Mountain Bike Stage Racing is as much about what happens on the arc track, and what happens between the stages.
Here are some of the best things overheard by the Subaru-MarathonMTB.com Team at the 2012 Craft Bike Transalp.
“Stage races are won in bed, and at the dinner table.”
“Stretching reduces your peak power.”
“There’s not much pedaling going on in half that mixed team.”
“They raced the first day, now they’re just training. They would like to give you a stage win, but you have to go faster.”
“Your bike will be clean, but then it will just fall apart. Take it to Shimano.”
“I think I’ve killed Nick.”
“I wish I had my jacket.”
“It is possible to de-train in the first days of Transalp.”
“Unfortunately I have witnessed all the different kinds of ‘preparation’ in the camp this week.”