Despite being postponed from 2020 to 2021, the inaugural Dragon Trail MTB Stage Race went off with a bang in March 2021. The concept of three days of mountain biking linking popular trails is nothing new. But there was a lot that made the Dragon Trail event unique, right from the get go. Here at […]
2022 Otway Odyssey back to Forrest
The Otway Odyssey is one of the longest running marathon mountain bike events in Australia, with a winner’s circle that has many elite names. With the 15th edition in 2021, Rapid Ascent took the Odyssey back to its roots and the original start at Apollo Bay, on the beautiful Great Ocean Road. Catch our Otway […]
The Power of Enthusiasm
I am often asked what is the most common personality trait of a successful athlete. Many attitudes come to mind that are conducive to performance but I have rarely committed to one trait to be crucial for success. It is something I have spent some hours ruminating on and researching. Recently, I had a minor […]
The Prospector MTB Stage Race opens entries for 2022
New Zealand has never been short on places for challenging events, and the South Island has often delivered the combination of epic scenery with terrain and conditions to test athletes. Earlier in 2021, the Central Otago region played host to the first edition of The Prospector MTB Stage Race – and it’s on again for […]
Seewald and Esusquiza Fischer win Euro XCM Champs
Andreas Seewald and Natalia Fischer Esusquiza are the new European champions after the 2021 Cross Country Marathon (XCM) European Championships. If the Swiss were a bit behind in the men’s category, the Swiss women shon as the Swiss champion Steffi Häberlin finished in second place, ahead of the world champion Ramona Forchini and Ariane Lüthi […]
What’s new on the Santa Cruz Blur and Juliana Wilder?
On June 1st, the Santa Cruz Blur and Juliana Wilder appeared across news sites and social feeds around the world. If you pay attention to global cross-country racing, you probably weren’t that surprised. With French star Maxime Marotte joining a new Santa Cruz World Cup team. You don’t roll into the World Cup sphere if […]
Australian National XCM course stats revealed for Dwellingup 100
Earlier this year Auscycling announced that the 2021 Australian Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) National Championships would be contested in Western Australia, within the Dwellingup 100 (D100) event on September 18, 2021. You might remember a similar announcement in early 2020, but while the D100 event ran, there was no national title contested for XCM in 2020 […]
Appenninica MTB 2021 stage review
With less than six months to until the third edition of Appenninica MTB Stage Race, race courses and profiles have been released for the stage race running from 12-18 September, 2021. The race organisers have worked to enhance the route from previous years, focusing on the Apennine ridge’s beauty and the unspoiled nature of Alta Via […]
Oliver and Burnett crowned Prospector champions
New Zealand has the terrain to host a variety of mountain bike races, and while The Pioneer is gone (for now?) The Prospector popped up in 2021 as a 3-day mountain bike stage race in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island. With a prologue on Friday followed by two stages, the race […]
The 2021 Andalucia Bike Race route
The route for the 11th edition of Andalucía Bike Race will travel 364 km with 11 330 metres of climbing, and this challenge will run from 17 to 22 May in Jaén and Córdoba in Spain. This year the route will take in popular sections of the typical race route, amongst others that have not […]