Mountain bike racing and riding options continue to expand around the globe – yet having more time off to go and pursue these adventures isn’t always possible. As amateur racers we have to rationalise the time off from work, family and real world commitments. As such, mountain bike races can become holidays. And when the options for locations include South Africa, Brazil, Colorado, the Australian Alps, Northern Italy, the French Alps, Southern Germany, Mongolia, Mauritius, Canada and beyond – it’s certainly not a limiting proposition.
Depending on your approach to holidays and bike racing, competing in a mountain bike stage race still meets many of the expectations. Firstly, it’s time away from work and the stress that creates! You get to take part in activities you enjoy, see new places, meet new people – and probably eat some interesting food. Most holidays involve some kind of stress or trouble that results in a good tale to tell. And you can be certain that mountain bike stage racing will let you experience tremendously euphoric highs and amazing lows to battle through.
We are continually adding stage races from around the world to our event calendar – it is by no means exhaustive, but it should give you an idea of where your sport can take you.
Here’s a selection of our favourites:
The lead bunch heads towards Oak Valley on Stage 5. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
ABSA Cape Epic
You all know about it, and many readers have probably raced it, or maybe have no desire to. If you yearn for a race that lets you mingle with the upper tiers of the sport, and that will challenge you every minute of the eight days you are racing – this is it. The stages are unrelenting, and the competition is very high. This is perhaps the best known mountain bike race each year. Best of all, riders are treated amazingly well, with quality food throughout the event, and amazing facilities even in the camp.
Sudety terrain allows for plenty of rock. Photo: Rob Trnka
Sudety MTB Challenge
This race will take you to places that many of you wouldn’t visit otherwise. The border regions of the Czech Republic and Poland are riddled with quality trails, interesting townships – and a lot of varied history. The racing is fast, and the post race spirits are jovial. It is a five day stage race, plus a prologue. Using the same start and finish location, it’s easy to plan around and is best accessed from Prague. If you want to do a well run stage race, but one that is lower key and perhaps less of a financial strain, this one is for you.
Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro
It’s a mouthful for an event name – but it’s a cracker of a race to go to. Some stage races are big point to point affairs – which is fantastic. But they can be a bit full on with copious amounts of packing and unpacking. Taking place in Alice Springs, the ICME fits seven stages into five days, and has a night race, a time trial, and a hill climb time trial amongst the more regular stages. The riding is technical, and showcases what dedicated mountain bikers can create in the Australia desert. Falling in May, it is a great way to escape the chills in other Australian areas.
Transalp can be tough, but it’s worth having a look around. The scenery is stunning! Photo: Sportograph
Transalp
Well known and still popular, this classic offers so much to a tourist. What other way can you visit up to four countries, ride about 700km, climb about 20000m, and eat regional fare? Beyond that, you get to experience different cultures, have your luggage transported – and of course race your bike. The experience of racing across the European Alps has to be experienced before it can be judged.
The calendar is racing towards the Breck Epic. Photo: Liam Doran
Breck Epic
The Breck Epic takes place in Breckenridge, Colorado, in August. Combining amazing single track, hard climbs, epic descents, and mountain pass loops makes this a mountain bikers dream event. Breckenridge is up high though, so this race hurts if you rock up from sea level. For 2013, it also has an Enduro class with timed descents throughout each stage. Not happy to be just another race, the Breck Epic is also the unofficial Single Speed Stage Race World Championships. If you’re racing with gears, you will be humbled by what the single speeders do on that terrain.
That’s just a selection of great events that are out there. There are countless more that we could profile, and we will have regular news coming out about races throughout 2013 – and full in race features from the Subaru-MarathonMTB.com Team members and contributors who will be attending many of the best stage races around the globe. All dates and further details can be found on the calendar. If not, send an email to marathonmtb@marathonmtb.com with details of your event.