The 2019 Australian Cross-Country Marathon (XCM) Championships had a date and location shift from Townsville to Redland Bay this year. Those riders who were targeting the race in May needed to cool their heels and wait until June, as Rats Cycling Club put up their hands to take on the title and build it into […]
Paez and Michiels win 1st stage of 2019 Alpentour Trophy
The Alpentour Trophy is a four day mountain bike stage race that calls the Schladming-Dachstein region home. Known for demanding climbs, the racing is pretty hot at the front, given how close the stage race sits to the XCO World Cup. The 2019 edition has attracted a strong line-up with many defending champions putting a […]
The 20th Malevil Cup is here!
The 20th edition of the legendary Malevil Cup will take place on 8th June 2019. With routes going through the forests of the Lusatian and Zittau Mountains the race will host mountain bikers from all over the world. It is not just European countries but riders from Japan are also registered. There are more than […]
First rides on Shimano XTR M9100
About 12 months ago, Shimano released a much-anticipated version of XTR – the new 12-speed M9100. It offered what so many people wanted – a wider range from Shimano, and they delivered with a 10-51 cassette. But they also delivered a 10-45 cassette, 4-pot XTR Trail brakes and a lighter Race brake, a new crank […]
Trek and Pivot release new XC bikes
Trek and Pivot have just released updates to their cross-country full-suspension bikes, and the trend towards longer travel, longer reach, slacker head angles and all-round more capable bikes doesn’t look to be slowing down. We think this is another great step, with more companies building bikes that probably suit their world-class riders, but really do […]
Racing bikes in the beautiful Ardennes – Belgian Mountainbike Challenge 2019
Belgian Mountainbike Challenge has become a yearly highlight for me and many other enthusiastic racers. The Ardennes are undeniably beautiful, a rolling range of green wooded hills hold a plethora of rooty and rocky descents. Whilst spectacular it can be a cruel place for a bike race with super steep climbs, the worst being the […]
On test: Camelbak Ultra 10 Vest
The world of marathon and stage racing has some unique demands on equipment, especially when weather, nutrition and self-sufficiency come into play. After Mike raved about the Camelbak Octane 10, it was time to find a large but light pack for myself. The Camelbak Ultra 10 is superlight at just 280g for the bag, and […]
Sibling rivalry decides Bendigo Golden Triangle Epic whilst Viotto powers away to strong win
The Victorian regional city of Bendigo again put on a show hosting one of the highest regarded XCM races in Australia. In 2019 the marathon has been recognised as a ‘tier 1’ event in the MTBA national cup. Meaning the highest offering of national ranking points was on offer to the riders in the 100km […]
Swiss Epic release their 2019 route
The Swiss Epic is the European cousin in the global Epic Series, and under that larger umbrella it has taken a slightly different shape. The Flow category is gone, and the 6 day race is now 5 days, with no opening prologue. But while those changes were already in effect in 2018, the big change […]
Malevil Cup attracts World Champs and Olympians
The 20th edition of the legendary Malevil Cup – UCI MTB marathon series will take place on 8 June 2019. Routes going through the forests of the Lusatian and Zittau Mountains will host mountain bikers from all over the world. At this moment bikers from many European countries but also from United Arab Emirates are […]