Chiang Mai Winter Training 2024

The Stats

Days of cycling: 30

Total distance covered: 2269 kilometers

Average per day: 76 kilometers

Total moving time: 128 hours

Average rolling time per day: 4.5 hours

Laps of the Cowboy XC track: 25

Times up benchmark climb: 7

Mechanicals: 3

Strava KOMs: 3

Crashes: 0

Days of rain/wind/clouds: 3

Pieces of cake eaten at Sala Cafe: 13

Pizzas consumed at By Hand Pizza: 3

Siamaya Chocolate bars devoured: 14

Transmaurienne Vanoise 2024

Introduction

This is my first time participating in this event. I didn't really know much about it in advance apart from what their web page says: http://www.transmaurienne-vanoise.com/

The race is surprisingly cheap: €500 with boarding and one meal per day. And the living quarters are nice and spacious. I have four beds, a kitchen and my own loo.

The stages are split into two locations but it's just a 20 kilometer drive in between so no biggie.

We're racing high up in the mountains. The stages start at 1300 meters of altitude and we cross over peaks way over 2000 meters high.

I was put in the M45 category. Yeah, no M50, and M45 is from 45 year to 54 year olds. And I'll me 54 this year. Lots of youngers to race against in other words.

Race stats

Type: UCI Mountain bike race

Length: 5 stages / days, third stage shorter XCO race

Location: Val Cenis, France

Bike and setup: Lapierre XRM (120mm/120mm suspension) with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" tires (1.5 bar)

Gearing: 32T up front, 10-52T in the back

Alpentour Trophy 2024 - 4 day stage race on MTB - Sixth place on General Classification in M50

Result: 6th place in M50

Race stats

Type: UCI Mountain bike race

Length: 4 stages / days, last stage is a shorter hill climb time trial

Location: Schladming, Austria

Bike and setup: Lapierre XRM (120mm/120mm suspension) with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" tires (1.5 bar)

Gearing: 32T up front, 10-52T in the back

Intro

I participated in this race for the first time last year, in 2023. When I took part then I was in a bit of a lull motivation-wise and had had a terrible Beskidy Trophy just a few weeks prior. I did very well in Alpentour and finished in 5th place (Alpentour Trophy 2023) I really enjoyed it and wanted to come back for more. Last year I did it at the end of my European trip, this time at the start. The stages this year are very similar, only the track for stage 1 and stage 3 have been swapped around.

Chiang Mai Winter Adventure 2023

The Stats

Days of cycling: 23

Total distance covered: 1846 kilometers

Average per day: 80 kilometers

Total moving time: 115 hours

Average rolling time per day: 5 hours

Strava KOMs: 5

Crashes: 0

Days of rain/wind/clouds: 0

Alpentour Trophy 2023 - 4 day stage race

The Race

Alpentour Trophy is an Austrian stage race for mountain bikes. 

• Four stages
• Start/finish in one location
• Elite and Master classes
• Solo and duo categories
• Location: Schladming / Austria

Nellie and I

Slovenia and Croatia Mountain Biking summer 2023

Krk and the Slovenian Alps

The time between Beskidy Trophy in Poland, and Alpentour Trophy in Austria, 13th to the 20th of June, I spent mountain biking on the Croatian island of Krk and in the Slovenian Alps.

On previous years I have usually managed to fit in a race or two in this part of Europe. But as there were so few days between my two stage races in Poland and Austria, this time I mostly did nice and scenic recovery rides.

Beskidy Trophy 2023

Fifth place in M50

Tenerife Mountain Biking Winter 2022/2023

Exploring the trails of Tenerife this Christmas

This winter I spent 18 days mountain biking around the southern parts of Tenerife including one loop around the volcano Teide.

That's Teide (the volcano) in the background

 Contents

- Tips about where to stay on Tenerife and where the good singletrack is

- Some of the best trails with Strava links and videos

- My epic New Year's ride around the volcano

- My crash :(

Racing and cruising in Croatia, summer 2022

This summer's training and racing vacation included a trip to the island of Krk in Croatia.

I'm a bit late in writing this post, it's December and in the middle of winter, but here goes...

Swedish Marathon MTB Cup 2022 (Långloppscupen) - Second Place

 

After seven races in Svenska Långloppscupen I manage a second place overall in the cup. I was leading the cup before the last race but had mechanical issues at Bockstensturen and didn't manage to finish better than ninth. That dropped me into second overall.

All the races of the cup and positions:

Race              Position        Average Power  Weighted

Billingeracet     3               265W           290W

Lida Loop         4               256W           285W

Ränneslättsturen  11(sick)        214W           236W

Mörksuggejakten   4               259W           283W

Engelbrektsturen  1               259W           284W

Finnmarksturen    6               241W           277W

Bockstensturen    9 (mechanical)  216W           257W

Engelbrektsturen - Sprinting for the win and getting it

Result: First place

Equipment: BMC Fourstroke with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" front tire and Continental Raceking 2.2" rear

Type of race: XCM (marathon), 70 kilometers

Mörksuggejakten - Bouncing back

Result: 4th place

Equipment: BMC Fourstroke with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" front tire and Continental Raceking 2.2" rear

Type of race: XCM (marathon), 72 kilometers. Fourth race in the Swedish Marathon Cup

 

Ränneslättsturen - Riding in sub-optimal shape

Result: 11th place

Equipment: BMC Fourstroke with Maxxis Aspen 2.2" front tire and Continental Raceking 2.2" rear

Type of race: XCM (marathon), 78 kilometers

This race went badly so I will not dwell on, or write about it, too much.