Approaching an international mountain bike stage race, it’s nice to come in feeling fit and strong. But it pays to set your expectations too. Coming into the Craft Bike Transalp 8 day race from Mittenwald to Riva del Garda, Imogen Smith and I set our goal as top 10 on the general classification by the […]
Transalp: When it all falls into place
Having a good day on the bike is a brilliant experience. You rail corners, you feel good on the climbs, there are no wrong turns, and the weather is great. Having a good day on the bike while racing is a more unique experience, especially when it’s in a paired stage race. Yesterday was a […]
Transalp: Building rapport before the race
Part of getting older and more experienced with your riding and racing is recognising your habits and patterns. Be they good or bad, at least when you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses it’s easier to work with or around them. I’m a creature of habit, and from the outside it would seem like […]
Hynek and Bigham win 19th Dolomiti Superbike
Kristian Hynek and Sally Bigham have won the Südtirol Dolomiti Superbike – the first race after the UCI Marathon World Championships. This year the long-distance race in the Dolomites forms part of the “UCI Marathon World Series”. The elite men had to race 113, 8 km (3,357 m); the elite women’s 80 km (2,307 m). Second […]
19th Dolomiti Superbike setting new records
This Saturday, the Sutirol welcomes the international marathon mountain biking community back to their towns. The 19th rendition of the Südtirol Dolomiti Superbike forms part of the Marathon World Series, the routes have had to be redefined. The men tackle the 113.8 km/3.357m course; the ladies contest the 80km/2.307m. All other categories totalling 24 can […]
Highland Fling Entries Open!
Entries for the 2013 Camelbak Highland Fling open on Juy 1st, 2013. Whether you’re a mountain bike racing veteran, or new to the scene, the CamelBak Highland Fling is the race to mark on your riding calendar. Not only will you have the chance to compete alongside Australia’s top elite riders, but you’ll experience a […]
Sauser and Dahle-Flesjaa win 2013 Marathon World Championships
In Kirchberg, Austria, Christoph Sauser and Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesja were crowned 2013 UCI Marathon World Champions on June 29th. Using the courses of the KitzAlpBike Marathon, the men were off at 8:00am and women at 8:30am. A cool start of below 9 degrees did warm up as the day progressed, and the course was in […]
New Final Stage for Crocodile Trophy
The 2013 edition of the Crocodile Trophy will not only include a brand-new Relay Team category for three riders in addition to the individual and Adventure Pairs classifications, but also the longest individual time trial ever raced and, what’s just been confirmed, a brand-new last stage from Hopevale to Cooktown on day nine. Reports just […]
2013 Marathon World Championships Preview: Part 2
Where The XCM Worlds changes location every year, and is attached to another successful marathon. This creates variety – but except for a running in Norway, all the other years have been pretty close to one another! As was suggested in Part one though, most top Marathon racers are around the European alpine regions. And so, […]
The bike of a Sella Ronda Hero
The bikes of Marathon racers the world over have common themes: Carbon fibre, 29er wheels, and a hardtail. While there are many exceptions to this rule, these does typify the majority of bikes in a Marathon MTB race. For stage races, especially something like the Cape Epic, you tend to have a few other common […]