Team Stenson and Turnbull

One last test ...

2009-03-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

With a long winter’s training behind him, Jonathan was keen to determine his fitness level as the challenge of the Cape Epic approaches. Would all the winter hours in the saddle pay dividends? One way to find out was to enter the “Gold Rush” at Coed-y-Brenin. Three laps of the Tarw trail – the Red Bull trail for all you old timers – would offer a great test for the legs and lungs over 50km of typical Welsh trail centre riding.

Sitting in his van with driving rain pounding on the roof and windscreen, the wet and windy forests of north Wales seemed a long way from the blue skies of the Canary Islands where Jon completed his winter training just two weeks before, and indeed from the soaring heat that lies ahead in South Africa. Despite the rain, Jon had a smile on his face as today would be the first competitive outing for his new Cube race bike. Equally important, there were many familiar faces amongst the 200 riders at the start line – it’s always good to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.

The well-marshalled course had everything you would expect from Coed-y-Brenin – rocks, rocks, and more rocks! The climbs are tough but the descents are sweet. Jon encountered considerable traffic on the first lap, but he soon found his rhythm as the field opened up. With plenty of fuel to keep him going – Strudel and Liquorice Allsorts were the chosen bars for the race – Jon recorded three consistent laps to finish 16th overall and 8th in his category. Consistency is what he’ll need in South Africa. All-in-all, a great day in and out of the saddle.

The final test of my fitness for the Cape Epic took place in the Sports Science lab at the University of Wales, Newport, under the watchful eye of our coach, George Rose. The dreaded “Kingcylce” test involves pedalling against an ever increasing resistance to determine maximum heart rate and power output. The “ramp test” starts at 175 watts and increases by 25 watts a minute. Maximum power is an average over the last minute of cycling.

This was my 8th Kingcycle test, and they don’t get any easier. The key is to stay on top of the gears and be absolutely focused on the computer screen in front of you, which has a “bow-tie” shaped marker that must be kept between an upper and lower marker on the screen. The end of the test comes when you can no longer keep the bow-tie above the lower marker. When you know you’re going to suffer, and when you really start to suffer, it can be difficult to maintain focus. I’ve found that it’s much easier to maintain your focus when you have an ultimate goal in mind – my best test result was a couple of weeks before the National Marathon Champs in 2007, which I won (vets category).

I was feeling strong throughout the test, until the moment of truth that comes to us all when the heart is at its absolute max. When tests are taken in the midst of the racing season, it is possible to “fight back” as the bow-tie descends towards the lower marker, but after a winter’s training with little or no “top end” riding the bow tie descends faster than the current British economy. Despite this, my max power was just one watt below my best ever output (487W). With my body fat down to 9% and a kilo lighter on the scales, my power-to-weight ratio was the best ever.

I think it’s safe to say we’re ready!

The final countdown

2009-03-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

With just 16 days to go before the Cape Epic kicks off in Cape Town, we're now into the final stages of a gruelling winter training programme. After an "overload" week last month, the final two weeks will be low hours, high intensity, with a "ramp test" at the University of Newport to determine fitness levels and heart rate zones for the race. We've both recovered well from the overload week - 4-5hrs per day for 8 days - and we're now busy with all the final preparations (kit, travel arrangements, etc). Training laps around our favourite circuits (Sutton Park and Cwm Carn) are getting faster and we're ready to ride. Watch this space ...

2009-02-26T10:12:00.001-08:00

Two riders who’ll need plenty of fuel for their adventures in 2009 are Jon Stenson and Pete Turnbull. Jon and Pete are familiar faces on the UK mountain bike scene, competing in all the major marathon and 24 hr races. Last year the pair won the “Torchlight” 12hr (midnight to 12 noon) at the Bontrager 24/12 in Plymouth and Pete is the UK vets marathon champion. In 2007 they were the top placed British team in the 8-day Cape Epic in South Africa, but in 2009 they intend to go two better – in addition to the Cape Epic in March, the pair will race the Trans-Alps in July and the Trans-Rockies in August. To our knowledge, no amateur pair has completed all three of the world’s big multi-stage mountain bike races in one season.

The Cape Epic kicks off with a prologue on 21 March before the serious racing really begins. Over the next 8 days, the riders will cover well over 700km with 16,650m of climbing. In 2007, Jon and Pete rode a steady race, progressing through the field as they got stronger with each day’s riding. By day 7 they were really cranking up the pace and they had their best stage finishes on the last two days. In 2009 they’ll be aiming to “kick like mules” much earlier in the race.

The 8-day Trans-Alps is a good deal shorter than the Cape Epic, at 634km, but the riders will tackle a gruelling 22,117m of climbing. This will be an especially tough race for Jon and Pete as they will only have two weeks to recover after the Alps before they head off to Canada. On the advice of their coach, George Rose (University of Wales, Newport), the pair will be looking to ride a steady race in the Alps to ensure they are in good shape for the Rockies, especially as this race is most likely to suit their riding style. The 7-days in the Rockies will take the riders over 550km with 17,618m of climbing, but there is more technical single-track riding which will suit the uncompromising style of the British pair.