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 […]
My favourite event: Transalp
As we move into a year unlike no other, being able to travel the world and race your bike seems like such a luxury! I don’t think I ever took it for granted, but as each week passes I’m left thinking about what race I’d really like to do, or do again. I also think […]
MTB Racing in Jordan: Final Day 4
The 4th and final day of the Arabian Cycle Epic- Jordan was judging by the smiles crossing the finish line, the highlight stage of the whole tour. Riders began this morning at the Shoubak castle which was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. This sits in a strategic position for defensive purposes which […]
MTB Racing in Jordan: Day Three
Day three of the Arabian Epic Series Jordan Stage Race would start and finish at the 5 star Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort. That means a big buffet breakfast, and we can only go uphill from the start. Sitting at about 400m below sea level, the climb to Mt Nebo at about 800m would be […]
MTB racing in Jordan: Day Two
Stage 1 and day 2 of the Arabian Epic- Jordan was promising to be an exhilarating day of riding. With 46km of riding starting at 1000m above sea level and finishing at 200m below sea level we were all looking forward to ripping down the Jordanian countryside. Alas, as fun as the riding was on […]
MTB Racing in Jordan: Day One
The Arabian Epic Series popped up a couple of years ago, with an ambitious plan for lots of one day races and a few stage races around the Middle East, including in Jordan. The concept has settled for the current season with 3 marathons and 2 stage races – which is probably about right in […]
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 […]
Racing with Megabake’s Vietto’s Tears – one season in
In March this year I was given a few bags of Vietto’s Tears to try out, by Megabake head baker Brett. I bumped into Brett over three years ago when supporting my then fiancé Imogen Smith at the Chicks in the Sticks 3 hour race. At the time, Brett had one main product with the […]
The best in the west – Cape to Cape Day One
It’s October, and that means stage races are going crazy. With the Cape Pioneer Trek, the Crocodile Trophy, Cape to Cape and soon the Brazil Ride kicks off – it’s a pretty hectic time. If you were gifted with unlimited funds, you’re looking at four really diverse events to pick from. In Australia, the clear […]
Livigno Training Camp: Day Seven
What the hell just happened? How did an 8 day stay in Livigno just about come to an end? It seems like so recently that we arrived in Livigno, anticipating epic rides, amazing food, crazy Italians, thin air and mountain scenery. For the most part – Livigno delivered. While we didn’t have seven days of […]