“If a boar does ‘charge’ you, stand tall. Do not run, look around for a tactical retreat. A tree you could climb or get behind is a good idea. Back yourself up to this retreat if you see the hackles on its neck stand up. Often, the first charge is just to gauge your reaction.”

Further Race Manual 2020

———

Follow the race here.

I see. Stand tall. On the pedals I presume, no time to stop.

At last, the 2020 season is back on, six months since the Atlas Mountain Race. This time, something really different. I’ve been here in the mountains for a few days and I mean that. This is something new.

Let me start by introducing you to the organiser: Camille McMillan. A favourite book of photography I own is “Circus: Inside the world of professional bike racing.” It’s by him! Isabelle and I have an incredible series of wedding photographs. They’re by him! Camille sees the world differently. He was ‘Editor at Large’ for Rouleur as well. I met him first on the Transcontinental in 2014. He knew Mike Hall well and his photographs played a big part in sharing the weird beauty of that race. An ex bike racer, now part time wedding photographer ;), he started Further Journal in 2019, then both a rally and a race. This year, due to covid, just a race.

I know quite a bit now about the route. There are 16 sectors, four of which have a ten hour night curfew. Why? Well, I assume they’re too hard or too dangerous. We will see. Either way, there is a new element of jeopardy and suspense. This race condition will undoubtably affect the outcome, forcing racers, of which there are only apparently 11, to stop somewhere for the night. I say ‘apparently 11’ as information is sparse. Camille is purposefully aloof with details. The route sectors were only sent a week before. I feel he would like to actually just dispense them at the sound of the ‘starting gun’ (more on that). I’d quite like that. It would create excitement and nerves.

We’ll be racing a loop in the Ariège Pyrénées, in France, just to the north of Andorra, around 150k west from the Mediterranean. The route would have also crossed into both Andorra and Spain, but Covid19 stuck a pin in that joy. The riding is really good and hiking will be frequent but the beautiful scenery makes up for any hardship.

The format is new for me: 16 compulsory ‘sectors,’ with free routing between. Information in advance is limited to small snippets from Camille’s brief race manual and the drip feed of photos on his Instagram; all of which acclaim to the hardship awaiting. Bike choice is a big topic of discussion: a mountain bike, a gravel bike, or perhaps an aerodynamic road bike and just run the sectors? The sectors make up half the total distance of 500 kms. Their positioning intentionally leads to a substantial 15,000m of elevation gain. So, while a gravel bike with quick tyres might be good for some, it will come undone for others.

My bike of choice? It’s the trusty hardtail Canyon Exceed. I’ve raced this frame a lot and I know it well, though the one I’ve brought here is the CF SLX. Saving the grams will be appreciated. I know how to set up and dial in this bike for this kind of race. Plus, while it might be a bit slower on some of the tarmac, I can bomb the descents – so at least I can have some fun, right? Setting it up has been a challenge. I’ve adjusted and modified several times and I won’t go into details now, as I feel (hope) some parts of my setup may give a competitive advantage. I look forward to making a video after the race, talking you through it.

While the racers will be few, it will be tasty. There has been no real start list, just a smattering of post it notes with names on Instagram. Canadian ex-pro and ultra-endurance aspirant, Christian Meier and cool guy Laurens Ten Dam (most recently with Sunweb and CCC) will start. Of others that I know, in addition to the ex-pros, will be: Bas Rotgas, Michal Serafin, Eleonora Balbi, India Landy, Jon Woodroof and Tom Dawkins. Sadly, many who would have been there will not start, due to the UK government’s recent blanket quarantine on France.

Anyway, this is summer storm season. These can be severe. I wonder how many (or if any!) will finish? It’s also turning hot – again. Afternoon temperatures for the rest of this week will be 35 degrees C plus. But, let’s hope summer takes a pause and the weather is ‘entertaining’. It always makes for harder (better) racing. I can’t seem to help it – I love the extremes!

Oh, and the starting gun? It turns out that we start (and finish) in a field near an ancient church. At some point on Friday 21 August, between 9 and 10 (unknown to us), the church bell will ring. That’s the start. Classic Camille.

If you want to check out the sectors, see the Ride with GPS collections here.

Bon courage à tous.

“There were times when I wondered whether Further had designed the course as an elaborate and cruel experiment in performance art... but ultimately it was the most beautiful, challenging, and happy experience I’ve ever had on a bike”

Emma Poole, winner Further 2019

“To succeed at Further you need to be part road cyclist, part mountain biker, part hiker, part fell runner, mostly belligerent, an expert strategist and with a broad vocabulary of swear words. Being an Olympian might also help. Or you can just do your best and see what happens”

Further: Wild racing in the Pyrenees