It’s very hard to write-up a stage race – so much happens within each stage that putting it all together makes for such a huge long list of events that it’s impossible to get the ‘feel’ for the event. Instead of writing up a blow-by-blow account of who won what, and who punctured when, let’s leave […]
Counting the top 10 of 2014
I’ll readily admit that there is still a lot of 2014 left to go. About 10% of it actually. And living in Sydney, Australia, means that it’s actually one of the best times of the year to ride right now. But after the Crocodile Trophy, a few easy weeks have been very much enjoyed, and […]
Anthony Shippard: The Hellfire Cup, back with a bang
Clear skies and dry trails greeted riders for Stage 1 of the Hellfire Cup. It was a very different vibe in the race village this year from last, and the relief of race organiser Duncan was palpable! All the work put into the local trails was finally going to pay off – with the riders […]
Jason English ready to defend his National Solo 24hr Title
Australia’s official Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championships will be held at The Australian Botanic Garden, Mt Annan near Sydney on 29-30 November 2014. The Championships are an annual event sanctioned by Mountain Bike Australia, the governing body for the sport in Australia. In 2014, the event will be presented by Rocky Trail Entertainment, who […]
Racing 2014 Part 1 – My year in numbers
I was too tired to be gleeful when my racing year ended two weeks ago, but now that a bit of time’s passed, I’ve been enjoying looking back on it all, so much that I thought I’d write about it. I’m calling it my racing year, rather than my season, because in Australia, and especially […]
How to increase your speed
Marathon racing in summer is wrapping up, with just a couple of events left for the year, notably the Hellfire Cup and Husky 100. But that doesn’t mean you need to hang the bike up (although if you need to, you should). Just about everyone who focuses on marathon racing could be guilty of not […]
Reviewing the 2014 Maverick Series
The Maverick Series was created to give ‘mountain bikers exactly what they need – a great series featuring key established events conducted over a manageable race calendar’. The inaugural Maverick Series unified four established marathon events across 2 states and a territory, spanning a nine-month time period from March to November. The events incorporated into […]
One last Fling for the year
I woke up yesterday morning insisting that I was not going to race the Highland Fling. I’d had no sleep. I was clearly getting tonsillitis (again). I still had Croc Trophy saddle sores that refused to heal. I hadn’t ridden my bike for a fortnight. I’d dropped from the elite 110km race to the 55km […]
How to become a World Champion
There’s a burning question amongst many cyclists out there – how do I become a champion? Or, more pertinently: How do you become a World Champion when you are too old, lack talent and ability, and don’t have time to train? I sat down with Grant Johnston after his prestigious win in the Rolloff World Championships […]
Who to watch at the 2014 Camelbak Highland Fling
The race that captures the attention of the endurance crowd in the south east corner of Australia is fast approaching – in fact it is just days away! Once the fuss about the Melbourne Cup has settled, the talk of favourites about the real race that counts begins. On November 9th, the 10th Highland Fling […]