Sitting here on an early Saturday evening, I just realised this is the longest I have spent in Livigno at one time. While in 2013 I came and visited for about 4 nights, headed off to race Dolomiti Superbike, then came back again for another four or five nights, this would be the longest consecutive […]
Livigno Training Camp: Day Four
As Mike and I have been watching the weather forecast like the vital signs of a dying man, we knew today would be a great day to have off. But imagine my disappointment when, after the jubilant excesses of yesterday’s climb to the top of Livigno’s mountains, I woke up again with a painfully sore, […]
Livigno Training Camp: Day Three
It’s out third full day up in Livigno, and after Imogen and I went our different ways yesterday, we regrouped for one of the other highly popular activities in Livigno – shopping! It wasn’t a mega spending spree, but we did both buy some headbands, so we could feel the part in the high mountains. […]
Livigno Training Camp: Day Two
Mike and I were always going to go our separate ways in Livigno. For Mike, this is a special place overlaid with memories of gypsyish Euro-tripping bikefests of day-long, epic rides over high passes and into wild valleys, all of which he wants to relive. For me, this is the last chance to get in […]
Livigno Training Camp: Day One
Livigno is many things. It is a duty free shopping hub, an alpine town that is popular for snow sports, a farming village that has had rapid change – and an ever-growing base for altitude training. From runners, cross-country skiers, road cyclists, mountain bikers and more, Livigno offers about 1800m base elevation, with quiet trails, […]
Finding balance – Stage 4 of the Rothaus Bike Giro
Related Event: Rothaus Bike Giro Hochschwarzwald
Back in start block D this morning at the final stage of the Rothaus Bike Giro I settled on a different strategy from the day before. Yesterday I’d gone out hard on a secret mission to escape from start block D, and that hadn’t worked out at all. Today I was going to embrace it […]
Testing the legs on day 3 of the Rothaus Bike Giro
Related Event: Rothaus Bike Giro Hochschwarzwald
You know it’s a bike race when you hear a drone buzzing overhead and a dirt bike kick starts behind you. Standing on a sharp upward slope beneath an enormous Rothaus beer inflatable arch, in start block D is where my Rothaus Bike Giro finally got underway, after a start to our 2018 European trip […]
Gains and losses at the Rothaus Bike Giro
Related Event: Rothaus Bike Giro Hochschwarzwald
Friday 17th August dawned sunny and warm in the Hochschwarzland, home for the Rothaus Bike Giro. Birds chirped, the rising sun warmed the cool overnight air, and many Germans contemplated their fruhstuck. But while the day was waking up, two devoted MarathonMTB.com Team riders were not. Imogen and I slumbered on through the early, and […]
Rothaus Bike Giro: The Prologue
There is a certain mystique about heading overseas to ride and race your bike. If you’ve never travelled to pedal in anger it is easy to romanticise the experience. The climbs, the trails, the #fullpro experience, the class of European riding and racing (or other areas) and of course the chance to benchmark yourself against […]
Reef to Reef: The fourth and final stage
And just like that, it’s over! Reef to Reef today finished with a sweet 50-kilometre stage that took in some icons of tropical north Queensland riding: Wetherby Station, The Bump Track, and Port Douglas’s Four Mile Beach. Logistically, this was a tricky one to manage: everyone corralled in the dark at 6am to load bikes […]