ENDURING A TRANS ENDURO

Multi-day stage racing is loads of fun, but can easily break you if you’re not prepared. Here are some things I learnt that may help you have a good time at similar events Make

sure your bike is fully dialled before you head out.

Fit tyres with reinforced casings to fend o those rocks. Condition your body by practising riding long descents top to bottom. Do

some arm-pump training.

Do some training in general, lots of training! Come fully stocked with spares – tubes, gear cables, mech hanger, split links, etc. Get yourself at least two good short liners and butter ’em up. Chammy cream is a saviour!

Pace yourself on the climbs. You’ll be thankful for every gear you have. (And there’s no shame in pushing.) Bring a sunhat for the climbs, and in the words of Baz Luhrmann, “Trust me on the sunscreen”. Drink all the time. I was getting through six to seven litres a day. Electrolytes are your friend.

Eat snacks on snacks. Keep eating, little and often.

Keep an eye on your tyre pressures – they can increase by several psi in the heat. A second set of dry, non-sweated-out gloves is a treat for the race stages. You’re racing everything blind, so keep your head up and anticipate what’s coming. Conserve energy on long stages. Don’t tense up or ride erratically, or you’ll burn out a quarter of the way in.

You will crash at some point during the week and so will everyone else, so don’t give up. Climb straight back on the horse. Stretch. Lots.