Undertaking a big paired stage race might be the highlight of your mountain biking year – but if you pair up with the wrong person, it might be a real low point. Just because you’re great friends with a rider, it doesn’t mean you will end up as a good team. Stage races exist around […]
Bike Odyssey – your journey through the Greek mountains
A mountain bike stage race can be the ideal vehicle to discover new places, and meet new friends. The Greek Odyssey is an 8 day stage race in the Pindos mountain range that covers 600km and a huge 25 000m of climbing. It’s a pairs race, and offers a great opportunity to ride in, and […]
Anton Cooper to contest The Pioneer
Related Event: The Pioneer
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 […]
Transalp – the journey across the Alps
Related Event: Craft BIKE Transalp
Of all the mountain bike stage races, the Bike Transalp is perhaps the most complete journey. It’s a classic point to point stage race from southern Germany through to Riva del Garda. The route has changed its shape, as has the length of the race. Now a 7 day format, with an increasingly technical route, the […]
Perskindol Swiss Epic – the final push to Zermatt
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
While the Grand Tours might be lucky enough to have final stages as processions, in the world of mountain bike stage racing, there’s often quite a lot of racing left to do, and positions to decide. The 2015 Perskindol Swiss Epic was no exception, and across the Epic and the Flow race, many categories were […]
Perskindol Swiss Epic – Stage Three – back across the valley
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
The 4th day of a six day stage race, is well and truly the hump day. Starting in Leukerbad, the Perskindol Swiss Epic was set to descend down to the Rhone Valley, travel upstream towards Visp, and then ascend towards Grachen, via Visperterminen along a seemingly never ending climb, followed by a never ending descent […]
Perskindol Swiss Epic – Stage Two, Tour of Leukerbad
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
Whenever we get in a group of fast riders, challenging us, I always tell Mike that we have to ‘ride the wave, as long as we can’. We were feeling a little battle-worn when we finally turned out the lights last night. We’d had a very tough day: things had gone wrong, we’d both dipped […]
Perskindol Swiss Epic – Stage One, the Queen stage
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
Today the real racing started with a climb up to the iconic Croix de Coeur pass from Verbier, similar to the first ascent of the famous Grand Raid marathon race, but taken on some smaller and steeper roads. Mike and I enjoyed a call up to the front row, although we had to be beckoned […]
2015 Sudety MTB Challenge Video
Related Event: Sudety MTB Challenge
There’s not much left to say about the Sudety MTB Challenge. We all love it. The trails are what you hope for at a mountain bike stage race. The organisation are caring, efficient, and organised. The racing is hot. And the experience… hard to beat.
Perskindol Swiss Epic Rider Diary – getting prepped
Related Event: Perskindol Swiss Epic
I’ve been working in media for a while now, and I’ve learned that there’s a time for every kind of writing. There’s a time to explore ideas. There’s a time to discuss events. Then there’s a time to go deep inside and treat yourself in a bit of self-indulgent introspection. That time has come! That’s […]