After finishing the recent Tour de Timor I have been giving my bike a post stage race overhaul. Going through my bike and all my personal equipment after many of these ‘adventure style’ stage races over the years has given me a deeper insight into appropriate equipment selection than I had before. By ‘adventure style’ […]
Who can win the 2018 XCM World Championship?
The 2018 UCI Cross-Country Marathon Mountain Bike Championship is upon us. And if you haven’t heard already – the start lists are intense. While we’ve already given our thoughts on the course, the question of who can win on it isn’t so simple. Firstly, you should go and read the entry lists on the UCI […]
2018 XCM World Championship course preview
Related Event: 3Epic
After the flat out marathon course in Singen for the 2017 UCI Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) World Championship, the course for the 2018 event is a completely different beast. The 3Epic race which hosts the Championship is a hilly course with sustained climbs and descents, taking in fast gravel roads, steep climbs, forest trails, a long […]
Have you met Ben May?
Words: Andrew Handyside. Photos: Melissa May The XCM World Championships are nearly upon us and, as any responsible national governing body would do, MTBA have named their athletes who will pull on the green and gold to represent us against the finest the world has to offer. As you know, kitting up for the lads […]
The Breck Epic: A Hero’s Proving Grounds
On October 13 2009 the Chinook Helicopter Juan Carlos Hernandez was sitting side gunner on was struck by a rocket propelled grenade. A routine nighttime mission over Afghanistan took a fateful turn as the floor beneath Hernandez burst with schrapnel from the rpg hit causing Hernandez to loose his right leg in a beneath-the-knee amputation. However […]
Preparing to take on Ironbike
Ironbike is one of the longest running and probably the most renowned mountain bike stage race in the calendar, for simply being the toughest. This year Ironbike celebrates 25 years of pitting man against mountain and despite its reputation for leaving riders broken, this race sells out every year with a significant waiting list. Held […]
Travel south for the Southern Peaks
Related Event: Southern Peaks - Southern MTB
A single day marathon requires travel, accommodation, and dedication to making sure everything goes right on the day. But thankfully there’s a new crop of events that are appearing, and growing in strength. 2-4 day mountain bike festivals are gaining favour as a way to use your weekend and maybe another day or two to […]
How to make your paired stage race a success
Here at MarathonMTB.com we are firm believers that paired stage races create some of the best mountain bike experiences. Mountain biking is often viewed as a sport for individuals – and it is. But mountain biking also offers so many things that are best experienced with others. The general rhythm of a stage race means […]
Previewing the Costa Blanca stage race
Warm winter sun, dusty trails, singletrack, technical trails and an official race hotel, the Cap Negret, right at the beach’s edge, what’s not to like? This is the Costa Blanca Bike Race, held at the end of January in Altea on the southeast coast of Spain. Utilising the surrounding coastal mountain range, it’s 4-day stage […]
Everything you need to know about the Bayview Blast 2018
Related Event: Bayview Blast
The 2018 Bayview Blast is just around the corner! This bike race in south-east Queensland has gone from strength to strength. Best of all, what was a 4-lap race now only relies on two long laps for most of the race, thanks to trail improvements and hard work. The facilities at the Bayview Conservation area […]