The coveted stripey jersey, the symbol of a national champion, awarded only to the one who gives it their all and emerges as the best in the country. I’ve raced for that title, that jersey, and that honour many times. As an under-23 rider, I came close with a silver medal, and as a senior […]
A Journey Through Scotland’s Stunning Gravel Roads: Raiders Gravel
Earlier in the year I had hoped to fit Raiders Gravel into my schedule, but initially it seemed impossible due to how busy the calendar already was. However when the National Gravel Championships were moved to coincide with this event I seized the opportunity to race this three day event. While I knew racing the […]
Epic gravel riding in the Wiltshire hills – Hotchillee Stone Circle 2024
I’ve said it many times, but the Hotchillee Stone Circle was one of the best days on the bike last year. That says a lot, considering all the amazing events we get to travel to all over the world. Once again this year, the event came up top trumps. Everything from the route to the […]
Ice cream and gravel in Scotland: The Gralloch
On Friday, we embarked on a journey hundreds of miles north to the picturesque town of Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland. This tiny, sleepy town is nestled among castles, rolling green hills, stony beaches, and the Irish Sea. However, the tranquility was about to be replaced with a burst of energy as the UCI Gravel […]
Santa Vall: Kickstarting the European Gravel Season
Santa Vall was the opening race of this years Gravel Earth Series, a series which defines what gravel should be, fast racing with an equal amount of fun and partying. The series has a total of 20 events with five headliners, which include The Traka in Girona Spain, The Rift in Iceland and Ranxo Gravel […]
Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2023 – stage 6
The final stage Humans are great at forgetting pain. When we sign up for a stage race, we aren’t remembering the aching muscles, the stomach problems and nausea, the legs so swollen they barely fit into your jeans for the pasta party. We aren’t remembering that it’s not just the legs that hurt, but the […]
Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2023 – Stage Five
I think it’s probably time I admitted publicly that I completely underestimated how tough Appenninica MTB would be, but after 5 stages and an average elevation gain of 2500m per day so far, this ranks among the toughest stage races I’ve done. It also has some of the best trails. Let’s pause a moment to […]
Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2023 – Stage Four
Everything I have heard about the Appenninica MTB Stage Race over the past years has been positive. From the food, to the hospitality of the towns, the event crew, the event vibe and of course – the trails. Today’s stage from Fiumalbo to Fanano has probably been the best example so far for the trails. […]
Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2023 – Stage Three
Until just a few short hours ago, I believed that getting through the Queen stage of Appenninica MTB yesterday would leave me with smooth seas to sail right up until the end of the event. Imagine my surprise when I took a closer look at the profile for today’s stage 3 and saw that it […]
Appenninica MTB Stage Race 2023 – Stage Two
Stage Two of the Appenninica MTB Stage Race dawned with some cloud cover, but a very upbeat and friendly vibe in race HQ. No doubt after the heat of stage one, everyone was happy for less intense sun as we took on the Queen stage, riding 90km and ascending 3200m from Castelnovo ne’ Monti to […]