On the 30th April, the 2017 Australian Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) titles were hard-fought at Cape Pallarenda in Townsville, Queensland. The event is due to be held for two consecutive years in Townsville, and the initial course we rode in January had some modifications for race day. With the age group and open races decided on […]
Archives for April 2017
Day 1 at the Australian National XCM Championships
Since 2015, the Australian National Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) Championships have been split across two days. This allows less traffic on the course as a short, lap-based event has been used to contest the titles since 2011, as opposed to a traditional point-to-point or big loop marathon. And the 2017 edition in Townsville, Queensland, is no […]
Who can win the 2017 Australian Marathon Championships?
The elite titles for Australia’s 2017 Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) Championship are set to be decided on 30th April. For this year, the XCM Champs have travelled north to Townsville, being run in conjunction with the Townsville MTB Festival for this year and 2018. Townsville is home of the Townsville Rockwheelers mountain bike club (one of […]
Sometimes, it’s all about the Scenery: the Contact Lake Hawea Epic
On moving to NZ, one of the first races I looked at was the Contact Energy Lake Hawea Epic. Promising a lap of a moraine lake in a glacial tarn, stunning alpine South Island scenery, multiple river crossings and access to normally inaccessible trails, it proved a tempting proposition. In its tenth year, the race […]
Crash course: Imogen Smith on her season-ending accident
Seven weeks ago, I had a big crash in a women’s criterium that ended my racing season before it really began. Early in the final 200m sprint, where I was sitting in the top 10 (I thought I’d be safe there), there was a surge from behind and riders moved sideways. It took the girl […]
The AMB100 – a race that has come of age
Rocky Trail Entertainment have a vast array of events, and play a key role in others. Their Shimano MTB GP Series has helped plenty of riders get the taste for competitive events, and are a proving ground for endurance riders around New South Wales and the ACT. But their lap-based marathon race at Mt Stromlo, […]
Woolcock and Kruger cruise to maiden Winelands triumph
Seasoned professionals Waylon Woolcock and HB Kruger captured the overall title in the three-day Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain bike race at their first attempt today after setting the pace from day one. Using the same strategy as before, the BCX duo were again able to build up a lead during the first half of the 48km […]
Wrapping up the Tour of Portugal
I feel like I’ve learnt a lot this past week in the Portugal MTB Tour, in particular about how my body reacts to consecutive days of racing. Racing in a two man team has shown me that I have the mentality to follow orders during a race rather than being impulsive. It’s also confirmed that I […]
Jolanda Neff targets XCM repeat in Singen
Jolanda Neff has announced her start at the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Champions in Singen. On 25th of June, the Swiss mountain bike star wants to use the experience she made, when she lost the finish at the European championships at the Hegau Bike Marathon in 2015 and defend the world title she won in […]
Hilly Business At Faget Marathon
Just over a week separates us from the starting gun of the sixth edition of Faget Marathon. MarathonMTB.com will on that start line and reporting from this round of the UCI World Marathon Series. The trails have been prepared to receive all the brave participants, weekend warriors or full-time riders alike. Typical spring weather will […]