Every race has a crux, and in the Grand Raid, which runs from Verbier to Grimentz along the Swiss Alps in the Valais region – it is the Pas de Lona. A vicious hike up a scree slope to well over 2700m, it comes on the penultimate climb, when you have just climbed up about […]
Enduro Training for Marathon Racing
How often are you the rider in a group who claims that they would ride something gnarly “but not on this bike.” Is there a point where the distance based mountain bike racing that many of us love so much becomes a hinderance to the riding and racing we do – and we don’t end […]
Alice Springs to feature in new Australian XCM Series
News has broken that the Easter in the Alice stage race in Alice Springs will be part of a new Australian National Marathon MTB Series for 2015. After the Real Insurance XCM Series of 2014, there has been little talk of 2015 as of yet. The Maverick Marathon Series still has two of four events […]
Huber and Süss win Swiss XCM Titles
On August 17th, 2014, the 17th Eiger Bike Challenge was set to determine the Swiss Marathon MTB Champions. The race has a traditional route, with a lot of climbing, and very steep descending. The route isn’t representative of the riding around Grindelwald, which hosts the event. The valleys are laced with trails, many of them […]
Eiger Bike Challenge to decide Swiss XCM Titles
Tomorrow, Sunday 17th August, some of the best marathon mountain bike racers in the world will line up to contest the Swiss National XCM Title. For 2014, the race is attached to the Eiger Bike marathon, racing 88km and climbing 3900m from Grindelwald, in the Bernese Oberland. The Swiss have a formidable reputation in cycling, but […]
Ben Thomas: Racing Mixed with Sally Bigham and the PRO experience
Last month Imogen Smith interviewed Sally Bigham (Topeak-Ergon Racing Team) about the announcement she had made via social media. She would be racing the 2014 Craft Bike Transalp as a mixed pair, but with no assistance from her male team mate. As Bigham pointed out, she wanted to ride over the Alps herself, as her […]
Sella Ronda… Zero
This blog was supposed to be a preview of the Sella Ronda Hero: the 2015 UCI World MTB Marathon Champs. On a perfect day, in perfect weather, I failed to ride around the course. So, here’s the story of what went wrong, and what’s right about that. When people find out that Mike and I […]
Grand Raid 25th Anniversary
The 25th anniversary edition of the Grand Raid, from Verbier – Grimentz, promises a unique show, thanks to a start list that holds many of the best in the world. In 2013 the victory escaped Christophe Sauser after a flat. What will happen this year, while the world champion admitted that the Grand Raid was […]
Ucka UCI marathon – the sales pitch
Sometimes a report is all about the racing action – the struggle for the lead, the sprint finish, the mechanical and human dramas. But on this occasion I find myself wanting to write something of a sales pitch. This is a race that has it all – amazing scenery, post-race swimming in the sea, superb […]
3 Ring Circus – a Winter Warmer
Next weekend sees the wonderful trails of Wingello host the ‘3 Ring Circus’. An event that you could be forgiven for leaving off your calendar. The ‘3RC’ is a race that is often overlooked by many – it is often a bit chilly, it is also not part of any series, although over the years […]