Free shipping on orders over £25

Free shipping on orders over £25

Search

Search

The Pioneer

  • 2 min read

Ryan Sissons & Sam Osborne take on The Pioneer

Sam Osborne and Ryan Sissons enter into the unknown this week as they put aside elite XTERRA and ITU Triathlon, for now, to compete in their first endurance Multistage Mountain Bike Race, The Pioneer.

 

 

“That was literally the biggest crash I've had in years.” - Sam Osborne, 2019

 

Fuelling The Team

Radix Nutrition is fuelling Sam & Ryan with product for the event. Our meals are specifically designed to support athletic recovery and adaptation and can be eaten anywhere, making them ideal for training or race day.

 

Prologue - The Pioneer

26 km Moke Lake

The team finished The Prologue in 4th place, making up some time after a big fall from Sam. They’re well-positioned for a good week of racing.

 

Stage 1 - The Pioneer

76 km Moke Lake – Arrowtown

 

Another big fall from Sam just 500m from the finish saw them lose a place, crossing the line in 4th place. After a cold river soak, Radix meals in hand, the team travelled across to Alexandra to recover and prepare for Stage 2 – the Queen Stage.

 

Stage 2 - The Pioneer

112 km Alexandra

 

Getting settled into the routine of multistage Mountain Bike racing, Sam and Ryan come in third place on the longest stage of The Pioneer. They also make it clear that their goal is to make it to the podium in General Classification.

 

Stage 3 - The Pioneer

80 km Alexandra – Bannockburn

 

The team are hurting today, but so is everyone else. It’s a very rainy and muddy stage, and they come over the line in 3rd place. They also consolidate their 3rd position on General Classification, while giving some additional insights into their afternoon and evening routines.

 

Stage 4 - The Pioneer

69 km Bannockburn

 

Due to the wild weather in the mountains, the route was modified to be two laps of a 30 km loop, avoiding the high altitude passes. The team got involved in a sprint finish for 2nd place, but just didn’t have the legs for it and crossed the line in 3rd place.

 

Stage 5 - The Pioneer

79 km Bannockburn – Queenstown

 

The Pioneer 2019 comes to an end with a big stage, finishing in Queenstown. The team come in in 4th position, but have plenty of time in hand for the General Classification, and come 3rd overall. A massive week for Sam and Ryan and an incredible achievement to come 3rd in their first ever multistage Mountain Bike race.