While relaxing in the departure lounge of the Brisbane international airport, content once again to have beaten the excess baggage boogeyman I realized that traveling with a bike is real art. The airlines are tough with their baggage allowances and now they are becoming more vigilant at enforcing said allowance, so we have to get […]
Adrian Jackson dominates Bike Buller opener
Blue skies, groomed singletrack, and mountains welcomed 400 riders for today’s first stage of Bike Buller. The 50km stage was made up of 4 major descents followed by equally steep climbs. To be expected, the pace was hard and fast from the get-go with small groups forming up the first major climb. There was a […]
Sabie Ultra: ‘This is the last climb right?’
‘This is the last climb right?’ Aaah… there is nothing quite like feeling one zillionth better than a fellow downed comrade. He’s German rider, Simon Gegenheimer, and his head is now firmly fastened to the cold flowing water pouring out the waterpoint 3 tanker. ‘Erm, I hope so, but I’m guessing no’ came my slightly […]
Perfect Absa Cape Epic prep?
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
As last year, my team-mate for the ABSA Cape Epic, Mike Blewitt, lives in Sydney and I live in London. This results in a couple of challenges: we won’t have seen each other for eight months by the time we arrive in Cape Town three days before the race, let alone ridden together. We seemed to […]
ABSA Cape Epic 2012: just around the corner
Related Event: ABSA Cape Epic
In 19 days I will be once again on the start line of the infamous ABSA Cape Epic with my team mate, an 8 time veteran of the event, Hannele Steyn. EIGHT times she has completed this gruelling event, that makes Hannele a member of a very exclusive group of riders who have raced in […]
Matt Page’s Andalucia Bike Race, Stage 5
After yesterdays killer stage I was feeling very tired in the evening after and the chest problem that I’ve been been carrying for about 2 months which had got much better since being out in Spain decided to come back with a vengeance and I couldn’t stop coughing. A massage, good meal and an early […]
Matt Page’s Andalucia Bike Race, Stage 4
Today was the Queen stage, or in other words the hardest. It was also the longest and had the most climbing with 2650m gained in the 87km. Most people were dreading today but not me, I was looking forward to it. After IronBike if the climbing figure doesn’t start with a 5 then it doesn’t […]
Matt Page’s Andalucia Bike Race, Stage 3
The start of today’s 71km (2,055m climbing) stage went back to being farcical. Priego de Cordoba have obviously paid a fair bit to have the race come through the town and wanted to show us every little street there was. Riders were far calmer than previous stages, but the route was just stupid, especially as after 4km […]
Matt Page’s Andalucia Bike Race, Stage 2
Today’s start looked easier judging by the gradient chart, a flattish 12km then into a climb. Strange how it never seems to work out like that? The start was crazy yet again, starting on wide streets, then taking us onto narrower streets where I almost took out Milton because of a very sudden right hand […]
Inside Race Prep
Racing doesn’t always go to plan. My Kona Odyssey sure didn’t – but that’s the sport. If marathons didn’t throw up so many challenges, we wouldn’t get to spend so much time preparing for upcoming events and reflecting on the last one. And besides, the before and after is half the fun. Privateer’s blogsite has […]