach may also be a big help.”
And so with winter darkening the days and cooling the air in the northern hemisphere, Page is looking ahead to 2011. While he’s yet to decide his goals for the year, he’ll keep one eye firmly trained on the European marathon calendar.
“Things are a bit unsure at the moment. I really don’t know what direction I will be taking yet. I would love to be able to do more European marathons and I am hoping to race the Grand Raid Cristalp again.”