Battling For The WIN at Southern MTB XC RD1 - On-board Footage

Round 1 of the Southern XC MTB series at Matterley Basin in Winchester, and it was a super tough course. Being gridded 50th meant I had to burn a few matches on the start straight to try and move up as fast as possible
I got a great start and moved up but did I hang on for the win?
I hope you enjoyed the video and please do Like & Subscribe!

[@patrickmaher6420]

You are making me remember how I raced some time ago. I would just go for it and keep hammering. I think I need to put some hammering back in my racing. I’ve been very measured in my efforts and AFRAID to lose my berries!

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😂 it’s what it’s all about go hard and hold on!

[@antonyhunt9598]

What a delightful couple ❤

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

🙌

[@EDCCrossFit]

Best sign off a vlog ever. 😂😂😂 good work guys

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😂 she’s got some work to do on the sign off 😅

[@keithnewton1966]

The Rocket would go off corse and do what ever it takes. Love it.

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Anything to get the win 😂

[@gravelgranny8616]

The Rocket is the true star… I think another of the channel’s catchphrases should be “No, George!” 😂😂 T-shirts please! 🤣

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😅 she’s starting to believe she’s the star as well now… told me the other day she may have to go solo and leave me 😂

[@danielcarpenter6523]

The rocket cracks me up

[@ericbarfell]

hilarious as always!! Great work!

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thanks Eric 🙌

[@almathol]

Another great video guys. You two really are the biz🤣

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😂 thanks appreciate it 👌

[@jonnyrae9137]

Top notch guys really enjoyed the commentary and what goes on mentally in a race 🎉

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thanks appreciate it, always fun watching the race back and making these videos 👌

[@sedel0]

Absolute banger as usual - keep up the good work

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thanks appreciate it 🙌

[@livinlifeoverfifty]

Recently found your channel and am absolutely loving it! Question, does it rain non stop in the locations where you race? Because it is SO dry where I like here in the states (Kansas) that we are begging for moisture yet it seems you are always racing on damp or even muddy tracks.

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thank you 🙌 At the moment yes! We have had probably the wettest start to the year ever 😂 I’m dreaming of some dry conditions but we tend to get about 2 weeks a year of nice weather 🥲😂

[@fisharefriends598]

Rocket… as insightful as ever… nothing gets past her

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😂

[@aruhisonokoto]

Cool course, looked like lots of fun. Nice work battling through that last lap. Question, did you eat a gel or anything during the race? Seemed like you were steam rolling through the first laps and lost energy toward the end. Wondering, assuming you didn't taken on any calories for the final lap and if you had, whether it would have helped? I know, it's tricky in MTB racing. On the road it's generally pretty easy to eat, but in a MTB race it can be very hard to take on calories. I've noticed it makes a big difference if I can.

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

I think the last lap was a number of things and fuelling was likely 1 of them… it’s definitely something I haven’t mastered yet off road as it is so full on and your hr is constantly through the roof 😅 but it’s something I’m going to be working on over the next few races for sure 👌

[@georgeturner9300]

Thanks for the shout out!👍😂 National next week is abit far for me but have a good one.

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

👍 great result this weekend for you, I will see you at the next southern XC 👍

[@brennanmartinpeyton]

See you next week Four4th team!! Great video as usual.

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

We are only there on Saturday but might see you 👌

[@pjcmerritt]

Cool video and commentary, love it. Quick question, around 6:43 you're starting to push some good speed - what gear you riding? I sort of assumed riding in the mid 20s was out of reach of 1X systems or was it quite steep downhill?. cheers

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

It’s a pretty fast downhill but even on the road I can get up to mid 20’s without spinning out in my biggest gear 38/10 👌

[@pjcmerritt]

thanks for taking the time to reply. Cool channel, can see you work hard on your videos. Hoping to return to some XC racing next year (after a near 20 year break), maybe I'll see you around@@GiorgioCoppolaCycling

[@SwimBikeRunStu]

Respect for the all out start 👌

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

It’s the only way… full gas 😅

[@leodavison87]

Top effort mate 👍🏻 Nice spotting myself at the start line (the lucky dip had me gridded ahead of you)... if only for the first few seconds 😭 What I'm learning from your videos is that I need to hold back less at the start! maybe next time... Keep up the good work, the wife and I have really enjoyed watching your race footage / commentary (especially for the races I've also entered) 👍🏻

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thanks mate you too! You definitely can’t hold back at the start, that’s one thing I have learnt this year… go hard and then keep going hard 😅 Glad you’re enjoying the videos will hopefully see you at the next one 👍

[@mandygoswell1099]

Love the video , well done with your result xx

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Thank you 😃

[@mettler54]

Nice race - looking forward to more vids!

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

🙌 back racing this weekend 👌

[@stoggs85]

Brilliant video with your co commentator.😂 I hated that course last year, its a really good course for the power houses unlike my self🙄. Great result starting from the back. Good luck next week👍💪

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

She going to want an appearance fee increase now 😂 yeah totally agree about it being great for the power houses, I think that why I like Area 51… no long drags 😂

[@optimo9786]

The Rocket! 🤣

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Watch out GCN 😂

[@davidogden9202]

Jesus had to take the wheel here 😂🤣

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

😂😂

[@A_AAA232]

awesome effort G and great commentary guys - Rocket telling it how it is! Pin it and hold on - worked OK this time :) it's really good to see the on-board footage and how the race develops, that climb at the end looked hard but well done floating the bike through the techy bits, must be hard to dial in the flow when the heart rate is so high! maybe next race is a ye-ha? great stuff, cheers

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

For her first appearance on the commentary not bad… will see if I can rope her into it again next time 😂 The climb was horrible, I hate long draggy ones the top just seems so far away 😅 maybe a ye-ha this weekend if the stars align 😂

[@steveprice9737]

Close race, you did the right thing getting past the dead-legs at the start. If your heart rate was staying lower then you are probably just tired so back it off before the next race I guess. .. no midweek chain gangs😂 Time trials are constant effort which you don't do in cross and mtb so might add another strength in that you can keep pushing on , maybe, ... Ask your coach if he/she hasn't disowned you 😄

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

Yes I knew going into the race I was fatigued, as I have been doing a high volume endurance block over the last 3 weeks… I knew I should of just left racing during this time but knew I also need a good result to improve my gridding position 👌 I think the drag/grass section will be ok on fresh legs but it’s hard racing carrying lots of fatigue 😅

[@steveprice9737]

@@GiorgioCoppolaCycling given that you started at the back, had to cane it to the front, went into 1st position and were fatigued then 2nd place was pretty good mate 🙂 Use a taper going into the next race and you'll win it [unless you park it in the woods of course] 🙂

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

@@steveprice9737 yeah can’t be to disappointed considering the circumstances 👌 I’m not to bothered about tapering for the smaller races as I have 1 goal race later in the year which is my main focus, so fatigue in some of the races will be normal to be able to train for my goal race 💪

[@steveprice9737]

@@GiorgioCoppolaCycling its knowing when to take time off to prevent burning out. Less likely for today's racers as coaching is more scientific, all we had was heart rate measuring in the morning and looking for wide differences from the normal. Watching trainer road videos and realising the reason you are going like a broken moped is because you have a muppet with training is a modern thing... I read an article by a Cycling Weekly journo, saying that the training advice they gave us back in the day was in some cases just made up rubbish and in hindsight was very bad advice sometimes. I walked away from coaching one club that was putting on sufferfest sessions on for it's riders despite it being wrong for the racers in the club.. heyho, live and learn. Good luck for next race.

[@fisharefriends598]

You need to work on the climbing, that guy was fast… and the mud was thick

[@GiorgioCoppolaCycling]

I think the climbing will be on in the next couple of races, I had done some big training before this race so had tired legs but when fresh they should be ok 👌