ever ridden? Generally, I make time to ride as I really
enjoy mountain biking, but for the past two years my
Pole2Pole Expedition has taken up 110% of my time.
During my Latitude Zero Expedition – a circumnavigation
of the world along the equator – I crossed the continents
of South America and Africa from east to west, using
a mountain bike at certain stages in very remote and
inhospitable places. I had to carry my bike on my back
through the Amazon, where no trails or roads exist.
How would you compare eight days, riding 50 hours
and climbing over 16 650m, to tackling Everest or K2?
You can prepare yourself physically but it’s the mental
strength that always pulls you through. It’s 80% mental
and 20% physical.
You have been insanely fit for many years. What’s
your secret to optimal health and what can us office-
bound, time-starved weekend warriors learn from your
experience exploring uncharted areas? It’s important
to understand that it’s not about being motivated, it’s
about being disciplined. I am not always motivated but
I am disciplined, and if you are disciplined in everything
you do, you can accomplish the impossible.
ROBBIE HUNTER
Reformed Roadie
You raced the Tour de France for nine
years in the 2000s, and took South
Africa’s first stage win in 2007. Where
have you been since? I stopped
competitive racing in September 2013
and since then I’ve ridden very little.
I kind of enjoyed the lazy mornings and no diets. I’ve
also been busy running my athlete sport management
company (ProTouchGlobal). We work with athletes
from around the world in a number of different sporting
codes. We manage them to be successful pros and
everything else that comes with that. The company has
been growing really fast, leaving little riding time for me.
Are you still super fit? I’m not fit like I was, and I definitely
won’t ever be there again. I’ve finally taken the plunge to
do the Epic and I’m super happy to be back on the bike
and enjoying cycling. One thing I have ridden every year,
for seven years, is the Change A Life cycling tour – it’s a
charity-based event that supports a number of incredible
projects. It seems to get harder every year, or I’ve gotten
fatter and lazier. So the Epic decision has come at a great
time. I’m ready to get motivated and fit again.
We’ve seen many road riders excel at MTB and vice
versa. How different, in your view, are road, CX and
MTB? Are Sagan, Ferrand-Prevot and Van der Poel
examples of a possible future trend where athletes will
cross over between the sports? There is definitely a trend
in sport that people are less conservative these days.
More athletes are using other sports as cross training, or
even racing. In the past, road cyclists never went near a
MTB or cross bike. Today, so many riders use them on a
regular basis to keep the boredom out of their day job.
The sports are so different, but what we have seen is that
anyone and everyone can enjoy all disciplines of cycling,
in fact, it should be encouraged. And with a bit of real
practice, class athletes can make the switch and still be at
the top of their game in a new discipline.
The Untamed African MTB Race | MTB | 55