Join us on Red Bull TV for the third instalment of the Race Tapes docuseries – Alt-Rock. Created by Red Bull Media House, ride beyond the ropes of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup competition with Payson McElveen, Laura Stigger, Nino Schurter and Haley Batten as they confront the wild extremes of endurance adventure riding.
According to Payson “you make one mistake and its game over” out here. He recently set a new personal best of 05:45:16 on the 160km White Rim Trail, consuming 100grams of carb an hour to maintain peak performance.
But why do it? Why push your body to breaking point? Payson McEleveen says it was a logical progression. He was fed up hanging out in hotel rooms and just to pound a World Cup course without exploring the surrounding environment. Now he’s out smashing his own personal best on trails like the “wild, raw, remote and kind of dangerous” White Rim Trail.
Ranked top in the world of cross-country Swiss Scott-SRAM rider, Nino Schurter, has eight overall world titles under his belt, as well as a record breaking 33 World Cup wins. He like Payson is now looking to ride races he enjoys. “It’s not just about the competition,” he says. “It’s also a big mountain bike adventure.”
High on Payson’s bucket list is the Asba Cape Epic, a 681km, eight-day race, with stages lasting up to six and a half hours. According to Laura Stigger “it’s the Tour de France of mountain biking.” And, when you’re racing across the wilderness of the South Africa outback anything can happen. There’s no team to pick you up and dust you off. You’re riding with one teammate. You’re digging deeper than you ever have, fighting the trail, the competition and the failings of your body and bike.
Asba Cape Epic is no longer a holiday from the pressure and pace of World Cup cross-country. It’s a must in the schedules of World Cup riders like Payson McElveen, Laura Stigger, Nino Schurter and Haley Batten. By racing intelligently and taking your time to recover, the benefits to riders cross-country season are immeasurable.
Race Tapes Episode Overview
- Ep 1) Road less travelled – 2020 Tokyo cross-country gold medallist Pidcock and three-time UCI MTB World Cup XCO champion Jolanda Neff show it is possible to excel in both road cycling and cross-country.
- Ep 2) Doing it yourself – What it costs to be an entrepreneur. Five-time UCI MTB World Cup downhill champion Gwin, Neko Mulally and Seth Alvo reveal what it takes to be a team owner, bike builder and YouTube star.
- Ep 3) Alt-Rock – Cross-country and endurance racing requires total dedication. Ten-time UCI MTB World Cup XCO champion Schurter, Laura Stigger, Payson McElveen and Haley Batten show us how it is done.
- Ep 4) The freeracers – Freeriding meets racing as British stars Kade Edwards and Kaos Seagrave balance the joys of both.
- Ep 5) Between the ears – Injuries, accidents and mental battles. Kiwi Brook Macdonald, Richards, 2018 XCO world champion Courtney and two-time downhill world champion Gee Atherton bring to light the price of racing.
- Ep 6) Parental advisory – Downhill star Höll and 2021 junior downhill world champion Jackson Goldstone experience the highs of Junior success and making the transition to the Elite UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit.