In what could well be one of the most picturesque regions in the world for a Marathon MTB race, the Val Gardena showed all it’s beauty and difficulty today in the 4th Sella Ronda Hero. Although this is only the fourth time the race has been run, the organisers have created a highly popular, well […]
Original Tracks to be used at Sella Ronda Hero
The original tracks of the Südtirol Sellaronda HERO over 62 km/3,300 m climb and 84 km/ 4,300 m climb are re-established thanks to the valuable assistance of the mayor of Selva/Wolkenstein, the municipality of Arabba, the forest ranger office, the many volunteers and the warm weather. The announcement was made today by the organizers of […]
Carl Friberg wins Roc Marathon in La Clusaz
The warm sun shining above La Clusaz presided over the second day of the Roc des Alpes, which was spiced up by a great variety of races (rides, downhill, children’s races, marathon…). The highlight of the day, the 82 km long Roc Marathon, fell into the hands of Swede Carl Friberg, a usual fixture in […]
British XCM Champs 2013; Punctures, crashes, bonus miles and two underdog winners!
So, based on my attempts at punditry at last year’s world marathon champs, and now also for the British XCM champs this year, i shouldn’t give up my day job! In a race that saw many of the pre-race favourites sidelined or handicapped by punctures, navigational error or “technique failure” it was Neal Crampton who […]
How to: Stepping up a gear
What does it take to step up from racing for fun to getting right up there with the big names of marathon mountain bike racing? 1- The bike Lose some weight. You’ll need a bike that doesn’t put much more than 10 kg on the scale, maybe a little bit more if you go for […]
Ice Cold in Austria – AlpenTour Day 1
In the build up to the race, most of the talk has been of the unseasonably cold, wet weather sweeping Europe and whether it was likely that the 2000m roof of the race would even be accessible. Amongst the group of three of us travelling together from the UK, emails and texts were nervously exchanged […]
Counting Down to Sella Ronda Hero 2013
Less than a month to go to the fourth running of the Südtirol Sellaronda HERO and this morning in the press conference at Bolzano many new features of and surrounding the event were introduced. Chris Hellman wrote an insightful report from last year, and with the inclement weather that Northern Italy has experienced this spring, […]
AlpenTour Packing – “What’s in the bag?”
In a bizarre, self-referential way, writing about packing for a stage race is very much like the activity itself- it can be difficult know where to begin! I’ve done a few of these crazy European raids now, snatched between busy times at work, and I still feel like a beginner. So, where to begin? Well, […]
Time ATAC XC 8 Pedal Review
There are a some key parts of your bike that everyone has a favourite item for – and with good reason. Typically, these are your contact points – your saddle, your bike shorts, your grips, handlebars, shoes, pedals – and your tyres too. Your legs are the strongest part of your body, and having the […]
English and King win Subaru Australian XCM National Championships
On 21st April, the 2013 Subaru Australian XCM Championships were raced in Atherton, Queensland. On a mixture of new single track, well established trails, double track and dirt road, the 32 lap took in close to 1100m of climbing. Many of Australia’s best Marathon and Cross Country racers turned up to aim for the green […]