For 2020 the MarathonMTB.com Team will expand to four riders. With up to six riders on the team in previous years, 2019 was a smaller team of three riders with Imogen Smith, Justin Morris and Mike Blewitt.
Sam raced in the MarathonMTB.com colours at The Pioneer in 2019, racing with previous team member Sebastian Jayne in a composite media team. Sam has the talent to push the pedals, but he showed great race insights and ability to bring stories from the races to our website and social media – making him an excellent addition to the team.
Get to know Sam Fox
Name: Sam Fox
Age: I’m 19 years old
From: I’m from Launceston, Tasmania.
Find him on: Instagram and Facebook are both @SamFoxMTB.
Favourite post-ride meal: That would be the “Lack Attack special”, essentially rice with tuna and salad. Inspired by fellow Tasmanian Alex Lack. Or in the colder months, a classic meat pie.
Your best race performance: I try not to focus so much on the result, but a race performance that made me proud recently would be the epic stages of The Pioneer, which had me digging very deep, a mental space I thrive in.
So, why race? I race because I love the mental and physical game that is racing. Pitting yourself against other riders throughout a race really brings people together, and there are no better friends than the ones found during a race.
Goals for 2020? There are lots of big goals for 2020, which will see me re-introduce myself to racing, with stage, XCO, marathon, and road races. The main goal for the year however, is to get a taste of the World Cup XCO races, culminating in the World Championships.
What’s it mean to join the MarathonMTB.com Team? Joining the MarathonMTB.Com team for me is a huge step, previously I have steered away from teams but the dynamic of the team is excellent, and the opportunity to review and share race experiences through their website is something I’m really excited about. Being the youngest on the team will also give me the opportunity to learn from the other riders, and continue developing as an athlete, as well as experience some different formats of racing.
“It is really cool to have some youthful talent on the team,” said Imogen Smith. “Sam brings a lot of freshness and new energy to the team. It’s really cool to be able to help a younger rider come and experience more marathon and stage racing too, as after The Pioneer it is clear Sam gets a lot out of them.”
“We have lacked a younger rider over the past few years, and Sam really impressed with his maturity when I met him in Lenzerheide in 2018,” said Mike Blewitt. “Hopefully we can provide extra support for Sam to go and chase his goals this year, and beyond.”
Sam’s racing calendar is pretty packed, and you’ll see him at the Otway Odyssey, Bike Buller, XCO National Championships, Ben Lomond KOM, Mitas 4 Islands and a few XCO World Cups as well.
