The hub for marathon mountain biking
The Pioneer camp was busy this morning, the influx of 3 Day Traverse racers has increased the size of the camp, and for everyone who survived yesterday’s monster stage, today’s 67km with a ‘mere’ 2000m of climbing to Snow Farm seemed like it would be a walk in the park. And best of all, the […]
All photos by Tim Bardsley-Smith Every marathon stage race has a Queen stage – the longest stage of the race. Not always the hardest, but sometimes it is. Today, the Queen Stage at The Pioneer was 116km long and with about 3600m of climbing. It was a real battle falling on Day 5 of the […]
The Pioneer mountain bike stage race is built upon three pillars: Find Stunning, Find Character, Find Welcome. Through the first four days, I think I’ve ticked off each one already. I found my character yesterday, realising I much prefer to race than just ride. And I found welcome early on, given the friendly event vibe […]
Another day, another bike race. Such is the beauty, or the banality, of a marathon stage race. When you’re on a roll, it’s a case of rolling on from one stage to the next. You nail your routine in the morning. From the coffee line, to breakfast, to the bike park, to finish packing and […]
I’d like to know who can line up on a start line with no trepidation. Surely it can only be the over-confident, or misinformed? Starting the inaugural edition of The Pioneer in Christchurch today with a 37km Prologue, I was wondering which one I was. Lining up with Huw Brassington, a Welsh outdoor athlete, I […]
Tomorrow, mountain bikers from around the world will tackle the first edition of The Pioneer, an adventurous seven day mountain bike stage race from Christchurch to Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island. For many the inaugural Pioneer mountain bike stage race is a step into the unknown, and that includes many of the elite riders who […]
The Pioneer MTB stage race has captured the attention of mountain bikers around the globe – but eight days of paired racing doesn’t work for everyone. Race organisers have launched a new 3-day MTB stage race option as part of the Pioneer 2016 event. ‘The Pioneer 3 Day Traverse’ is a shorter stage race option for those […]
One of the most exciting new marathon stage races heads to the South Island of New Zealand in 2016 – the Pioneer is attracting interest around the world, including from Olympic hopeful Anton Cooper. Anton Cooper is fast establishing a reputation as one of the world’s leading mountain bike riders, having won world titles in […]
The latest stage race to pique international interest is within the South Island of New Zealand. The Pioneer made waves when it was announced in March, offering a 7 day route from Christchurch to Queenstown, along the Southern Alps. And today, the course has been revealed. The course for The Pioneer, the first seven day mountain […]
Updated August 2017! “What are the best stage races to do?” It’s a question that is often asked, and can be broken down many different ways. What makes a race ‘the best’ anyway? It’s a very personal criteria. While one may rate the quality of accommodation available, others might go purely on the amount of […]
