On The Dot 004. Previewing Silk Road Mountain Race & Badlands with Nathalie Baillon. Plus Colorado Trail Race, Via Race and more!

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Welcome to episode four of Honor dot dot COM's race
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Focus Show, where we review the recent action and look
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forward to some of the dots to watch in the
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near future. I'm your host Samuel Thompson, joined again by
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dot Watcher's fastest known times timekeeper, Nicki Shaw. How's it going, Nicky?
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Hi Sam and all good share.
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Thank you, super and we're also very pleased to welcome
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Natalie Bayon, who has experienced competing at the sharp end
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of the two main events we're going to be speaking
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about today, having finished joint first female and fourteenth overall
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at the Silk Road Mountain Race in twenty twenty three
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and twentieth overall at bad Lands in twenty twenty four.
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That's far from all she's achieved as an ultracyclist, though,
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as Natalie's extensive Palmer's includesive results such as the first
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woman at the twenty twenty five Tour Divide was sixteen
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day finish, a top ten at twenty twenty five across
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Andy's and in twenty twenty three she became the first
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woman to cross Europe from south to north, covering six
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thousand fringe of klometers from Tarifa to Nord Cap in
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just over eighteen days, which was a Guinness World record
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at the time. So thank you very much for joining us.
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Natalie.
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Thanks, thanks, I'm very happy to be here today.
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And you've got some more racing plans towards the end
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of the year, I hear.
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Yes, my main gorgeous year all did the Syce Nothing Race,
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their new Nelson Race, so I'm very excited and there
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will be a very strong woman's skip, so that will
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be something to watch them.
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Yeah, and it's you've done the Atlas Mountain Race Silk
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Road already.
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You haven't done Hellenic all.
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Right, I've done it off like before the first initial
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I took the the itinerary to train from the Silk
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Wade actually, so I did it, but not durings a race.
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It was also test, but very goodly for like all
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of these races, and I did a little bit earlier
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in the season, so there was a lot of snow
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and stuff, and it was quite funny because people asked
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me about it because it was first edition, so they
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asked me what it was like and I said, yeah,
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it was tefee that there was so much snow, but
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when you go in may Or, I think it was
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made for tedition, the weather would probably be better and
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you have let's snow, and I think the weather for
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them was like very very rainy and a fall, so
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at the Anna one maybe letty.
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Let's let's start today with looking ahead to Silk Road
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Mountain Race, which starts on Saturday, fifteenth October. It's the
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eighth edition of the race, which has got reputation for
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being one of the one of the most challenging and
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one of the most attractive of road races there is now.
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This year it's the longest.
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Edition yet at around two and fifty kilometers with a
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lot of elevation at thirty five thousand meters. Nelson Treesy,
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organizer has described it as a bit less wild than
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previous editions, but it still only features twenty percent paved roads,
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and each year the roots changes slightly in terms of
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where it starts where it finishes. This edition starts in
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Tallus in the northwest corner of Kugyzstan and finishes in
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cholpon Ata at northern shores of Lake issik Kul, so
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it's quite a change from previous years. Natalie, how have
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you seen much of the route this year? How does
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it compare to when you did it a few years ago.
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Yeah, I think for us it was a bit less
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than one thousand and nine one hundred kilometers, But for
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us it was their edition. I think with the more
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time aboard two thousand meter store, it was more this
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part it was a bit harder, and you had to
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arrive prepared like some altitude their training before arriving.
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Yeah, that's that's one of the one of the big
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challenges I had had noted down here that they give
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the average attitude for this edition is two thousand and
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four hundred meters and goes up to nearly four thousand meters.
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So I was actually checking some of the some of
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the riders that we're going to talk about, their instagram
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to see if they'd been in the Kugysta for a while
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to get some acclimatization in and didn't seem like many had.
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And did you spend much time at all out there
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before the race started?
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Yeah, I went I think four or five days before
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the race started, and I tried to do some art training. Yeah,
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some aclimatization I kind of did, but there were some
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I had some mechanical issue just before the race, so
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I spent that time trying to fix my bike. Before
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the race, I couldn't really aclimatize the way I wanted.
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But I didn't have problem during the race. But also
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I went at some point, I did some part of
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the race to try and aclimatize. At some point there
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were some stones coming, so I decided to go up
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and maybe go down again. And at the top I
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found the shelter, and I said, in the shelter and
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the air, it was a bit too high compared to
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where I was at aclimatization. So this night was hard,
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and yeah, I didn't sleep well and I didn't feel good.
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But after that I guess I was acimatized for the
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race because except that you feel, you know, a bit
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more tired, I didn't have any problem then mm hmm.
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It's a difficult one for a lot of people.
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With it's there are two weeks for the event itself,
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and then considering time to travel out and travel back,
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and then trying to commit time to climatize before. I
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know a lot of people they don't have much option,
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then to travel out a few days beforehand, and looking
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at the profile as well that we're going straight up
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to three thousand five meters from the start, so there's
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no there's not really time to ride yourself into this event.
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It seems like a bit of a luxury. So those
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people that have had the time, who can spend a
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bit longer before the those but for a lot of
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these people, they are just taking time off work, so
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it's not always possible or practical.
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Yeah, they already have I mean for full time jobs,
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we're time jobs. They already have to take maybe two
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weeks for the race stor they can't, yeah, take too
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long befought touching the price I guess.
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Mm hmm.
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And where they started this year, so it seemed like
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a bit of a logistical challenge to get there from
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from the capital city where most people fly in. So
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that's another part of this which you see those logistical
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challenges here. Nelson does give a sort of list of
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places to be able to resupply along the route, but
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there's some big gaps in there. I counted a few
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of two hundred kilometers plus. How how did you find
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this nastily were in terms of resupply is there is
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there nothing between these pois that Nelson gives you, or
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can you resupply between these.
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I think it gives the ones where he's really sure
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there will be possibility to resupply if it's open of
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course at that time. But sometimes you find some other stuff,
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but not so many. I mean, you have to plan
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in advance. When I think we also add more than
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theometers without anything, and you couldn't find anything, So you
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really have at that moment to pack en up with
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you keep a bit of room in your bags. Who
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bring more food, more water and also maybe some what
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you know what alicator. I don't know, you're saying this purification, yeah,
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okay or yeah, or this kind of obstas to tip
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in the water. But and sometimes even if there is something,
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it's not so easy, especially if you want to be
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passed to its properly. So I remember sometimes I had
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there was just a small shop and I had some
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socc net that was melted, and that's what's not supposed
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to be eaten anymore. But when you're only the son,
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you're what you can find.
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Oh well, yeah, food is food in those situations, and
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that's well, that's that's a nice segue to the conditions that.
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That are likely in this region.
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They in the manual, they mentioned the extremes can be
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between minus fifteen to plus forty and there are some
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quite specific equipment requirements and this year apparently there will
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be checking strictly that people carrying these things because apparently
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in the past people have taken risks with this and
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not bought appropriate sleep equipment. Or they mentioned that someone
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hasn't bought gloves in the past, which seems like a
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bit of a bit of an oversight.
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So yeah, they see those extremes in temperature.
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And there are requirements for having a sleeping system that's
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down to minus fifteen as well, recommended to bring a
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tent naturally, did you did you take a tent with you.
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Or did you buvy? What was what was your sleeping.
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I had a bud but it was kind of a
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very small tent because I still had the act or like, yes,
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so I had this and a good slipping bag because
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you know, on this race is even the frogust, one
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have to sleep, so if you are called, you wan't
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sleep good. I guess it's better to have a bit
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more weight on your bike and have a good sleep,
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except if you can find somewhat to sleep inside all
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the time. But I think it's difficult on the silk
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cord mountain rings, So yeah, I think it's important to
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have all this. And even with this, I got cold
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at some point and then I had a difficulties to
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to breathe correctly with the nose. There was a bit coffin.
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So yeah, I guess it's better we.
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Are seeing it.
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Trent of a lot of the riders, especially the front
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end of the field, trying to sleep indoors as much
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as possible. But like you were just saying, are they're
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going to be inevitably be moments during this where that's
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just not possible.
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Yeah, and you never know what can happen. So I
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guess for security better at least a BB.
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So did you find yourself sleeping outside much? We kind
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of caught out in that way. Did you find that
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you were warm enough when you were outside?
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Yeah, most of the time I slept outside, just because
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I don't still always sleepy at the moment where I
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could have the best hotel or I don't know if
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you can say it was more often yachts, but it
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was maybe a mistake. I know at some point I
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was at the checkpoint and there were some yachts with it,
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and I decided to continue with this famous all the
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Soviet world. I guess you've heard of it. It's like
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very step like shot, but there is steep climb with
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uh yeah, like you have to to carry the bike
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and and be careful because you can break your tires
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and stuff like this. And I decided to continue. And
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then I was feeling asleep and I sapt just after that,
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I in attitude, and yeah, I got sick after that.
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So I guess I could have just sleep before would
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have been probably better. But at that moment, I don't know.
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I didn't feel like the right thing to do, but
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I didn't know. I didn't know what was waiting for
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me after that. So yeah, it's not always easy to
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make the best choices.
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Ideally, you try not to sleep at really high altitude
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because it can affect the quality of you sleep. But
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then in some occasions you don't. You don't have that choice,
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do you.
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Yeah, like I said, for our edition, we were very yeah,
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a lot of the time above for thousand Naturals. So yeah,
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it probly difficult sometimes to sleep in yeah, the valley,
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but I slept once in the York, and when I could,
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I tried to fife. But it's inside, but it was
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not always the right time, so I guess most of
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the time I slipped outside.
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Yeah, okay.
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And then in terms of the riders that we've got
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this year, there's two hundred and fifteen total, one hundred
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and seventy seven solo men, twenty three flinter riders and
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twenty five lots of pairs. And I'd look at some
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of the nationalities. The most populous nationality is it's Great
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Britain of thirty, then twenty eight from Germany and twenty
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fourth from the US, and I think forty four nationalities
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in total. Twelve the twelve riders from Kugastan as well,
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which is which is nice to see, and in their
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local race. We could say, let's start with some of
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flint riders. There's Cynthia Carson who is doing all four
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of Nelson's races this year, and she is she has
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been first woman at at this mountain race and Hellenic
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so far, so she could be on for the full
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sweep unless Natalie gets in the way at Taurus, I suppose,
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or well, Cynthia has got to got to come on
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top of this one first. And Kerry McPhee is going
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to be there as well, she was second female at
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at Mountain Race earlier on in the year. A couple
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of us I picked out is Arianne Richter who was
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seventh fat lost dot one. I one Nicky must have
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come across Ariam there then.
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I think we traded positions a few times, but I
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never I don't think I actually had a.
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Conversation with her, always passing each other in the.
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Night, yeah, like ships in the night.
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She's done a lot of races in the past couple
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of years, including Hellenic Mountain Race and at this Mountain race,
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so a lot of head of recent experience there. And
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there's another Natalie and Natalie Schetner who is a former
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professional mountain bike rider and World e mountain Bike champion
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in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty.
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Three, and she has experience in ultra races as well.
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Was the first female at Bright Midnight in twenty twenty
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three and was six overall Hope oneenty and twenty twenty four,
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so she obviously knows how to ride a mountain bike.
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But yeah, some, Yeah, there'll be some interesting competition there.
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I think it looks like it will be Synthia and
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Kerry again.
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Either.
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If you have any any thoughts of who who's likely
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to come out on top there.
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I think Cynthia has probably got the advantage in terms
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of experience, having raised aboard missus Cary's first year where
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she's she's ventured outside the UK, so I think she's
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still perhaps getting to grips with high altitude and the
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sort of terrain that you might get. So, but it's
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going to be a tough, tough one to call. I
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think both extremely tough riders.
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And Natalie, you race quite closely with Cynthia in at
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this mountain race a couple of years ago.
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Now, oh yeah, and since then I'm throwing a bit
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what she's doing. So I think also that there are
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great senses that Wins is raising mm hmm.
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And yea, I wuldn't be surprised to see Cynthia high
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up in the overall as well here consideringerformances recently and
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then it was quite a long list of men to
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mention here, notably Sofianzahlia is back after winning Silk Road
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three times previously three times in a row. In fact,
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between twenty twenty one and twenty twenty three. Natalie mentioned
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Justina s Lavaca earlier, so he did finish third in
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Silk Clad Man's Race in twenty twenty three, and it's
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obviously won quite a lot of races since then, including
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earlier this year, high in twelve five point fifty Tour
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Divide last year. So there are a couple that I'd
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expect to see near the front and one Rydling really
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interested to see how he does this. Max Rees he
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won Hellenic Mountain Race earlier this year, and he's also
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he's raised Silk Road three times previously. I think he's
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been in and around the top ten, so he's obviously
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he's gained a lot of experience and he yeah, seems
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to be seems to be together and the high profile
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races recently. There's also Angus Young coming off his third
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place finish at Tour Divide earlier this year. Niki or
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any of us off that list that you would highlight.
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Maybe Ashley accordingly, so he was racing with a pair
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with Kerry in the day of Divide, but I think
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he's racing as a solo in this way, so he's
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he's a strong lader to watch from the UK. Probably
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00:18:36.119 --> 00:18:39.839
Jens van Roost who was second with the Tour Divide
300
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.240
last year, so another strong lader to watch.
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There's a lot of there's a lot of riders in
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here with experience in offerad events coming back to Silk
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Grows as well.
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So yeah, I think.
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It's it's shaped out to be a really exciting race.
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It's going to be an interesting, interesting one to watch.
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Let's move on to an event that's very different in nature.
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Let's say so Batons is coming up with Starts and
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Grenada on Sunday, the thirtieth August this year. The route
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00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:22.960
is roughly angel chlometers with more than sixteen thousand meters
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of climbing, which reversus some of the most extreme landscapes
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in southern Spain. I'm sure the heat is going to
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play a massive factor in people who are heat adapted
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and those who maybe struggled to race in the heat.
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So we've got we've got actually yet to be released loster.
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We've been shared from the organizers.
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Exclusive look at the starts list.
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And it's look at the status list with two hundred
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00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:58.480
and eighty three solo starters and sixty five pairs. So
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00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:01.960
it's again if you huge shoe starting list, I.
321
00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.160
Think they're quite over subscribed for this as well. That
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00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:06.920
it's not straightforward to get into one of.
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00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:09.119
Those baces where I think as soon as the entries
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they open they get sold out. They didn't not the
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00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:15.519
first twenty four hours so and then of course they
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00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:18.240
have the way to list. So it's one of those
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00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:21.799
basis that people have there on their pocket list, maybe
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00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:24.640
a year or two advanced before they even managed to
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00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:28.319
get to the start line. So Natalie, if you if
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00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.480
you looked at the route the show and a littit,
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how it differs to when you've experienced it.
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I think they couldn't find them the track. I'm make
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00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:42.799
sure I could changed just in terms of do you know,
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mate on innovationally it seems quite demular to what we've done,
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00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:52.119
But no, I don't know where they go exactly.
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How did you approach it?
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Being because Nicky mentioned it's a sort of crossover event
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where you get people coming from the longer self supported
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Ultra Seed and some of these races who are primarily
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00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:09.000
focused on gravel, and that's of eight hundred kilometers.
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00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:11.480
It's one where some people aiming to do it in
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single hit. What was yours?
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What was your sort of strategy going into it?
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So actually I was supposed to do it in du
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at first with some guy who already I don't real
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00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:26.640
race you want it or Auly was through this something.
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I guess that it was in the top top solos
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00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.519
the previous year, and yeah, just just a a few
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00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:38.880
weeks before I or me couldn't do it, and so
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there was for me to decide if I want to
351
00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.799
do it solo or not do it. But yeah, the
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00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:49.039
landscape thinks so beautiful and I was like, yeah, I
353
00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:50.839
still want to do it, but in my mind it
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00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:54.200
was a bit difficult to yeah, to do it so
355
00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:56.400
long when I was supposed to do it with someone else,
356
00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:01.720
But yeah, done a lot of uh long races, so
357
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:05.000
I was doing it more. You know, I come from
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00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:09.759
ult trials and not you see ice gravel races, so
359
00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:13.839
for me it was a it was a nultral race. Still,
360
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:19.559
eight hundred theiometers is quite fast for ultras, so I
361
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:24.599
wasn't planning to sleep a lot and trying to do it,
362
00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:30.440
yeah as fast as I could. But I did suffer
363
00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:35.839
from the heat. Yeah, and I had for people followed there,
364
00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:42.880
I had some yeah bad I don't know, it's not
365
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:49.720
bad experience, but I lost my helmet because I wanted
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to put my head in under the water and the fountain,
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and I forgot my helmet and then I lost a
368
00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:00.079
lot lot of time because of this. I won't go
369
00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.599
into the details, but but yeah, so this this kind
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00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:07.759
of made me lose a lot of time and places.
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00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:10.880
But I still enjoyed the race a lot because it's
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so beautiful. But yeah, I've thought the lots on the
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hit and I guess maybe europe plans will be better
374
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altimatized with the heat waves we have right now.
375
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Especially after this year.
376
00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:26.559
And how about the terrain as well, because it's it's pitched,
377
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there's a gravel event. Do you find there was anything
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00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.440
technical on? There was all nice and rideable.
379
00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:38.400
Mostly mostly nice and rideaball and maybe some parts with
380
00:23:38.519 --> 00:23:43.119
a bit more, a bit more sandy. And yeah, there
381
00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:47.920
was a small proption where we had to walk because
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of yeah, yeah, because the road was broken, but that
383
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:58.000
was like maybe fifteen meters. So most of the race
384
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:00.519
was ride a ball. Nothing to do with the still
385
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:03.200
world where you know you will have to walk for
386
00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:04.720
some hours.
387
00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:09.000
That's her sleep sleep kit. Did you actually take anything
388
00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:13.799
any sleep equipment? Because because the distance at the pace,
389
00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:17.000
I mean a lot of people might be taking those
390
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:21.119
risks in terms of just, you know, just leaving a
391
00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:24.359
sink at home just to save some weight. So what
392
00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.039
was your shrust you there?
393
00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:34.599
Yeah, this one, I didn't bring any beaving. I don't
394
00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:37.440
remember exactly. I don't remember if I took you. Maybe
395
00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:39.960
I didn't take a sleeping bag neither, or maybe just
396
00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:49.240
my don jacket with some down pants. Yeah, But to
397
00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:51.960
be honest, I don't remember exactly what I broke with me.
398
00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:55.599
I don't think I spreached a lot on this place to.
399
00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:58.200
Really have a quick highlight of who to watch, so
400
00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:02.799
Lost to She's yet to be released. As before, it's
401
00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:11.359
a really diverse mixture of backpackers and professionals gravel rating
402
00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:17.720
scene from forty seven different countries. So I think looking
403
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:21.440
at the men's I think my highlight would be Robin
404
00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:27.279
needs no introduction after winning the TCR earlier this year,
405
00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:33.079
so he's got a really strong offload racing pedigree. Then
406
00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:35.559
I guess a big thing will be how how he
407
00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:37.799
covered is he after the TCR.
408
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:40.720
It'd be interesting to see what his attentions are as well,
409
00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:45.559
because it's sort of a similar situation to Victor Bassoni
410
00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:48.599
last year. I know, I know Victor ended up racing
411
00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:52.200
bad Lands as a pair, but we don't know whether
412
00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:54.799
Robin is definitely going into this to race or he's
413
00:25:54.839 --> 00:25:59.400
just there for the experience but sponsorship sponsor obligations.
414
00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:02.359
He but I really like to see him.
415
00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:04.680
Well, I may I mentioned I mentioned him now that
416
00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:07.799
Victor Pasoni is back again and I believe he is
417
00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:10.880
there to race race for the win this time. So
418
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:15.000
it'd be great to see Victor and Robin head to
419
00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:16.160
head on this sort of.
420
00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:22.079
This room showdown. They come head to head Unbound Excel
421
00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:26.680
earlier this year, I think Robin took the win and
422
00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:32.880
then did Victor have to scratch scratch just to save
423
00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:35.319
his self in a bounce of the Tour de Varied
424
00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:38.720
which she put in a really good performance there, so
425
00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.000
both had big wins.
426
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:44.119
It was the reverse situation at Tracker earlier in the
427
00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:46.599
year when Victor one and Robin had to scratch. So
428
00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:49.680
to see him both both at their best I think
429
00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:50.519
would be interesting.
430
00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:54.920
That other people to watch out for I think would
431
00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:58.079
be Max. He came second last year, so he'll go
432
00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:02.079
baby one another one who's tired the top spot.
433
00:27:02.079 --> 00:27:06.000
And especially how he performed at Tracker as well. He
434
00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:08.519
had that mechanical issue a few kilometers from the finish
435
00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:11.119
and was leading at the time as well, So we're
436
00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:13.720
looking at this sort of event. He's coming from a
437
00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:17.559
professional background as well, and I know he didn't have
438
00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:20.319
the experience he wanted a Transcontinental, but he was still
439
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:23.359
competitive for the first half of that race. So I
440
00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:25.000
think he's a sort of profile that could do really
441
00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:25.400
well here.
442
00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:27.680
I think he'll be coming back for a bit of
443
00:27:27.720 --> 00:27:31.079
redemption after Track at Sam have you got any names,
444
00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:32.279
any names.
445
00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:32.480
That you're.
446
00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:38.440
You'll be bookmarking on the men's side only beyond Smith
447
00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:42.200
Yell who was third at Tracker this year and he
448
00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:47.559
was it was second at at this mountain race earlier
449
00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:52.720
this year. Ulrick Bartholomo's who is He's been around for
450
00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:56.240
a while. I'm sure we'll do well more. So interesting
451
00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:59.759
to see how Metavan Bond does. He was on the
452
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:02.839
pod cast when You're on as well Nikki a few
453
00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:07.359
months ago. He's he's a professional gravel racer, but he
454
00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:10.160
hasn't done much in the ultra space. But if there's
455
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:13.880
any race where there is that potential to step up
456
00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:19.079
in distance, and this is it. And one more is
457
00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:23.880
Chris Melman, another former guest on the podcast, who was
458
00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:26.720
third at Bad Bands last year. I think that was
459
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.839
his first step into ultra and he's got quite a
460
00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:34.039
bit of more experience since. So yeah, it's again really
461
00:28:34.039 --> 00:28:37.400
competitive in the women.
462
00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:43.319
We've got a Nucci Gego who was nineteenth overall last year,
463
00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:49.759
and then also Lizzie Himmel is a UK rider, so
464
00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:53.559
another really strong British rider there. We've also got of
465
00:28:53.559 --> 00:28:54.920
Eye Modern Howard.
466
00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:58.839
She had a couple of impressive rides this year and
467
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.720
of course came professional this year of the Cannon team
468
00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:04.839
as well. I'd be interesting to see how Camille Albissa
469
00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:06.880
gets on straight off the back of her second place
470
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:12.039
at TCR Again is will she be fresh? Will you've
471
00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:14.960
had enough time to recover? And I wonder what her
472
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:16.440
attentions to be for this one as well.
473
00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:21.799
Absolutely along with Panah Ghazi do we see if that's
474
00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:26.559
how you pronounce the surname. She's had some strong performances
475
00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:31.000
in the past. Did she win was it Ruandon?
476
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:38.319
Yeah, she was first first woman, which is sort of similar,
477
00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:43.799
not comparable, but similar in terms of train perhaps and distance.
478
00:29:43.960 --> 00:29:47.000
So she said that she can actually erase these kind
479
00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:47.839
of distances.
480
00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:51.839
We talked about this in terms of bad Lands last
481
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.680
year and last year. I'll be interested to get your
482
00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:57.440
experience of this as well. That there's quite a lot
483
00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:01.319
of talk after the events, firstly about litter in certain
484
00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:05.319
places and villages and some drafting going on as well,
485
00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:09.359
and they have a new initiative this year, and in
486
00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:11.880
terms of trying to cut down on some of the
487
00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:16.480
litter from rider from what riders are carrying from the start,
488
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:20.359
So they'll be labeling food and gaels at the start,
489
00:30:20.559 --> 00:30:22.440
so if riders dropped these along the way, you were
490
00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:26.160
going to know who who it is. So you could
491
00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:29.319
say it has a limited effect because I think that
492
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:31.599
people buy along the way aren't going to be subject
493
00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:33.440
to this. But I think it does help to raise
494
00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:35.480
awareness and I think it's a really positive step from
495
00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:39.519
the organizer to show that they are they are trying
496
00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:42.599
to do something about this and they are making and
497
00:30:42.599 --> 00:30:45.519
they are making people aware that you can't be littering
498
00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:48.160
along the route, what it does to the environment and
499
00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:52.920
the local communities so well on say the littering side
500
00:30:52.920 --> 00:30:56.000
of things. The impact it was two years ago now
501
00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:57.680
that you did it, Natalie, was it something that you
502
00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:01.440
deserved when you well on that rice.
503
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:04.920
Not that much, but maybe because I was in the
504
00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:10.279
front of the race. But yeah, there is often, there
505
00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:15.839
is always some I guess maybe some are not on purpose,
506
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:18.920
maybe you know, when you take your jacket off the boquet,
507
00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:24.599
maybe something. But yeah, I guess you it's important that
508
00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:29.359
that we keep these spaces clean. I mean, they're beautiful
509
00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:34.319
and we don't want them to look like trash. Yeah,
510
00:31:34.839 --> 00:31:38.240
I mean it's important that they but these worlds, even
511
00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:41.240
if they are not enough, it's still better than nothing.
512
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.359
I guess you know. I've been traveling in India and
513
00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:48.359
it's a bit of shame when you see all these
514
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:52.440
trashes and these beautiful landscapes. So I guess we're far
515
00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:55.920
from this there. But still when you see some trash
516
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:58.880
in the nature, I don't understand. And you know, it's
517
00:31:58.920 --> 00:32:02.640
not like you jails will change your race and make
518
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:06.039
your especially if they are empty, make your slore. So
519
00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:09.799
just did them, Yeah, in your braden when you find
520
00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:15.079
their trust, just yeah, just you can kid them until then.
521
00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:16.640
Yeah.
522
00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:20.079
I think then that leave no trace principle is one
523
00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:23.759
that we shall be looking to looking to follow and
524
00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:27.079
with the drafting as well. It seems like all these
525
00:32:27.079 --> 00:32:30.000
events where there is this crossover of some people from
526
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.720
the gravel world coming into coming to the culture, that
527
00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:36.640
this seems to come up. And maybe it's because these
528
00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:39.480
are short events that people are quite closely matched at
529
00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:42.960
the front against a difficult one for the organizer to
530
00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:45.359
do a huge amount about.
531
00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:47.039
It against.
532
00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:49.559
It's something that you've come across in the events, and
533
00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:52.000
do you think, what do you think the solution could
534
00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.559
be to break especially to start to break it up
535
00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:54.799
a bit.
536
00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:57.519
Yeah, it's surely at these start at the start that
537
00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:01.400
you can understand, because you know, it's kind of a park.
538
00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:04.319
You go all a bit. I think maybe at the
539
00:33:04.359 --> 00:33:09.640
start you can say okay or either you make some
540
00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:15.359
waves out. So it kind of but I've seen, yeah,
541
00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:20.480
I've seen some people doing a lot of this and
542
00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:23.799
it kind of I don't like it because you know,
543
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:26.440
there are some rules and you have to respect those rules.
544
00:33:26.440 --> 00:33:29.720
You are allowed to talk a bit and stay a
545
00:33:29.720 --> 00:33:32.920
bit together for some time, but at some point you
546
00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:37.240
can't stay behind someone for long, long long time. Like
547
00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:39.720
just last time I did a race and there was
548
00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:44.960
some guys always staying behind me, and yeah, I found
549
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:48.160
it frustrating because you know, it's just not allowed. We
550
00:33:48.200 --> 00:33:51.400
have we don't have a lot of rules, but there
551
00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:53.519
are few rules and you have to respect those rules.
552
00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:59.559
And if the organizer want to alone this, you can.
553
00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:03.079
I mean, I've done deserted by this and he said
554
00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:07.720
he allows it. It allows to draft. So I had
555
00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:10.519
no problem for people drafting bind because it's in the rooms.
556
00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:13.519
But when when it's not allowed, you're supposed to respect this.
557
00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:16.440
I don't know. For me, it just to respect the
558
00:34:16.480 --> 00:34:19.000
spot and it's supposed to be self sufficient. If you
559
00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:22.400
want to draft, you you go with your going duo
560
00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:25.480
and then you're allowed to draft your duo. So yeah,
561
00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:28.719
it's a difficult one. I don't know what you and
562
00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:31.599
you know. For me, even when people draft behind me,
563
00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:34.440
I don't feel like taking a picture and say to
564
00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:37.440
the organization he's drifting behind. You know, you feel like,
565
00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:40.800
I don't know, it's not in the culture so to
566
00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:44.519
say this stuff. So for me, just I try to
567
00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:47.800
make it understand the people. At some point, I just
568
00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:49.840
go on the middle of the road. So it's like
569
00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:53.320
either your goal in front and you leave me, or
570
00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:55.360
you stay beyind that you're not supposed to stay my
571
00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:59.039
will all the time. You know, if it's for a
572
00:34:59.079 --> 00:35:02.039
short amount as you are descending, you are going more
573
00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:05.719
as the same speed. Okay, why not maybe, But when
574
00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:08.599
when it becomes too obvious that there are this thing
575
00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:11.199
in the wheelchair, it kind of yeah, it's a bit
576
00:35:11.880 --> 00:35:12.440
what's trading.
577
00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:15.639
I think it's a tricky one with this because just
578
00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:20.199
the volume of participants just make it virtually impossible not
579
00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:24.679
to be so tightly bunched at this specially start the race.
580
00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:29.519
So I do wonder if having a staggered start would
581
00:35:30.199 --> 00:35:33.760
would help to just spread people out a bit more
582
00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:37.639
and discourage people from I'll just make it less easy
583
00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:42.199
for that to accidentally happen. So, but then again, stagger
584
00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:46.480
starts have their disadvantages and that the race flow isn't
585
00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:51.679
quite as clear because it's you can't see. You can't
586
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:55.159
just compare on a map the dots because people start
587
00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:59.280
at different times. So I'd say that's the main disadvantage there.
588
00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:03.199
I mean, you also play on the opening hours of
589
00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:09.760
some shops, for example, you know you arrive just thirty
590
00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:14.639
minutes after it closed, and you went the waves a
591
00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:18.559
bit later, then you know you can play on the
592
00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:21.960
race also, So maybe it's not the pollution for waves.
593
00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:26.159
But yeah, I guess maybe it could be allowed at
594
00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:28.280
the beginning when there is a big pack, why not.
595
00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:33.519
But after the first mountain usually it's rare that a
596
00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:35.679
lot of people are at the same speed on the mountain,
597
00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:39.400
and then then you should not be with someone too long,
598
00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:44.760
you know. But yeah, if there is maybe, if there
599
00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:47.440
is a doubt. And it's also difficult because we have
600
00:36:47.519 --> 00:36:52.239
so many in big distances. But maybe the first one
601
00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:57.000
there have to be more police police and if you
602
00:36:57.159 --> 00:37:02.800
see people are always wells by, maybe you take a Yeah,
603
00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:05.599
maybe the organization takes a cur and take it out
604
00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:08.400
drafting on us, And I don't know. It also not
605
00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:09.880
such an easy one.
606
00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:12.440
Yeah, I think there is.
607
00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:14.719
There is a period of grace at the start of
608
00:37:14.760 --> 00:37:18.440
the event, just allowed to break up. But I think
609
00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:21.320
it's got to be a bit of collective responsibility here
610
00:37:21.440 --> 00:37:25.280
because I think some people may think, and we've had
611
00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:27.639
some people comment on this in the past, that if
612
00:37:27.679 --> 00:37:30.119
everyone's doing it, they feel like they are missing out
613
00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:33.599
if they're not. So it still comes back to everyone
614
00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:38.000
taking their own responsibility and doing what you can not
615
00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:40.400
not to be involved in it. And at the end
616
00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:44.159
of the day, it's there isn't a prize for this
617
00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:46.880
with there any really cheating ourselves if we if we
618
00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:50.559
do this sort of thing. So yeah, it's it's we've
619
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:52.599
got a question. What's it worth in the end?
620
00:37:53.079 --> 00:37:55.239
Seemed literally, I mean it's it's not actually going to
621
00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:59.000
make you any faster over the course of eight chi
622
00:37:59.079 --> 00:38:02.400
chlometers if you try a Gail bracket for if you
623
00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:07.239
draft behind someoneful thirty seconds or so, it's it's it's
624
00:38:07.320 --> 00:38:14.119
more impacting your own integrity without than the final races.
625
00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:16.440
All well, in terms of in terms of littering, I
626
00:38:16.440 --> 00:38:18.920
think it's a great interiative that the that the organized
627
00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:23.679
is doing in terms of raising awareness for this. Hopefully
628
00:38:23.880 --> 00:38:26.559
when we review the race it can be just about
629
00:38:26.599 --> 00:38:30.000
the results. So thank you very much for joining us, Natala.
630
00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:32.320
It's really great to have your your insight on those
631
00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:35.760
those events and I hope I'll look forward to seeing
632
00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:38.519
seeing you ride again in Taurists in a couple of months.
633
00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:41.800
Yeah, I'm excited to have never been to a Turkey
634
00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:44.840
and so and way to the silver this country.
635
00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:49.400
Okay, Well, have you have a great ride there and
636
00:38:49.400 --> 00:38:50.000
and thank you.
637
00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:52.440
Again thanks for the best at Tauris.
638
00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:53.360
Thank you.
639
00:38:57.159 --> 00:39:00.519
Okay, So before we look at some other events that
640
00:39:00.559 --> 00:39:03.440
are coming up shortly, let's jump back to what's been
641
00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:05.800
going on in the past couple of weeks. First one
642
00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:08.480
is the Colorado Trail Race starting in the second August.
643
00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:15.559
NICKI, Yeah, it's a eight hundred and fifty kilometer mountain
644
00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:21.000
bike race that goes down through the Colorado Rockies. It's
645
00:39:21.039 --> 00:39:25.400
like one of the stalwart events of the US Ultra
646
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:28.400
distant scene and it makes up one third of the
647
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:32.440
US Triple Crown, along with the Tordibide and the Arizona
648
00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:37.239
Trail Race eight hundred. So the top three overall we had.
649
00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:41.239
First was Alex McCormack finishing two days sorry, four days,
650
00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:46.559
two hours, and forty nine minutes. Second finishing was Savvier
651
00:39:47.199 --> 00:39:50.760
Cherry Boga i had known as the Farmer, finishing in
652
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:54.519
four days, eleven hours and eighteen minutes. And then third
653
00:39:54.559 --> 00:39:57.880
it was Rocky Gring finishing four days, sixteen hours and
654
00:39:57.960 --> 00:40:02.880
forty five minutes. In the women's race, finishing sixth overall
655
00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:06.599
was Nicolette Jones, and that was in four days, twenty
656
00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:09.719
one hours, and forty five minutes. It's worth noting that
657
00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:14.159
this third time in a row she has actually won
658
00:40:14.280 --> 00:40:17.199
the women's race and the Colorado Trail Race.
659
00:40:18.360 --> 00:40:22.400
And I had found out that before she had ridden
660
00:40:22.599 --> 00:40:26.320
it on a bicycle. She well, sorry, before she'd raced it,
661
00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:27.559
she'd also toured.
662
00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:27.880
It on a bike.
663
00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:31.079
She'd throw hiked it and crossed country skied it in
664
00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:34.519
the winter. So most of the forms of transport that
665
00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:36.320
she's covered this so she must know it very well.
666
00:40:37.239 --> 00:40:41.119
As far as race preparation goes, I think and cross
667
00:40:41.199 --> 00:40:45.920
training probably she's ticked all the boxes there. So she
668
00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:50.000
also owns the FKT heading northeast, so the actual route
669
00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:55.440
was westbound, so the northeast FKT. And she's also the
670
00:40:55.480 --> 00:41:00.800
only woman to go sub five days faster than Homin Lackman,
671
00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:04.639
who finished twenty fifth or in six days, twenty two
672
00:41:04.679 --> 00:41:06.760
hours and the two minutes.
673
00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:09.639
It's probably mentioned to why that route this year, that
674
00:41:10.079 --> 00:41:14.239
the times wouldn't have qualified for an f KT because
675
00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:18.119
of the detours due to wildfires, which fortunately is a
676
00:41:18.119 --> 00:41:20.599
common theme for a lot of events going on this
677
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:25.559
year that they are being affected, which which did influence
678
00:41:25.599 --> 00:41:28.840
the finishers rates as well. Out of seventy seven starters,
679
00:41:28.880 --> 00:41:33.320
there were only thirty one finishes, forty six scratches, and
680
00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:35.880
so well under fifty thirty three.
681
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.400
Percent, actually off the top of my head.
682
00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:40.599
And a lot of these were because of the air quality,
683
00:41:40.679 --> 00:41:44.719
people struggling due to that, I think. I think it
684
00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:47.679
was especially later on in the race that it affected people.
685
00:41:48.719 --> 00:41:51.519
Yeah, so closer and closer to Duranga, there was quite
686
00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:56.880
a few wildfires happening that they had been ongoing since
687
00:41:56.920 --> 00:41:59.800
before the race had even started. So even with the
688
00:41:59.840 --> 00:42:06.039
new route for this year, which followed a much wilder route,
689
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:11.320
perhaposefully to try and do some wild wall wildfare detours
690
00:42:11.760 --> 00:42:15.840
that were still still managed to effect, you know, the
691
00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:16.599
finished rate.
692
00:42:17.840 --> 00:42:21.039
I thought it was interesting comparing the moving speed for
693
00:42:21.079 --> 00:42:23.360
some of the riders. I know the panel were some
694
00:42:23.400 --> 00:42:26.880
issues with trackers at times, so we can't take this
695
00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:31.199
as one hundred percent certain. Alex McCormack's moving speed was
696
00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:35.960
actually over a mile an hour slower than Xavier, who
697
00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:40.880
was in second, but then his moving time of eighty
698
00:42:40.920 --> 00:42:43.519
percent compared to his Xavier's seventy three.
699
00:42:43.360 --> 00:42:45.599
Percent more than made up for that.
700
00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:49.880
And yeah, on face value, Alex wasn't one of the
701
00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:51.440
fastest riders, so.
702
00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:55.880
Definitely not, and even even Nicolatte was her moving speed
703
00:42:56.000 --> 00:43:00.119
was faster at seven point three miles an hour, but
704
00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:04.239
then her moving average was only sixty percent, so that's
705
00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:08.599
that's what made the difference there. So, but it just
706
00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:13.519
shows how how important efficiency is in winning an utch
707
00:43:13.559 --> 00:43:18.840
distance race. It's about moving average time and not necessarily
708
00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:20.119
the fastest rider.
709
00:43:20.679 --> 00:43:23.239
Yeah, and that balance between the twos, what is right
710
00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:24.360
for each person.
711
00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:31.159
Exactly managing the urest versus without time. Also, it's worth
712
00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:36.280
mentioning seventeen year old Cruise Blue from Flagstaff in Arizona.
713
00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:39.719
Is there a more American name than Cruise Blue?
714
00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:45.880
Cruise Blue? I don't think there is, not if I
715
00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:49.159
could even think of one. He's the finish he's the
716
00:43:49.239 --> 00:43:53.800
youngest youngest rider to ever finish the Colorado Charlie, which
717
00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:54.719
is quite incredible.
718
00:43:56.199 --> 00:44:00.760
That's coming off the back of riding Aras Owner Trail
719
00:44:00.880 --> 00:44:04.440
Race eight hundred last year and finished, and.
720
00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:08.519
The Tour Divide this year, so he's he's actually assuming
721
00:44:08.599 --> 00:44:11.960
he'll go back there for another stab at the Arizona
722
00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:14.800
Shi Race this year. He'll be the youngest person to
723
00:44:14.840 --> 00:44:21.159
attempt the US trip for Crown. So, but we do
724
00:44:21.239 --> 00:44:25.599
look at Xavier Chiaboga, so he's now the favorite to
725
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:28.719
take the US trip for Crown win. He finished sixth
726
00:44:28.800 --> 00:44:31.400
and the Tory bide. Then there's now backed up with
727
00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:34.679
the second place at the Colorado Trail Race. So one
728
00:44:34.760 --> 00:44:37.119
race to go for Xavier and I do believe he's
729
00:44:37.159 --> 00:44:43.800
targeting it the Vera Race. Chapter three, which is the
730
00:44:43.800 --> 00:44:48.039
final of the three the trilogy series of Via started
731
00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:51.960
on the twenty third of July. This was four thousand
732
00:44:52.159 --> 00:44:57.360
kilometers amer Ongan in the Netherlands and finishing border Norway.
733
00:44:58.239 --> 00:45:02.159
Took riders through Germany, Denmark in Sweden before the long
734
00:45:02.199 --> 00:45:07.239
push north up through Norway. I do know that the
735
00:45:07.280 --> 00:45:13.760
Norwegian weather played a big part in the scratch rate
736
00:45:13.880 --> 00:45:18.719
this time. So in previous editions it's got from cold
737
00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:21.960
to hot, hot and hotter, but this year it was
738
00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:24.320
just a constant rain in Norway and there's quite a
739
00:45:24.320 --> 00:45:25.239
few scratches.
740
00:45:25.559 --> 00:45:29.880
Well, the weather in Norway doesn't seem to have been
741
00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:33.679
very kind to the summer events that have taken place
742
00:45:33.719 --> 00:45:34.559
there this year.
743
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:39.360
And now along with two cr as well, so top
744
00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:43.000
three overall we had Adam Leek finishing in eight days,
745
00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:47.400
forteen hours and fifty three minutes with a eighty percent
746
00:45:47.519 --> 00:45:51.679
moving average, which is quite impressive over that kind of distance.
747
00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:56.639
He also won Chapter one in twenty and twenty four,
748
00:45:56.760 --> 00:46:01.360
taking second in Chapter two last year. The second place
749
00:46:01.480 --> 00:46:05.519
was Bruno which finishing eight days, twenty three hours, three
750
00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:10.280
minutes with a seventy four moving seventy four percent moving average,
751
00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:13.840
and then third place to finish the podium was yeah
752
00:46:13.960 --> 00:46:18.440
Loogland finishing nine days, eleven hours and forty five minutes,
753
00:46:19.239 --> 00:46:21.599
and then in the women, I believe it was Anissa
754
00:46:21.719 --> 00:46:26.639
Orbin who who was the top woman. Here's one of
755
00:46:26.639 --> 00:46:30.639
those races that's got a huge amount of returning riders.
756
00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:37.239
It really does pour a lot of energy into just
757
00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:40.480
sustaining that community vibe and getting people to return year
758
00:46:40.480 --> 00:46:45.920
on years. So this year the participants included everyone from
759
00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:49.440
the last year's podium and eighty percent of the top twenty.
760
00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:54.159
So that's a big number of people returning for the
761
00:46:54.199 --> 00:46:54.960
final chapter.
762
00:46:56.239 --> 00:47:00.000
And it'd be interesting to see what happens to Via
763
00:47:00.119 --> 00:47:05.079
hereafter We've spoken to Ian previously mentions it wasn't decided
764
00:47:05.239 --> 00:47:07.960
that obviously, this was initially set up.
765
00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:10.159
As a trilogy, but it's been very successful.
766
00:47:10.239 --> 00:47:13.400
People like it, so yeah, we'll see, we'll see what
767
00:47:13.440 --> 00:47:16.599
happens in the future with the erase I did.
768
00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:22.000
Hear a rumor that it might be it might be
769
00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:24.400
carrying on, but in a slightly different format. So rather
770
00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:26.519
than like a point to point whose it could be
771
00:47:27.280 --> 00:47:30.880
a loop or something. It's a bit easier to a
772
00:47:30.880 --> 00:47:34.280
bit more practical to manage, maybe in shorter distance as well.
773
00:47:34.800 --> 00:47:35.519
Watch this space.
774
00:47:38.280 --> 00:47:41.280
Okay, let's have a look at some other events that
775
00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:45.039
are coming up in the next few weeks in the second.
776
00:47:44.800 --> 00:47:45.679
Half of August.
777
00:47:46.679 --> 00:47:51.119
Firstly, we have GB Duro which starts on the fifteenth
778
00:47:51.159 --> 00:47:56.639
of August. This it's quite an iconic one runs from
779
00:47:57.000 --> 00:47:59.760
Land's End in the UK up to john a Groats
780
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:05.119
and it's around two thousand kilometers and I would describe
781
00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.159
the surface as.
782
00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:08.199
Including a bit of everything.
783
00:48:09.039 --> 00:48:13.079
They describe it as a scrappy, rolling picnic sort of
784
00:48:13.239 --> 00:48:15.360
takes in the best and worst of UK.
785
00:48:16.039 --> 00:48:18.719
You're never on the right bike. Originally it had been
786
00:48:18.719 --> 00:48:23.000
set up as a stage race, and I really like
787
00:48:23.079 --> 00:48:24.119
the stage race format.
788
00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:25.800
When I did in twenty twenty two, I thought it
789
00:48:25.840 --> 00:48:27.639
was one of the best things about it in terms
790
00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:30.960
of you got to meet the other riders and be
791
00:48:30.960 --> 00:48:33.559
able to spend time with them at the end of
792
00:48:33.599 --> 00:48:37.039
each stage. The next stage then started at a set time,
793
00:48:37.519 --> 00:48:40.920
so in a way did advantage of people who were faster,
794
00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:44.000
They got more recovery, more rest time at the checkpoints.
795
00:48:44.039 --> 00:48:46.599
There were some people who are arriving just as the
796
00:48:46.679 --> 00:48:49.599
next stage started, so I had very little time to
797
00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:52.960
enjoy that. But it sort of it added that different
798
00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:57.119
dynamic to it which you don't get during other events
799
00:48:57.159 --> 00:49:00.760
where it's where it's NonStop. But it's back to being
800
00:49:00.800 --> 00:49:04.360
a single stage event for the past it's been thirty
801
00:49:04.440 --> 00:49:09.480
and now all that is is in't that format. There
802
00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:14.639
are only thirteen participants signed up this year. Racing Collective
803
00:49:14.639 --> 00:49:18.400
who organize it do have the ambition of making it
804
00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:22.400
fifty percent male female on the start list, but there
805
00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:25.920
are only two women signed up this year. I think
806
00:49:25.920 --> 00:49:28.239
it's it's still really interesting events. I think courage people
807
00:49:28.239 --> 00:49:30.440
to look into it in the years in the years
808
00:49:30.480 --> 00:49:35.000
going forward. One thing that is a potential constraint for
809
00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:37.039
people from Europe is that it's it's a no fly
810
00:49:37.199 --> 00:49:39.480
ride again. It's it's one of these topics that we
811
00:49:39.559 --> 00:49:42.400
talked about in the past of what the advantages and
812
00:49:42.800 --> 00:49:43.719
constraints are.
813
00:49:44.039 --> 00:49:49.119
Of this heavily biased towards UK riders. Then unless people
814
00:49:49.159 --> 00:49:53.840
are willing to you know, pay the expense of the
815
00:49:53.960 --> 00:49:54.480
very are.
816
00:49:55.960 --> 00:50:00.519
They star so well, Even if you're case, it's not
817
00:50:00.519 --> 00:50:03.360
always so simple to get to Land's End and to
818
00:50:03.360 --> 00:50:05.800
get back from Johnny Groats, I took quite a creative
819
00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:08.119
way to get back. I was living in Sheffield at
820
00:50:08.119 --> 00:50:10.599
the time, in the North of England and it was.
821
00:50:10.639 --> 00:50:13.960
Quite difficult to get trained back from from Johnny Groats.
822
00:50:14.440 --> 00:50:18.400
There. I ended up getting a ferry to Orkney and
823
00:50:18.400 --> 00:50:20.960
then getting another ferry all the way around to Aberdeen
824
00:50:21.039 --> 00:50:23.159
overnight and then getting a direct train from Aberdeen.
825
00:50:23.280 --> 00:50:27.320
So it's sort of going north and around to go
826
00:50:27.400 --> 00:50:29.320
back south. So there's there's ways that there's ways of
827
00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:30.119
going about.
828
00:50:29.880 --> 00:50:36.199
It more scenic scenic journey home than any other format.
829
00:50:36.440 --> 00:50:38.800
Yeah, it adds a bit as a bit of extra
830
00:50:38.920 --> 00:50:40.559
to the to the journey.
831
00:50:40.840 --> 00:50:43.280
Even when I did the Southern Divide, which was from
832
00:50:43.320 --> 00:50:48.800
London End to Kingston upon Thames, so I mean being
833
00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:50.719
in London it was easy to get a train anywhere,
834
00:50:50.760 --> 00:50:54.000
but even to get back to London again, I think
835
00:50:54.079 --> 00:50:55.719
it took me the best part of the day with
836
00:50:56.239 --> 00:50:59.480
three trains and then having to had to get back
837
00:50:59.480 --> 00:51:01.199
because I have I was there, so then I had
838
00:51:01.239 --> 00:51:03.760
an eight hour drive home after that.
839
00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:07.559
It's something for another topic. I think taking a bike
840
00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:10.320
on public transport in various places, it's there's a lot
841
00:51:10.360 --> 00:51:13.239
more that can be done around. That's one more thing
842
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:16.079
I would I would I would slightly question the organizers
843
00:51:16.079 --> 00:51:20.480
on their recommendation for minimum thirty five minimeters tires. I think,
844
00:51:21.119 --> 00:51:23.519
if you're riding this is fast five minimeters ties, you're
845
00:51:23.559 --> 00:51:26.679
going to be you may not have the best time,
846
00:51:26.840 --> 00:51:29.880
So I'd say at least ten minimeters more than that,
847
00:51:30.559 --> 00:51:32.760
maybe more at times. But then again, like I said,
848
00:51:33.320 --> 00:51:34.840
you're never going to be on the ride bike for
849
00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:35.400
this one.
850
00:51:36.360 --> 00:51:39.559
Yeah, you're in for tough ride if you're only going
851
00:51:39.639 --> 00:51:41.159
to have thirty five mil tires.
852
00:51:41.400 --> 00:51:41.639
Yeah.
853
00:51:41.920 --> 00:51:45.320
Actually, in the context of silk roads, I think in
854
00:51:45.400 --> 00:51:49.599
the manual there Nelson Trees does say that a lot
855
00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:51.639
of people have done it in the past on a
856
00:51:51.719 --> 00:51:55.480
gravel bike and regretted their decision, but no one has
857
00:51:55.760 --> 00:51:58.440
done it on the mountain bike and wished they'd done
858
00:51:58.440 --> 00:52:01.559
it on a gravel bike. So sort of putting around
859
00:52:01.559 --> 00:52:04.039
that way, like you never you probably won't regret going
860
00:52:04.039 --> 00:52:07.920
through the more comfort. And then there's there's a few
861
00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:13.280
more events just to briefly mention trans Iberica starts on
862
00:52:13.320 --> 00:52:16.239
the twenty second of August, which in the past was
863
00:52:16.280 --> 00:52:19.559
actually Trans Iberica. This year, well this year and for
864
00:52:19.599 --> 00:52:22.800
the past few years they've been starting elsewhere in Europe,
865
00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:26.360
still finishing in Spain, so it's more of a trans Europe,
866
00:52:26.719 --> 00:52:27.599
but they're.
867
00:52:27.440 --> 00:52:28.480
Great routes each year.
868
00:52:29.320 --> 00:52:34.480
This time it's starting in Udernard in Belgium, passing through Luxembourg, Switzerland,
869
00:52:34.679 --> 00:52:38.000
some of the Alps in France, and then crossing over
870
00:52:38.079 --> 00:52:40.800
the Pyrenees before the riders get into Spain for the
871
00:52:40.920 --> 00:52:45.280
last bit. It's one hundred and sixty nine solar riders
872
00:52:45.280 --> 00:52:46.360
seventeen lots of pair.
873
00:52:46.400 --> 00:52:48.360
So another another really popular.
874
00:52:48.000 --> 00:52:52.079
One and another one which appeals to me and my
875
00:52:52.440 --> 00:52:58.000
taste for French pastry is Panochackla, which is run by
876
00:52:58.440 --> 00:53:01.480
the cake movement Dominic bop Stater, who've previously had them
877
00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:06.159
put on the podcast before and well or should I
878
00:53:06.159 --> 00:53:09.599
should I say it's Pain Chocola because their tagline is
879
00:53:09.639 --> 00:53:11.960
the only pain or the only pan we like.
880
00:53:14.639 --> 00:53:18.000
Only if you get at the end of every dead
881
00:53:18.079 --> 00:53:20.599
end road then I would like to go and ride that.
882
00:53:21.000 --> 00:53:22.320
Yeah, well, signed me up as well.
883
00:53:23.239 --> 00:53:27.199
It's It's actually it's a road based event, and Dominic
884
00:53:27.480 --> 00:53:30.599
has I think he sort of purposely tried to point
885
00:53:30.639 --> 00:53:34.119
out that riding on road doesn't mean to ride on
886
00:53:34.400 --> 00:53:36.599
busy roads with loads of traffic the whole time. Think
887
00:53:36.599 --> 00:53:39.119
it's quite carefully picked out this route. I'm sure some
888
00:53:39.159 --> 00:53:42.239
good laundries along the way as well. It's eleven hundred
889
00:53:42.280 --> 00:53:45.679
kilometers with seventeen thousand meters of.
890
00:53:45.639 --> 00:53:49.760
Climbing and does it fixed food. Yep, that's right.
891
00:53:49.760 --> 00:53:53.400
It goes, goes, goes from Granold in France towards the
892
00:53:53.400 --> 00:53:57.519
massive central and back. And another interesting bit was this
893
00:53:58.400 --> 00:54:03.639
party pace classific that it's all separated the two, so
894
00:54:03.840 --> 00:54:06.480
there is an option for still being tracked, still having
895
00:54:06.519 --> 00:54:09.119
your finish recorded, but it's not competitive.
896
00:54:09.199 --> 00:54:10.239
People aren't ranked in that.
897
00:54:11.119 --> 00:54:13.679
So it's something which I've thought about in the past,
898
00:54:13.719 --> 00:54:17.559
that it's for people who they want to be part
899
00:54:17.599 --> 00:54:21.000
of the event. Maybe they don't want to subject themselves
900
00:54:21.039 --> 00:54:24.119
to the same strict rules of like what Natalie was
901
00:54:24.119 --> 00:54:27.280
talking about earlier, having to strictly not draft off people
902
00:54:27.480 --> 00:54:31.480
and likely small bits of support which I'm sure I'll
903
00:54:31.519 --> 00:54:32.719
be more lenient about.
904
00:54:32.880 --> 00:54:36.199
So yeah, I like, well like a lot.
905
00:54:36.159 --> 00:54:39.519
Of things that he's been implementing with this one.
906
00:54:40.360 --> 00:54:44.039
Absolutely. I think the accessibility is key here and not
907
00:54:44.119 --> 00:54:47.320
everyone is competitive. Not everyone wants to go and race,
908
00:54:48.679 --> 00:54:50.679
might want to do an ultra distance event but doesn't
909
00:54:50.719 --> 00:54:53.639
necessarily want to erase it, just wants to go and
910
00:54:53.719 --> 00:54:58.360
enjoy and have good time, so the option is there.
911
00:54:59.400 --> 00:55:02.920
We've also go Mountains of the Mythinian, which is part
912
00:55:02.960 --> 00:55:07.119
of the Perfidious Albion group of events, so Rob Garden
913
00:55:07.199 --> 00:55:12.159
runs these ones. Starts on the fifteenth of August. It's
914
00:55:12.159 --> 00:55:17.039
a seven hundred kilometer fourteen thousand plus meter elevation. They
915
00:55:17.079 --> 00:55:18.840
call it gravel event, but I believe this is one
916
00:55:19.559 --> 00:55:24.079
a bit of everything in it runs through Wales. Previously
917
00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:29.840
they had run both Mountains of Myrthinian and the Perfidious
918
00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:33.599
Albion events each year, but Rob's now switching to running
919
00:55:33.679 --> 00:55:36.920
one one year, one the other, so it'll be Mountains
920
00:55:36.920 --> 00:55:38.920
this year, Perfidious Albia next year.
921
00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:41.480
Is it what you're familiar with? Much of the root
922
00:55:41.519 --> 00:55:42.199
of this one, Nicky?
923
00:55:44.199 --> 00:55:46.760
I'm not to be honest, It's one that I'd really
924
00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:49.840
like to go and race. I have done the Wild
925
00:55:49.880 --> 00:55:53.280
West Country a couple of times, and I know that
926
00:55:53.440 --> 00:55:56.239
love likes to put in as many hills as you can,
927
00:55:56.519 --> 00:56:00.119
so I'm expecting no less. It's also one other one
928
00:56:00.159 --> 00:56:04.039
of those routes where you're never quite on the bike bike,
929
00:56:04.400 --> 00:56:07.880
so I think the bike choice plays a big part
930
00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:10.519
of the success of some riders.
931
00:56:11.159 --> 00:56:12.599
Put in a good word for Rob to let you
932
00:56:12.639 --> 00:56:16.159
on start list in twenty twenty eight. And finally, Nikki,
933
00:56:16.639 --> 00:56:20.039
was there some FKT information that you wanted to mention?
934
00:56:21.239 --> 00:56:27.360
Yeah, so it is peak season in the FKT world.
935
00:56:27.840 --> 00:56:31.039
I won't just say so as I have a lot
936
00:56:31.039 --> 00:56:35.760
of FKT submissions so I have to verify and update
937
00:56:35.800 --> 00:56:38.960
the FKT site. So it's quite exciting to see. We
938
00:56:39.039 --> 00:56:43.159
have had quite a few submissions from plunter riders in
939
00:56:43.199 --> 00:56:45.000
the past months, so I'm just going to give a
940
00:56:45.039 --> 00:56:50.559
shout out to a few recent okt's that have been broken.
941
00:56:50.840 --> 00:56:57.039
So starting from recent most recent was the Picts Trail FKT,
942
00:56:57.559 --> 00:57:00.719
which was taken by Donnie Campbell. Set off on the
943
00:57:00.760 --> 00:57:03.480
tenth of August. He did this seven hundred and fifty
944
00:57:04.559 --> 00:57:07.840
gravel route down through Scotland in one day, sixteen hours
945
00:57:07.880 --> 00:57:12.360
and forty seven minutes. He also had pairs of women's
946
00:57:12.400 --> 00:57:17.559
pairs a kat on the d Side Trail, so Cassie
947
00:57:17.599 --> 00:57:21.559
Oddiy and Susie Burke took the pairs actually the first
948
00:57:21.559 --> 00:57:26.679
pairs KT one day, fifteen hours and three minutes. And
949
00:57:27.280 --> 00:57:32.079
then another iconic route across Scotland it's a John Mireway,
950
00:57:33.079 --> 00:57:37.320
which was taken by Jody Brunhead took the women's fkat
951
00:57:37.800 --> 00:57:40.280
on the second of August in a time of eleven
952
00:57:40.280 --> 00:57:44.400
hours and six minutes. Scarbid Ossified, which has become the
953
00:57:44.440 --> 00:57:48.519
figure this year just probably because of the name. The
954
00:57:48.639 --> 00:57:52.920
women's Fakato was taken by Georgie Dakin in fifteen hours
955
00:57:52.920 --> 00:57:55.159
and two minutes, and then the March of Castle's Way
956
00:57:56.119 --> 00:58:00.519
was taken by Lewis Bunstein on the thirst of in
957
00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:04.320
a time of fourteen hours and twenty minutes. So in
958
00:58:04.360 --> 00:58:07.519
a lot of OKT submissions in the past couple of weeks.
959
00:58:07.880 --> 00:58:10.320
To keep on top of that, it's really exciting to see.
960
00:58:10.760 --> 00:58:14.119
Yeah, yes, good to see. There's a lot of activity going.
961
00:58:13.960 --> 00:58:16.519
On there and on top of the events we're talking about,
962
00:58:16.519 --> 00:58:19.880
it gives people this some objectives to aim for, gives
963
00:58:19.920 --> 00:58:22.320
them a purpose to these rides as well, and it's
964
00:58:22.320 --> 00:58:25.000
something I talked to people about in terms of like
965
00:58:25.480 --> 00:58:30.199
even even having their training rides around going for these
966
00:58:30.199 --> 00:58:32.599
efficats or using the roots as an example to.
967
00:58:33.039 --> 00:58:37.880
Follow, absolutely good training. God there's a challenge in their
968
00:58:37.880 --> 00:58:40.679
own light and just so accessible.
969
00:58:41.199 --> 00:58:43.679
So I encourage people to check out the fastest known
970
00:58:43.719 --> 00:58:47.760
times website for some inspiration and keep us some dated
971
00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:50.199
with some new ones that have been broken in the
972
00:58:50.199 --> 00:58:56.000
future definitely. Well that's all for this time. We are
973
00:58:56.119 --> 00:58:58.599
also team to hear from all of you about which
974
00:58:58.599 --> 00:59:02.199
events you like to see featured in future episodes, So
975
00:59:02.679 --> 00:59:05.440
if you'd like to then reach out to us at
976
00:59:05.440 --> 00:59:09.280
Instagram which is at dot Com'spod, or email at dot
977
00:59:09.320 --> 00:59:12.800
COM's Pod at gmail dot com. The next regular episode
978
00:59:12.840 --> 00:59:14.800
of dot Coms will be out on the first Thursday
979
00:59:14.840 --> 00:59:17.719
of next month as usual, and we will also have
980
00:59:17.760 --> 00:59:20.800
another rat show back next month, so all those that
981
00:59:20.800 --> 00:59:22.840
we've mentioned coming up, they'll be commentary on the on
982
00:59:22.880 --> 00:59:24.800
the dot Watch website, so keep an eye on that.
983
00:59:25.800 --> 00:59:28.639
And all that's left is to say thank you for
984
00:59:28.760 --> 00:59:29.960
joining NICKI.
985
00:59:31.000 --> 00:59:33.480
Thanks so much, Sam, good to have a cash up
986
00:59:33.599 --> 00:59:36.079
and a debrief on the recent routing action.
987
00:59:36.880 --> 00:59:37.840
And yeah, we're.
988
00:59:37.679 --> 00:59:39.719
Back from more next month and we will speak to
989
00:59:39.760 --> 00:59:41.119
you all then, so goodbye.
990
00:59:41.880 --> 00:59:45.360
Goodbye,