Journal | Hunt Bike Wheels – Tagged "Athlete Stories" – Page 15

GOSSE WINS NATIONAL TROPHY IN SHREWSBURY

We must admit, we were all too aware of our inexperience as 'UCI staff' when working in the pits for Gosse van der Meer yesterday. For a start, it was just Ollie there, as Stan & Dan were both out battling the course and the other riders. You'd think just having a dedicated pit crew, even if just one person, was a pretty special thing (it's certainly something we don't see at the London X League), however Ollie was surrounded by teams with up to 4 pit crew per rider! Paired with the fact that we couldn't get our pressure washer to start, and Ollie was sliding around the washing area in some Adidas Spezials asking to borrow other teams' water... we well and truly took on the role of 'plucky underdog' at the sixth and final round of the National Trophy in Shrewsbury this weekend.

ON THE DROPS WITH ALEX PATON

What a season this man has had! Following winning his debut race for the team at the 2018 PERFS down in Portsmouth, Rosie had his fair share of troubles and shunts through the mid-season. Everything came up trumps when he finished the year off with a memorable Sprints Jersey win at the Tour of Britain.

We caught up with the Aldershot-based rider to find out how he keeps ticking over during the off-season, what his targets are for 2019, and his views on Christmas binging...

"Wild about Argyll" by Steve Bate

It was quite a challenge to convince Ibrahim to head to the south west coast instead of the north west, like we usually do for adventures in Scotland. We’ve shared many outings, climbing and biking in the north west, as it offers endless possibilities for people in search of remote adventures. But heading towards the big city of Glasgow instead of away from it, ran against the grain of our long time adventure history. I’d come across the Bike Packing Scotland website, when they had just released a short film called Wild about Argyll. Apart from getting married on the banks of Loch Lomond six years ago, almost to the day, I hadn’t spent any time in the south west and this little video sparked my interest.

ON THE DROPS INTERVIEW WITH TYDEMEN NEWMAN

There are two things you need to know before you meet Tydeman. First, he's probably faster than you. Second, you'll be stretched to find someone who gets so stoked on riding. The combination of these two factors makes for a dangerous mix. So we decided at the very last minute to see what makes Tydeman tick as we wrap up the Hill Climb season.

LESS THAN 1000KM TO GO IN ROUND-THE-WORLD RECORD

Round-the-world rider Jenny Graham is edging nearer to her final destination in Berlin. With less than 1000km to go, the Adventure Syndicate at the time of writing is crossing the Belgian/Dutch border. After putting in some huge miles, including a huge day which clocked in at over 300km with only 5 hours sleep, Jenny is determined to reach Berlin and smash the world record of 144 days.

PEATY'S ARE KILLING IT: OFF THE DROP INTERVIEW WITH CO-FOUNDER TOM MAKIN

The Peaty’s guys have been killing it lately! From supporting top-level teams competing in the Enduro World Series and UCI Downhill to taking on the road tubeless revolution with British Continental team Canyon Eisberg. We even had the chance to meet up with Tom, Bryn and the man himself, Steve Peat, for a few beers and a ride at legendary Wharnecliffe Crags! These guys are super passionate about what they do and how they can make products which help riders have a better experience when out on the trails or roads.

STAGE RACE RECAP: RICH'S GILES REES MEMORIAL STAGE RACE

Rich is an incredibly fast rider. He's partial to the occasional hill climb and loves to get out and about on his beloved Argon 18. Recently, he did the Giles Rees Memorial Stage Race. Consisting of four stages over three days he said it was just like the Tour de France... but in Kent... and a lot shorter... and not as quick

Steve Bates smiling, ready for the adventure

PROJECT24: EDINBURGH TO THE NORTH SEA

Stephen Bates is more than just a bike rider. He is an adventurer, World Champion, Olympian and being a vision impaired rider and inspiration to what is possible. Coming off his win at the recent World Championships in Vancouver, Canada on the Velodrome, Stephen decided to take on a more endurance-focused challenge. Here is his story riding from Edinburgh to the North Sea.

RED JERSEY SUCCESS AT THE TOUR OF BRITAIN

Alex Paton displayed his pure grit & determination to come away from the Tour of Britain with the red sprinter's jersey. After a thrilling finale on the final day in London, the 28-year-old won the final intermediate sprint of the eight-day race ahead of Matt Holmes, who fought him all week.

The fight for the jersey ended with a long 1km sprint with Paton going deep into his reserves to respond with a perfectly timed response to Holmes' long attack, which would have seen him take the jersey had Alex not taken any points. We might be biased, but we like to think Paton's forward-thinking approach to wheels & tyres (big fan of tubeless, and races on 60-65psi!) contributed to his ability to tie up the jersey.

GOSSE IS NUTS! CATCHING UP WITH THE CRAZY DUTCHMAN

When you read "last year I got hypothermia during that race... but it was fun" you know there must be a few screws missing. But for Gosse Van Der Meer it is this craziness which makes him great! A lot has happen over the past year for the Dutch native after he announced he was going out alone with support from Bombtrack bikes and Hunt Wheels. As he puts it, he is "finding (his) own way in professional cyclocross". This means bulk 30hour weeks, motor pacing, solo training camps, hypothermia, racing in 38 degree heat and broken knee caps - we are in total awe of how hungry Gosse wants it!

GRAVEL RIDING HEAVEN? ROB HARWOOD HEADS OUT TO WALES

If there is one rider who embraces the weekend epic it is OpenDev rider Rob Harwood. Not one to shy away from distances which exceed 300km, Rob is the man when it comes to riding a really long way in a single day. He's not out to break record, nor is he out to impress, but he's out to do what we all love - ride his bike.

As the co-founder of Colvelo Collective, he organises a range of weekend 'monuments' throughout the year as well as the odd trip from their native Colchester to the Welsh hills.

Dan Evans climbing on his Cannondale Evo

BRITISH REIGNING HILL CLIMB CHAMP: ON THE DROPS INTERVIEW WITH DAN EVANS

There are few riders better to pilot prototype Hill Climb Specific wheels under than Dan Evans. As the reigning UK Hill Climb Champ, when it comes to getting from point A to B with a massive incline, then this is the guy many will point to as being the fastest. As a rider who revels as the sight of double-digit incline percentages and relentless gradients, Dan Evans is simply put... bloody rapid!