The hub for marathon mountain biking
Waking up in Haputale this morning was a unique experience. With a tiny bit of jet lag I was awake just before 4:30am. Then the mosque next to the hotel had a call to prayer. Then there were roosters. Then train horns, then dogs, then tropical birdsong. While it is easy to sometimes forget where […]
Warm winter sun, dusty trails, singletrack, technical trails and an official race hotel, the Cap Negret, right at the beach’s edge, what’s not to like? This is the Costa Blanca Bike Race, held at the end of January in Altea on the southeast coast of Spain. Utilising the surrounding coastal mountain range, it’s 4-day stage […]
When I set up the MarathonMTB.com website in late 2010, it was only because I had countless hours of help from a friend. By help, I mean he built it, designed it, and continues to look after the site to this day. I just had a concept. After working, riding, racing and travelling for the […]
The final day of the 2018 Port to Port promised to be many things. It would be on of the shorter stages at 45km, and the flattest with only 570m of climbing. But it would also have some of the best trails, and be the only stage that would take us from one point to […]
Stage 3 of the Port to Port MTB Race is known for a hard but fun course. And with an update to the start it meant we would be racing sooner and not in a neutral escort on the road for as long. And with everything on the line for the open men’s race and […]
Stage two of Port to Port was an all-new route for 2018, bringing new trails, a new start and finish and a whole lot of guesswork to how it would play out once the gun fired, especially considering how close the men’s GC is after Stage 1. With the race starting at the Sugar Valley […]
The 2018 Port to Port had a rejig for its 5th year, moving the start to Audrey Wilkinson winery in the Hunter Valley. The rising sun with hot air balloons and a sky that went from purple to orange and then to clear blue greeted every rider as they arrived. As the 8am start got […]
In Australia, there is more than just a chill in the air in some parts of the country. With early snow falls in the Alps, and even snow on the ground on the Tablelands last week, it’s clear winter is making its mark for 2018. And while some of the racing is winding up for […]
Have you heard of the Carpathian MTB Epic? It is a multi-stage mountain bike race, accredited by UCI held in Romania. In it’s second year big names from the world mountain biking stage have already announced their intentions. On August 16, 2018, the next famous cyclists will compete in 4-day EPIC race: Ariane Lüthi, who […]
The stage racing hangover is as real as any substance abuse hangover. Every part of the body aches, the sense of time and place is less certain than on a regular-day. And the mess you’ve got to clean up is substantial. But unlike any other hangover you’ve got all the memories from the incredible experience, […]
