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.
