The UCI Marathon Series has seen races all over the world, from the European marathon heartland to South Africa and Costa Rica. The series finishes with a bang with two races on the same weekend – Val di Fassa Bike in Italy on Saturday 8 September and then the O-Tour Bike Marathon in Switzerland on […]
Lee Williams wins British National XCM Championships
Lee Williams of Team Wiggle has won the 2012 British national marathon championships. He was one of a number of XCO specialists in the field, who kept the marathon specialists out of the top spots. The podium was completed by Scott rider and UK MTB legend, the long-lasting Nick Craig, and ex road pro Dan […]
British XCM Nationals – Preview
This weekend sees the second round of the 2012 Chain Reaction Cycles MTB marathon series in Selkirk, Scotland; this round is special because it is also the British XCM championships, meaning that plenty of strong riders will be making the trip north and taking on everything the Borders can throw at them. The UK has […]
Feed the Machine: Eating at Stage Races
At a stage race, your legs are pretty crucial. But I would make a case for digestion being pretty much up there with legs in terms of importance to your success. If your stomach packs up and stops doing its bit, life can very quickly become exceptionally uncomfortable. I was recently reminded of this through […]
ABSA Cape Epic 2012 – finished!
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
The ABSA Cape Epic 2012 is over for the Subaru-MarathonMTB.com Team. Unfortunately only half the team finished again, as last year – just the other half this time. Mike was there to welcome me over the finish line today though, like the good team-mate he is, despite his own disappointment at not being able to […]
ABSA Cape Epic: Pushing on
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
You heard from Mike yesterday that his knee pretty much gave up the ghost after a brutal few days. Hard stages at the ABSA Cape Epic, made harder by the conditions, and also by being raced aggressively. Go hard or go home, right? It was a tough call for Mike to make, but the right […]
ABSA Cape Epic: The toughest day?
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
It isn’t always the longest days with most climbing that are the hardest. That’s the main lesson from today. At “only” 105k and 2600m of climbing, it was shorter than the previous three stages, with a chunk less climbing and almost a third less distance than yesterday’s queen stage. It was also considerably cooler than […]
ABSA Cape Epic 2012 Day 3 – an easy day?
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
Yesterday was, for me at least, one of the hardest days I’ve done on a bike. Feeling OK for 30k of a 115k stage isn’t really enough – 85k with my brain boiling in 40-plus degree heat had me in the box in a big way. And it’s never nice knowing that you’re holding your […]
ABSA Cape Epic: The Countdown
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
With the ABSA Cape Epic travel epic out of the way, and the ensuing recovery process underway, Will Hayter and myself have begun the count down to the start of our race day: 8:07am on Sunday 25th March. We will take to the start ramp at Meerendal Wine Estate for the 27km prologue with 900m […]
Scott Scale 29er – first rides
Last year wasn’t a good one for finishing big races – a broken collarbone brought an end to team-mate Mike Blewitt’s and my Absa Cape Epic campaign in 2011, and then my Craft Bike Transalp was cut short by a bunch of highly professional Italian thieves half-inching my lovely Scott Spark. The silver lining […]