Words: Imogen Smith Firstly, a clarification. The suggestion that Mike ride the last 17 kilometres to the finish of Stage 3 on our only back wheel after sitting at the feedzone for a couple of hours was mine – not the other mixed racers’, not the R2R people, and definitely, definitely not Mike’s. Also, we […]
Reef to Reef Stage 3 – another banger of a ride
By Imogen Smith Ahhhh good old stage race mass starts. I’ll never learn to love them. Today we rolled out in two big waves on super fast gravel roads around Wetherby Station, host of many Croc Trophy stages (oh the trauma). While I wouldn’t describe the start as hectic, strictly speaking, it was definitely intense. […]
Reef to Reef Stage 2 – mixed racing
Words: Imogen Smith | Photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith It was an early start today, getting up at five am so I had enough time to remove the ‘murder plastic’ from the hotel windows (my DIY blackout solution, which BTW is amazing) and pack two bikes, two bike bags, two gear bags, and somehow, about fourteen other […]
How to succeed at the Convict 100 MTB Marathon
The Convict 100 is probably the most distinctive mountain bike race in Australia. Despite having no singletrack, it manages to be technically challenging. Despite having no built features like gap jumps or north shore the trails are as badass as they come, being hand carved by thieves, bolters and lifers. It’s got zero pretension, not […]
Bike Check: Imogen Smith’s XTR equipped Norco Revolver for the 2022 Cape Epic
In March 2020, MarathonMTB.com Team rider Imogen Smith was making the final preparations to race the Cape Epic with Briony Mattocks. Her Norco Revolver was prepped, she was fit, they were there in Cape Town – and of course the race was cancelled hours before the start. Countless teams were left wondering what to do, […]
#protips for the Otway Odyssey
Don’t miss these #protips for success at the 2022 Otway Odyssey.
Bike Check: Norco Revolver Hardtail team builds
With two new Norco Revolver hardtails added to the MarathonMTB.com service course, it is worth asking what role does a hardtail play in the mountain bike world? The humble hardtail is often seen as the bike for beginners, for family riders, and for ‘cross-country’. A hardtail can also be seen as a race-only bike, a […]
The Cape Epic women’s field is lit in 2020.
The Cape Epic is often seen as the one stage race to rule them all. And we will be the first to admit that while you will have a completely different race experience at other events around the world, nothing truly comapres to the Cape Epic. The size, the drama, the pressure, the fans – […]
Sizing up the Absa Cape Epic 2020
The Cape Epic is coming, and I am going to be there. The world’s most televised mountain bike event. The untamed, the big one, the Tour de France of mountain biking. Call it what you will, I’ve seen the routes, seen the GoPro vision, seen the helicopters, and I am smart enough to know that […]
Ahead of the Swiss Epic 2019
I have often said that the day before a stage race can be as hard as a race itself. And even with planning, today was not without stress. The Swiss Epic starts tomorrow, and as I’m about to set off for some dinner in Davos, it seems like there has been little time to rest […]