{"id":1857252,"date":"2026-03-31T15:26:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857252"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:26:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:26:00","slug":"youre-not-going-to-win-the-stage-race-on-the-first-day-thomas-turner-on-strategy-and-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857252","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYou\u2019re not going to win the stage race on the first day\u201d \u2013 Thomas Turner on strategy and survival"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div id=\"wp_content_article\" class=\"st_article_class\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1170\" height=\"659\" src=\"\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201170%20659'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-1170x659.png\" alt=\"A split-screen image featuring two men smiling at the camera. The man on the left has short, gray hair, wears glasses, and a patterned shirt, speaking into a microphone with earphones. The man on the right has a long red beard, wears a camouflage baseball cap, and is seated in a well-lit indoor space with a cozy ambiance.\" class=\"wp-image-716233 lazy\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-1170x659.png 1170w, https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-750x423.png 750w, https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-1536x866.png 1536w, https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-2048x1154.png 2048w, https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-8.59.37-AM-600x338.png 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>Thomas Turner is a professional mountain bike racer who\u2019s been competing at the top level of gravel and mountain bike racing for nearly two decades. He\u2019s been sponsored by Jamis since 2010, was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Champion, and has notched multiple National Ultra Endurance Mountain Bike Race Series podium finishes along the way. He just got back from racing El Reto del Quetzal in Guatemala, and he\u2019s here to talk about stage racing, training, and what it\u2019s like to rides bikes around the world.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How did you first get into mountain biking and racing?<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ve been with Jamis since 2010 \u2014 what\u2019s been the key to making that relationship last so long?<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ve raced BC Bike Race, La Ruta, Pisgah Stage Race, even gravel events like Unbound and The Crusher \u2014 what is it about adventure races, and stage races in particular, that keeps drawing you back?<\/li>\n<li>What does it take to be competitive in a stage race?<\/li>\n<li>How do you choose which races to enter each year?<\/li>\n<li>You just raced El Reto del Quetzal in Guatemala \u2014 what was that event like?<\/li>\n<li>What does your training look like when you\u2019re preparing for a multi-day stage race?<\/li>\n<li>How do you handle recovery during and after a stage race?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s your bike setup for a race like El Reto del Quetzal?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have a favorite place to ride in the world?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s a fun and accessible stage race you\u2019d recommend for someone trying their first one?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Follow along with Thomas Turner\u2019s adventures on Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thomasturnermtb\/\">@thomasturnermtb<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Never Miss an Episode<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0VxNMzrUoUs7wz3FsyI83p\">Spotify<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/singletracks-mountain-bike-news\/id1046094700?uo=4\">Apple Podcasts<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2luZ2xldHJhY2tzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv\">Google Podcasts<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/singletracks-mtb-news\">Stitcher<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/overcast.fm\/itunes1046094700\">Overcast<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Get the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/feed\/podcast\/\">RSS Feed<\/a><\/li>\n<li>View all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/podcast\/\">Podcast Episodes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-support-this-podcast\">Support this Podcast<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review the Singletracks podcast<\/strong> on <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/singletracks-mountain-bike\/id1046094700\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> or drop your feedback in the comments below!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/anchor.fm\/singletracks\/support\"><strong>Make a donation<\/strong><\/a> to help sustain future episodes.<\/li>\n<li>Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/support\/\"><strong>Singletracks Pro Supporter<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-automated-transcript\">Automated transcript<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 0:00<br \/>Hey everybody, welcome to the Singletracks podcast. My name is Jeff, and today my guest is Thomas Turner. Thomas is a professional mountain bike racer who\u2019s been competing at the top level of gravel and mountain bike racing for nearly two decades. He\u2019s been sponsored by Jamis since 2010 he was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Champion, and he\u2019s notched multiple national ultra endurance mountain bike race series podium top finishes along the way. He also just got back from racing el Reto del Quetzal in Guatemala, and he\u2019s here to talk about stage racing, training, and what it\u2019s like to ride bikes around the world. Thomas, welcome to the show. <\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-a12f57d2b06bea33f32995cef117c6bf singl-content\" id=\"singl-a12f57d2b06bea33f32995cef117c6bf\"><\/div>\n<p>Thomas Turner<br \/>Hey, how\u2019s it going? <\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber<br \/>Good. So tell us. How did you first get into mountain biking and racing?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 0:54<br \/>So my parents, they, they introduced me into it. I\u2019ve always been in the cycling itself, and they got me into it. There was a local mountain bike race series, and one summer, we went and tried that, and I was kind of opposed to it, because I wasn\u2019t really sure what it was going to be like. I enjoyed mountain biking just around the farm.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 1:18<br \/>Were your parents, they were riders, I guess?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 1:22<br \/>They were a little bit more just recreational, like we would go do, like rails and trails kind of stuff.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 1:32<br \/>Okay, cool. So you\u2019ve been with Jamis since 2010 which is a long time to be with the same sponsor, especially in the bike industry. So what\u2019s, what\u2019s the key to making that kind of relationship last so long?<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-b801ec3e7f119289f09d072daea9e472 singl-content\" id=\"singl-b801ec3e7f119289f09d072daea9e472\"><\/div>\n<p>Thomas Turner 1:50<br \/>That\u2019s really good company. I think that\u2019s probably part of it. They\u2019re real family-oriented, so I\u2019ve just been with them, and, you know, we\u2019ve had great success together. And I think, I think it\u2019s just worked out well,<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 2:11<br \/>How\u2019d you first get connected with them?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 2:17<br \/>Margo was their sales rep at the time, and she was doing the Southeast, and they came out of shop, and we just got to talking, because at the time, I\u2019d raised from canno, from 98 to oh seven and kind of in between sponsors at the time. And talked to her, I guess this was 2009 and got on board with those guys, with their program in 2010 so just been racing with them since,<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 2:49<br \/>Yeah, that\u2019s great. And so what like? What does that relationship look like? Like they\u2019re a frame sponsor, I, I imagine. So, you\u2019re riding their bikes. They help with race entry and that sort of thing as well?<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-aca3fc2824a58e8c987d54eac18001dc singl-content\" id=\"singl-aca3fc2824a58e8c987d54eac18001dc\"><\/div>\n<p>Thomas Turner 3:08<br \/>Yeah, they help out cover something like cost. They provide bikes and equipment. So I usually wind up running a few different bikes throughout the year for gravel and mountain. So yeah, cyclocross, originally, and then later on, gravel bikes, the Renegade was introduced in like 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 3:30<br \/>And there\u2019s a lot of different versions of the Renegade, right? Which, which one are you running?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 3:37<br \/>Currently, I\u2019ve got a steel Renegade, but I also have the carbon bikes. So the steel one is more like, I\u2019ll use that for commuting or just some long weekend rides. It\u2019s a more comfortable bike. Yeah, and the carbon ones are definitely faster, so they\u2019re, they\u2019re definitely racier on the bikes.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 3:59<br \/>Yeah, you don\u2019t race the steel one, do you?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 4:02<br \/>No, not generally,<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 4:05<br \/>So you\u2019ve raced the BC bike race, La Ruta, Pisgah stage race, gravel events like Unbound and the Crusher. What is it about adventure races and stage races in particular, that keeps drawing you back?<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-f8d6e17cb002d9a195b23356394f64dc singl-content\" id=\"singl-f8d6e17cb002d9a195b23356394f64dc\"><\/div>\n<p>Thomas Turner 4:24<br \/>You know, they\u2019re there, a lot of fun. They\u2019re always challenging. The dynamics are constantly changing, especially with the multi-day events.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fun because you\u2019ve got a lot of opportunities to excel. And you have to challenge yourself overcome, you know, you may have bike issues one day or crash one day or, you know, so you kind of have to be ready to change and adjust.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 4:57<br \/>And you enjoy that? Like, is that stressful at all?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 5:02<br \/>A little bit, but, you know, it\u2019s just kind of, you know, the multi day events, they\u2019re fun. It\u2019s not like one long slug, like a 24 hour event or something like that. So you get, you get a break. So generally, you know, race for anywhere from two to five hours, six hours, depending on the event. The day could be kind of long, but gonna have some time to recover between the next stage. So the day, the ability to just traveling also is pretty neat.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-3a7806f68c02b6aeedbc3495c7a03e96 singl-content\" id=\"singl-3a7806f68c02b6aeedbc3495c7a03e96\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 5:36<br \/>Well I\u2019m curious about that. Like, how you manage that the race, in between the stages. So what are you doing, like, as soon as you\u2019re done with the race, like, what\u2019s Do you have, like, a routine that you do to try to, like, recover and get ready for the next day?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 5:54<br \/>Yeah, so after a stage race, generally, you finish up, you probably grab something to eat real quick and try and take the bite back to the hotel, get the bike cleaned up, kind of prep it, just to have it where it\u2019s all situated for the next day. And then put my feet up and rest trying to, you know, get somewhere cool. If it\u2019s a hot day, I\u2019m trying to try and relax, you know, because you\u2019re you\u2019re wanting your body to recover from that stage, trying to get a good night\u2019s sleep, if possible. But a lot of races, it\u2019s hard because sometimes you\u2019re tent camping, so may not get the best nights.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-a8290b7543cb0a1396d21ea0b3608668 singl-content\" id=\"singl-a8290b7543cb0a1396d21ea0b3608668\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 6:41<br \/>Yeah, yeah. When you have a choice, do you do a hotel?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 6:47<br \/>Oh, yeah. I mean, if the options available, yeah, you try and do a hotel. For sure.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, some of the races I\u2019ve done, you know, we did Glacier 360, I\u2019ve done a bunch over India, and there\u2019s really not a hotel option available. Everyone\u2019s tent camping. So yeah, and raced K2 in and Africa, and there was, you were tent camping, but it was nice. I mean, you had, there were facilities, you could shower and whatever, but you were tent camping. And then other races like La Ruta or BC bike race, we stayed in hotels, so it\u2019s a little bit nicer accommodations there.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Jeff Barber 7:32<br \/>Yeah, I imagine you have to be a pretty good bike mechanic. Or do you have support at these races?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 7:43<br \/>I\u2019ll do all my own mechanic work. So, you know, I feel like I can keep it tuned up pretty good, and then, like my previous life, I was a bicycle mechanic, so that definitely helps.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-88f50e4c6b726c8b88de496d3ff11520 singl-content\" id=\"singl-88f50e4c6b726c8b88de496d3ff11520\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 7:56<br \/>Oh, okay.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 7:59<br \/>Being able to identify things while it\u2019s wrong, or fix something on the fly. You know, you always you build it up and you hope everything\u2019s gonna be tight and dialed in. You know, you do like a shakedown ride before the race. But even I just got done doing this stage race el reto down in Guatemala. And on the first stage, like halfway through towards the end, my bars were rotating on me, and I had built the bike up gone for a shakedown ride, and I think I\u2019d put carbon paste between the face plate and the stem and the bar, and I must have gotten it like torqued down tight, I\u2019d probably rushed through, built it all, everything adjusted proper, but didn\u2019t go back and like, tighten them. And it held. But then I noticed through the stage, I would hit a bump or something, and the bar would start to drop down a little bit. But I was able to reach down. I got my multi tool out and was able to tighten it up on the go. I didn\u2019t really lose, lose much time because the climbs are so long, you\u2019re just sitting there and climbing forever. So I was able to take that opportunity to re-tighten the face plate.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-a99c68c824abb35d3b3a2dc0138a4d2b singl-content\" id=\"singl-a99c68c824abb35d3b3a2dc0138a4d2b\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 9:13<br \/>You tightened it while you were riding?!<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 9:17<br \/>Yeah. Yeah, it was pretty I mean, it wasn\u2019t that hard, but, yeah, the hardest part was just around the number plate.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 9:25<br \/>Yeah, wow. Well, have you ever had like, a repair or something that was, like, super involved, or, like, you needed to replace a part? Like, I can imagine that stuff happening.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 9:37<br \/>And, yeah, Pisgah, you know, Pisgah stage race couple years I did it super wet and muddy. And so you\u2019re going through brake pads. And so you get back, wash the bike, you know, you put new pads on, probably put a new bottom bracket in. You might even change out chain rings based on the course. And seeing, like, what? How hard one day was going to be. So yeah, that\u2019s definitely brake pads are definitely the most common thing. Always take extra pads, extra chains, different quick lengths, so you got to be able to fix even in Guatemala, I broke a chain on one of the stages of your super fast double track descent, and the course made an abrupt 90 degree turn up, a little rise. And I just, I was having too much fun, and I was coming down the Travel section. It was just a dusty dirt road. I wanted to make this left, and kind of gave it the beans coming through the corner, accelerating out, I think I cross chained. And just immediately the chain was off. And I thought, oh man. I was really, really hoping somehow I just kicked it off the front ring, like going from real fast to slowing. I was hoping the free hub might have popped the chain off over the front ring, right? But I didn\u2019t think that was really the case. That was wishful thinking. But I looked down the chains just hanging there. I was like, take comments. I want to carry Quick Links and a multi tool. So I you know of every mechanical to happen, broken change pretty fast. You know, you\u2019re down for right for two, because you can take out the bad link, put in a quick link, and you\u2019re back going. So right, yeah. I mean, you never know. You never know what\u2019s gonna while racing.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-cc474284444b9b3c3026b65c33b27084 singl-content\" id=\"singl-cc474284444b9b3c3026b65c33b27084\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 11:27<br \/>Well, you know, for a lot of people, stage races are kind of like a fun thing. I don\u2019t know. I It depends on the race, I\u2019m sure. But it seems like at some races, half the people are there just because they want to, you know, ride a bunch of trails in a new location. But then there\u2019s folks like you who are competitive. You\u2019re at the front of the pack. What does it actually take to be competitive in a stage race? Like, what is it? Is it those like, is it the recovery that that is important? Is it just your strategy during the race? Like, what? What is it that makes what you\u2019re doing different from what people who are there for fun are doing? <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 12:06<br \/>Yeah. It probably comes down to recovery, nutrition, just a little bit of a different mindset. You know, I was more focused on the event. So it didn\u2019t do a whole lot of sightseeing after stages, you know. And, yeah, you know, on the day before the last stage I did, I wound up going out to Antigua and doing a little bit of sightseeing. So I feel like the last stage in Guatemala, I didn\u2019t really have much pep in my step, but that was, that was, yeah, most people are probably gonna try and take in the whole experience. And if you\u2019re racing it, you\u2019re probably a little more focused on the event itself. You kind of know how you ride, and you\u2019re not gonna win the stage race on the first day. You know the race definitely builds and every day before it takes its toll on you. So yeah, you just kind of get into your rhythm. You know, I\u2019d be like, I can\u2019t climb with these guys, but, you know, 50 kilometers later, I\u2019ll probably gonna catch back up to them. So you can kind of Yeah, in the back your mind and know that, you know it\u2019s gonna be a long day. There\u2019s gonna be another day, so you better pace yourself, ride a pace that you know, that you can continue to do. So that\u2019s probably a big thing. Yeah, you kind of have to recognize when you can go hard, when you can recover, and take advantage of those little points you know, because anything you can do to conserve energy and recover, it\u2019s gonna make a big difference at the end of the day.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-e765f904ab71c52e046cfc4f10387e57 singl-content\" id=\"singl-e765f904ab71c52e046cfc4f10387e57\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 13:46<br \/>When are you going the hardest? Are you planning for that last day to be kind of your, your hardest effort, since you don\u2019t have to recover after that?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 13:59<br \/>A lot of stage races, they\u2019ll have like, they\u2019ll call it the Queen day, which is the longest for us in Guatemala, that was the second day. And so those days you kind of have to prepare yourself, America, this case, gonna be twice as long as the days before, you know. And prepare for that. When you come to the final day, you kind of get to breathe a little bit, side of relief knowing that, okay, this is, this is the final day. It\u2019s all done. You can leave it all out there if you need to, because you\u2019re not gonna have to really worry too much about the following day, right? Generally, last day and stage race is a little bit easier, because everybody\u2019s beaten up and broken down. Yeah, but man, I\u2019ll tell you the light though, this last one in Guatemala, the last day was it was the grunt straight up and straight down. It was a shorter stage. But. Very, very difficult man.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-cc664e23d88c37b418ef7e7beab6ddda singl-content\" id=\"singl-cc664e23d88c37b418ef7e7beab6ddda\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 15:03<br \/>So because stage races, like you\u2019re racing the same people, you know, day after day. I imagine you see them around, like after the race, and you know\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 15:16<br \/>You see them at dinner. You can talk to them.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 15:20<br \/>So what\u2019s that like? Is it trash talk? Is everybody cool?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 15:23<br \/>Like, most people are probably pretty cool. I don\u2019t know, like, many folks trash talking one another, but and then you kind of discover, like, group dynamics, and you you wind up having, like, race friends, you know, people that you\u2019re like, Okay, this these, these guys I\u2019ll be riding with, or I don\u2019t need to bother trying to hang with somebody. And you discover their strengths and weaknesses, and then maybe, you know, you can work together. You know, somebody\u2019s a better climber and you\u2019re a better descender, but you always run around each other. You know, maybe it\u2019s to your advantage to have them pace you on a climb and you lead a descent, and vice versa. So the first day is always kept it because you don\u2019t know what to anticipate. You don\u2019t know what the competition is going to be like and what their strengths and weaknesses are, and you don\u2019t know how you\u2019re really going to stack up in the event itself. But after, after the first day, you kind of know, like, okay, these guys are going to be towards the front. So then you start to have an idea of who to look for.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-98e4582b21472b8cc05aed569b3f3f3d singl-content\" id=\"singl-98e4582b21472b8cc05aed569b3f3f3d\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 16:31<br \/>Is it pretty common for these races, because you race all over the world, and I imagine, like, there\u2019s a good number of, like, local racers, maybe who you haven\u2019t raced against before. Is there an advantage to being a local in a stage race?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 16:49<br \/>Oh, yeah for sure. Yeah, yeah. I mean, especially on a course that\u2019s really technical or kind of definitely has favors, like local knowledge, or if the course markings aren\u2019t ideal, you know, Pisgah stage race was a good example. It\u2019s really technical. So you kind of, if you can, kind of know the idea, I hadn\u2019t done a whole lot of writing in Pisgah up to that point. I\u2019ve done some on I\u2019ve done, you know, considerably a lot since then, but just at this point\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 17:25<br \/>You\u2019ve done a lot. <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 17:28<br \/>Yeah, so when you\u2019re coming into some of those sections, yeah, the locals definitely know the right lines. And you know you you may want to try and identify that and follow those guys, because they\u2019re going to take the quickest line or get through a certain section they know, like, I don\u2019t, don\u2019t blow yourself up here. You can pace yourself, and you\u2019re going to make up a lot more time throughout the next section. So, yeah, I would say definitely local knowledge makes a huge difference doing BC bike race. You know the locals up there, super familiar with the trail. So it\u2019s just like, you know, you can hang on to their wheel and, you know, follow them through the technical sections, yeah. But some of the other races that I\u2019ve been to, I feel like everybody\u2019s new to it, so done a couple races in India and Malaysian or even Mongolia at the time. Those are all pretty early on events, and so nobody really knew what to anticipate so but like Guatemala at el reto and laruda in Costa Rica. I think the locals definitely have a better idea. Man, I\u2019ve written the exact course that the event is going to be on, but they\u2019ve ridden very similar terrain. So it makes difference.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-aac79fa8191366aa6b0a717240b09958 singl-content\" id=\"singl-aac79fa8191366aa6b0a717240b09958\"><\/div>\n<p>Like La Ruta when I\u2019ve done it, it was a four day event, and the first stage was just terrible and muddy. So if you knew coming into it like as soon as you get to mud, just pick up your bike and start running, because it\u2019s easier to carry a 25 pound bump bike than a 45 pound bike. Yeah, little things like that, right?<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 19:21<br \/>Well, so you know, you\u2019ve ridden all kinds of races all over the world. Sounds like on pretty much most continents at this point. So how do you how do you choose which races to enter each year? Are you doing it based on where you want to ride? <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 19:41<br \/>Sometimes, I\u2019ll reach out to promoters, develop a relationship with those guys, and then get, you know, get to get invited out to their event. Otherwise, just trying to pick a cool destination and be able. Event. We never raced in Africa. What would it be like to go race in Africa and find something out there and then reach out to the promoter and try and work out something? Lot of times, it\u2019s fun if you do, like a first year event or something that\u2019s trying to grow and develop itself, because you can, you can work with the promoter and you can give them some tips and pointers. So it\u2019s mutually beneficial to everybody, yeah, but yeah, just looking for different events, things that kind of piqued your interest, you know, something that\u2019s, you know, what would be a cool adventure to do we, my buddy Gordon and I, we did a race called four islands in Croatia, and that was a really cool event. Your you transfer, we stayed on the boats, and you transfer each day between these four different islands, and do a different stage every day. And I mean, that was super cool, very unique, really technical, rocky ride. And it was a lot of fun being olive orchards one minute and Rocky, technical dispense in another.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-a3186b20825fccc18069317151e08c4f singl-content\" id=\"singl-a3186b20825fccc18069317151e08c4f\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 21:08<br \/>So wow, yeah, that\u2019s awesome. So what does your training look like when you\u2019re preparing for a multi day stage race? Obviously, that\u2019s a lot of riding. And so how do you how do you get ready for that?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 21:25<br \/>So for me, I\u2019m able to get most my training in. I\u2019ll commute into work, so I just, I\u2019ll get a ride into work, a ride back is about 20 miles each way. So, you know, I\u2019m used to doing that, and then I do some big rides on the weekends. You know, you just it\u2019s kind of a mindset or a lifestyle. I\u2019ve been doing it for so long now that I\u2019ve gotten used to it. Definitely coming in, leading up to a big stage race, you\u2019d be trying to get some decent, big rides back to back, just so your body knows, like, what to anticipate. Yeah, yeah, that\u2019d probably be the or, if you know something similar, what the course is going to be like, you know, whether it\u2019s flat or fast power course, or if it\u2019s going to be real steep, punchy climbs, you know, you might probably want to find something similar to train to and do something like that.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-32d0d5a232860751bd5a2b319d7fac18 singl-content\" id=\"singl-32d0d5a232860751bd5a2b319d7fac18\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 22:24<br \/>I mean, bike commuting seems like it is underrated. I mean, that\u2019s, that\u2019s a huge thing because it\u2019s, it\u2019s part of most people\u2019s day anyway, you know, getting to and from work or wherever they\u2019re going, and 20 miles each way sounds like a great commute to keep you fit and in shape. I\u2019m wondering about, like, do you take an off season too, or because a lot of these races you\u2019re doing are like, southern hemisphere, so yeah, winter and you\u2019re racing.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 22:53<br \/>So I do have an off season. Generally in the winter, I used to do a whole lot of cyclocross, and then it\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve done any cross events, just because I felt like it was just racing year round was tough. So I enjoy the offseason. I try and do a lot of hunting. I like go hunting, so I do that in the winters. Okay? And that\u2019s, that\u2019s kind of my other extracurricular activity, something different. When you come back at the next season, you\u2019re kind of, like fresh and motivated to do it again, yeah. But generally, race seasons, kind of from January to November, something like that.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-f3d61986062168c578d388934c9f1a31 singl-content\" id=\"singl-f3d61986062168c578d388934c9f1a31\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 23:46<br \/>That\u2019s the most of the year, December. You take December. <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 23:50<br \/>A couple months you get off, yeah. Maybe through October, kind of starts tapering down, so you get October, November and December off.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 24:01<br \/>How do you like, I\u2019m thinking about your race in Guatemala that you just did too. Like, how, how does your body adapt to that? Because I imagine, you know, you\u2019re, you\u2019re here in Georgia, like me, and you know it wasn\u2019t a cold winter, but we had winter, and then all of a sudden you\u2019re, like, in hot, I imagine it was hot and humid in Guatemala. Like, how do you how do you prepare for that aspect, like, acclimate your body to the the heat like that?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 24:27<br \/>Yeah, I don\u2019t do anything silly to try and acclimate. I\u2019ve heard of folks trying to train on staunas and things like that. I\u2019ve never gotten that extreme. I\u2019m just gonna suck it up and not, you know, I\u2019ve raced in enough hot events. I know what it\u2019s gonna be like. You\u2019re just gonna just focus on staying hydrated. But you know, the there, the there were some days that the elevation was kind of high. Okay, but I felt like I did fine with that. That wasn\u2019t much of an issue. And then it was hot, but it was a dry heat down there right now, it\u2019s the dry season, okay, just about to be the wet season, but it was super dusty. So, you know, this race I kind of did for the moment. I didn\u2019t do any kind of training or any real prep for it leading into it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-e2778fea3ed57248059af68302497c56 singl-content\" id=\"singl-e2778fea3ed57248059af68302497c56\"><\/div>\n<p>But yeah, I might have done some different routes with a lot more punchy, long climbs in them, because that\u2019s what, that\u2019s really what this way race was, was everything was straight up and straight down. The technical aspect of it, it wasn\u2019t super technical. There were some days the descents were really blown out and rutted. So you really had to stay kind of fluid on the bike and let it float around under you. It\u2019s hard to force, you know, the bike to go in certain places if you\u2019re just caught in a rut, right? But the climb, so the to me, were the, probably the toughest part out there, how long and how steep they were.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 26:14<br \/>Well, what was your bike set up for the race?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 26:19<br \/>I took my hardtail. I\u2019ve taken that one. There are a lot of different stage races. It\u2019s just nice simple. It\u2019s lightweight. When I did BC bike race, we took dualies to that one. Is more technical stage race to dually too. But having a hard tail was just simple. I had SRAM Eagle drive train. So it was a believe I was running a 34 chain ring in the front, 10-52, in the back. So that was good. I did take another chain ring in case I wanted to bail down to a 32.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-b3a3eec5b74ff48532d6d514ac8e8155 singl-content\" id=\"singl-b3a3eec5b74ff48532d6d514ac8e8155\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 27:04<br \/>Was it electronic? Your drivetrain?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 27:07<br \/>No, this is mechanical.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 27:09<br \/>You\u2019re mechanical. Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 27:12<br \/>My gravel bikes got AXS on it, so it\u2019s electronic, but the mountain bike just simple, especially if you\u2019re traveling somewhere like that, easier to work on.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 27:26<br \/>What kind of tires are you running for the race?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 27:29<br \/>Maxis Ikons. No, no, I\u2019m sorry. Maxis Aspens.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 27:36<br \/>Real fast. <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 27:39<br \/>Yeah, very fast. Just a great all around lightweight tire. I kind of done the race a couple times. I did in 2015 and 16, so I had an idea of what to anticipate. And I knew, you know, it\u2019s gonna be doing a lot of climbing, a lot of double track dirt roads. And I\u2019m comfortable in those tires, also on rough terrain. So for me there, I\u2019ve got plenty of grip, yeah, and I just wanted something that was gonna be light and fast rolling, especially for back to back days like that makes a big difference, right?<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-843ba90616feb2e6b9011f9ce82b6862 singl-content\" id=\"singl-843ba90616feb2e6b9011f9ce82b6862\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 28:22<br \/>What do you think your bike weighed overall, like, race weight? What are we looking at?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 28:30<br \/>Well, I mean, what if you don\u2019t have bottles on it and you didn\u2019t have, you know, I\u2019ll put on so I\u2019ll carry a couple, like, your tubes. I\u2019ll put, like, a tube on the back with a little can of sealant, and I\u2019ll run a couple of CO twos and another tube on down tube, just to have because it\u2019s like two is one and one is none. You know, if you only take a one tube on a long day like that. You don\u2019t know what you\u2019re going to get yourself into and easily, flat and be done. Ideally, I carry a little plugs. So ideally, you could just plug it and keep trucking. But you know, I I\u2019d rather be prepared and carry an extra 100 grams of inner tube around with me than we caught a situation where I needed a tube and I wound up having to pull out a stage or something, yeah. So the bike\u2019s probably without anything, probably like 21 pounds. <\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-d8c7bc776c92affcf1f0fb2470a1c8f8 singl-content\" id=\"singl-d8c7bc776c92affcf1f0fb2470a1c8f8\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 29:38<br \/>Oh, wow, that\u2019s, that\u2019s super light. I mean, that\u2019s, obviously, that\u2019s another one of those things that it takes to be competitive in a race like that. I think a lot of people are showing up to have fun on a stage race. They\u2019re, you know, they\u2019re for one they\u2019re probably on a full suspension bike. But even. And it\u2019s not, it\u2019s not pared down like yours is, you know.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 30:04<br \/>I\u2019ve got my [Jamis] Portal trail bike, and it\u2019s phenomenal, and I\u2019ve raced it at snake Creek, and I\u2019ll race at a bunch of Pisgah events, and it\u2019s an absolute blast, super comfortable, just all day mountain biking, epic rides. Love it. Traveling abroad like this, when it\u2019s going to be, you know, lots of hard accelerations, long days, lot of climbing. Generally go with the hardtail or something like that. Something\u2019s faster, you know, just the portals Right now it\u2019s set up with 150 fork in the front, 130 travel on the back. So it\u2019s a little overkill for an event.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-fe3dff7909757d527246c46f3fd130e8 singl-content\" id=\"singl-fe3dff7909757d527246c46f3fd130e8\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 30:46<br \/>Yeah, well, we talked about sort of recovery in between stages during a race. What\u2019s the recovery look like <em>after<\/em> a race? You know, you\u2019ve been back, I think, for a couple weeks now, from Guatemala like how quickly before you\u2019re back to your normal riding and sort of looking toward the next race?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 31:09<br \/>So for me, as soon as I got back, I got back Sunday late. I had another mountain bike event on the following weekend, on the following Saturday, Whoa, that was Snake Creek Gap time trial. And it\u2019s a two race series. First one\u2019s in February, next one\u2019s in March.<\/p>\n<p>And so I was like, Oh man, see how I feel for this one, I may have burned a lot of matches. Yeah, may have built some fitness, you know, for a couple weeks from now, but immediate, I was worried I\u2019d burn some matches, so I took, took a couple days off of riding, did shorter rides, and I wouldn\u2019t have normally done I would drive in, ride home, ride in, drive home. It\u2019s kind of half days during the week, and then just kind of keep my fingers crossed for the weekend. And you know, the they worked out, I had a good ride at the snake. It wasn\u2019t as fast as some years, but it was faster than others. But it\u2019s that race. It\u2019s like completely different than el reto, although it was pretty warm this, this march in Georgia. So, you know that part, I was acclimated to heat. But you know, for the snake, it\u2019s real technical, lots of rots and roots. You\u2019re not really having to deal with a lot of that in Guatemala. But sitting the last stage there, but the climbs didn\u2019t feel nearly as long as, you know, in Guatemala, we\u2019re on 12 kilometer climbs all the time. <\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-560fda4cf6e9b5570f45d3a70655a5c3 singl-content\" id=\"singl-560fda4cf6e9b5570f45d3a70655a5c3\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 32:50<br \/>To be fair, Snake Creek is, I mean, well, most people, they would say that\u2019s, that\u2019s a lot of climbing. <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 32:59<br \/>Yeah, it\u2019s not a cake walk. There\u2019s, you know, you\u2019re, you\u2019ve got probably three substantial climbs in that event, plus a bunch of row punchy stuff all throughout the whole thing. So, yes, it\u2019s definitely a very technical ride and but, you know, I was used to those climbs, and I\u2019ve done that event a bunch as well, so I knew what to anticipate, and I was just hoping I\u2019d be recovered enough. And early on, I kind of felt like I might not be. Couldn\u2019t really get my heart rate as high as I thought it should be. But as the race built and went on. I was getting more into my rhythm. And thought, Okay, well, I think I\u2019m going to be back in my groove. I knew kind of where I wanted to be time wise, at different points in the course. So, yeah, I wound up having a great ride there and felt good. And yeah, didn\u2019t, didn\u2019t crack or blow up or anything like that. So that was nice. Yeah, hopefully I\u2019m recovered by now. Yeah, definitely say it probably takes a couple weeks to get recovered from, from doing a stage race just with all the air to the travel involved, the racing involved the travel on the back end, you know, it really kind of wears you down. So it probably takes a couple weeks to get back where you\u2019re like, Okay, now I feel proper. Got proper pep in my step.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-97b3f7b45cd90e802c4ad58fb3039e24 singl-content\" id=\"singl-97b3f7b45cd90e802c4ad58fb3039e24\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 34:32<br \/>Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, you\u2019ve ridden all over the world, obviously. So I\u2019m curious, though, like, what? What are your favorite places to ride? Like, what are the places you you keep going back to or want to get back to,<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 34:50<br \/>Race wise, or just riding recreational?<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 34:54<br \/>Both. But I\u2019m thinking more recreational, you know, just when I want to go out and have fun, like, what\u2019s what\u2019s the best ride that you would want to do?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 35:03<br \/>So for me, I love getting out, finding some good mountain biking. I do. I like to go up and ride <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/bike-trails\/pinhoti-trail-armuchee-to-snake-creek-gap\/\">The Snake<\/a>. That\u2019s a fantastic trail, just because it\u2019s so much singletrack and it\u2019s technical, it\u2019s a great you can park at the halfway point. You can do it as an out and back. You can take the road all the way around and do the 50 miles. Or, you know, it\u2019s about 50 miles, just do the main single track and take the road around is either a warm up or cool down. So a lot of good ways to do it and do if you do it as an out and back, it\u2019s great because the there\u2019s 17 real technical miles they they ride totally different, the other direction.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-33428983ff3c7a413adf35a3fe5d0366 singl-content\" id=\"singl-33428983ff3c7a413adf35a3fe5d0366\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 35:45<br \/>So, yeah, I\u2019ve only ridden them one direction, the race direction. And I\u2019ve also never, I\u2019ve never done it outside the race. Like, it\u2019s it\u2019s tough. I can\u2019t even imagine what it\u2019s like in the summer. Like, do you ride it in the summer as well?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 35:58<br \/>The summer gets really miserable because it\u2019s so hot and humid. You know, you can having water. You can, if you park at halfway point, you can do little tricks to come back to the car, resupply all water, and then go back out, and you kind of do like a figure eight or something. You could take a filter. But, yeah, water, it\u2019s a little trickier. It gets a little bit overgrown with poison ivy and some of the species up on the ridges.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 36:29<br \/>You\u2019re making it sound awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 36:33<br \/>Yeah, it can get really hot. <\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-c9af830458b3323321a4d8bcf6e405c9 singl-content\" id=\"singl-c9af830458b3323321a4d8bcf6e405c9\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 36:37<br \/>But that\u2019s what you enjoy. You enjoy the challenge of that. And yeah, it sounds like that\u2019s kind of your local ride too. You know it really well.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 36:44<br \/>Yeah, that that\u2019s a good one anywhere up in north Georgia, up around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/bike-trails\/tibbs-orv\/\">Tibbs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/bike-trails\/windy-gap-cycle-trail\/\">Windy Gap<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/bike-trails\/fort-mountain-state-park\/\">Fort Mountain<\/a>, that\u2019s another favorite place to ride. There\u2019s a lot of good stuff up by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/bike-trails\/region\/georgia\/?city=Dahlonega\">Dahlonega<\/a>, by the Ranger base up there.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 37:02<br \/>Yeah, so, and all the stuff you\u2019re mentioning, though, is not, this is not, like the stuff that most people ride, which I find interesting. I mean, these are, these are like, challenging rides. They\u2019re out there. Like, I imagine, you don\u2019t see many people.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 37:16<br \/>No, a lot of of stuff is off the map, trails too. So it\u2019s just kind of, you might, yeah, you\u2019re probably gonna see any cyclists out there. We\u2019ll see motorcycles, but generally, I don\u2019t see any any mountain bikes out there, really. But you know, other favorite places, riding up in Pisgah. You know, that\u2019s always fun, but it\u2019s a little bit more of a haul. But yeah, that stuff up in north Georgia, the blast. Yeah, you don\u2019t, you don\u2019t see a lot of folks up there, but to me, it\u2019s kind of that getting away sense of adventure, kind of sense of accomplishment. Those are the trails that I like to ride. So I get done, I was like, oh, man, that was awesome. You don\u2019t see the same thing twice. You don\u2019t see the same thing. <\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-90d81bc2baa9a6cbae1a7ed557b179ff singl-content\" id=\"singl-90d81bc2baa9a6cbae1a7ed557b179ff\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 38:16<br \/>So do you have, as far as racing goes, do you have a favorite race or favorite place to race?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 38:25<br \/>I guess the favorite place might be up around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/community\/roots-rocks-repeat-wait-wheres-recovery\/\">Pisgah<\/a>. I mean, The Snake\u2019s probably one of my favorite races of all time, just because it\u2019s the the weather is great, the singletrack\u2019s phenomenal. The  promoter does a great job with it. They maintain it really well. So everything for that race culminates to being a, just a fantastic event. I just love it. My next favorite probably be anything up in Pisgah, a whole lot of Blue Ridge production, or piston productions and Blue Ridge adventures, they both put on different events. So I always end up doing the king of Pisgah or, like, go do o RAM, or some of their their other events. So all of that stuff\u2019s a lot of fun because it\u2019s kind of the same as the snake. It\u2019s really technical, challenging. More raw, backcountry kind of trail riding. It\u2019s not like I used to did a bunch of Cirque races and Georgia races on more like dosset or, yeah, you know, you just had lap courses, and they\u2019re fun. It\u2019s just a totally different kind of writing. It\u2019s a very consistent, predictable ride. You go, you make, you probably do three or four laps, that\u2019s the event. So the first lap, you kind of get an idea of what to. Anticipate, and then you you have an idea of what\u2019s coming every time, you know, pace yourself a little better, strengths and weaknesses so on those forces. That\u2019s great, you know. And I\u2019ve done a lot of different cross country style events, when pioneers the international Horse Park when they had the Olympics, and they had a World Cup there. And I raced that, and they I watched that trail change tremendously over the years. And it was a really cool race because it was so different the dynamics of racing on one side, you crossed over onto the granite side, a couple road crossings, and it was a lot of fun. So those events, they\u2019re, they\u2019re, they\u2019re a blast from like a pin it kind of standpoint. It\u2019s totally different than you know, if you\u2019re doing the Pisgah 111 it\u2019s more self sufficient. Okay, I\u2019m going to be out here for six, almost seven hours. You\u2019re going to carry a lot more food, a lot more supplies than you would in a lap event. In a lap event, you\u2019re probably carrying like, maybe a tube and a CO two cartridge and a couple gels and then a bottle, and then you\u2019re going to restock every lap. But these other events, you know, 10 bar, which is the pizzica Mountain Bike Adventure race, you\u2019re probably carrying water filter of some sort. Maybe you can\u2019t carry iodine tablets or something, yeah, a lot of lot of nutrition with you, and because you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re going to encounter, which you\u2019re definitely gonna have to filter water at some point. You know,<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-a2149c75ea07403d2ce36100ddeaf359 singl-content\" id=\"singl-a2149c75ea07403d2ce36100ddeaf359\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 41:44<br \/>That kind of racing, I think, is pretty foreign to most folks, but it sounds like you really thrive in that environment, which is awesome. And because you\u2019ve been racing for so long, you\u2019ve done these events all over the place, like at this point you\u2019re pretty recognizable, like, people see you and they\u2019re like, there\u2019s Thomas Turner, he\u2019s he\u2019s here, he\u2019s at the race. Has anyone ever asked you for a photo during a race? Like, does that ever, does that ever happen?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 42:15<br \/>Yeah, occasionally. I mean, it was, it was really cool getting to go back to Guatemala this time, because a lot of people knew me from back when I had done it in 2015, and 16. Oh, wow, that was a lot of fun having people cheer me on out on the course. Yeah, yeah. So you do, you still, you run into some of the same people at all the different events. So it\u2019s always, it\u2019s neat, you know you have, you wind up having friends all around.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-233d6e5dd1c34ee2629ce1691fc7f99e singl-content\" id=\"singl-233d6e5dd1c34ee2629ce1691fc7f99e\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 42:45<br \/>Yeah, that\u2019s, that\u2019s an awesome aspect of it. So what, what is like a fun and accessible and maybe you, maybe you don\u2019t know, because this is not your, your focus, but what\u2019s a fun and accessible stage race you\u2019d recommend for someone who wants to try their first one. Maybe, maybe they\u2019re not going to be competitive necessarily. They just want to go do one and have fun and see some cool trails.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 43:10<br \/>So for something local, I would definitely just have to recommend the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/community\/roots-rocks-repeat-wait-wheres-recovery\/\">Pisgah Stage Race<\/a>. The days are not terribly long. I feel like you\u2019re racing probably two and a half, three and a half hours on the fast side. So, you know, it\u2019s probably taken mid pack guys, probably at five hours, something like that. So it\u2019s not, it\u2019s not terribly long each day, there\u2019s always great accommodations that, generally, they have food afterwards. You can have plenty of time to kick back and relax, put your feet up. It\u2019s not that far away, either. It\u2019s a it\u2019s very accessible. It\u2019s easy to pack up the car and drive. You\u2019re not having to fly. Yeah, that, right, yeah. Logistically, it\u2019s great, because you can throw in extra stuff. You\u2019re like, Hey, I\u2019m going to take a bike, or maybe I want to take extra wheels with extra tires. Or why not just take a whole nother bike? Because I got a bike, you know? So from that standpoint, I would really recommend it. It\u2019s, it\u2019s a great one to get into in the riding is fantastic. So you can go out there. And the thing you could even do it, if you\u2019re not familiar with the with Pisgah in general, it\u2019s a great one, because you can use the race almost as a way to see the Pisgah. You know, the mapped out and the turns are map so you kind of have an idea. You\u2019ll get course profiles, and of course, you can follow on your GPS. So it\u2019s it\u2019s a great way to go out there and ride with people who are familiar with it. Ride great singletrack.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-28af1f427d0aeb9f4cb8fe7138b7e384 singl-content\" id=\"singl-28af1f427d0aeb9f4cb8fe7138b7e384\"><\/div>\n<p>And, yeah, if you were looking to do a first time stage race that\u2019s pretty cool and accessible. That\u2019s a really good one. You know, you\u2019re not going to contend with elevation. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re going out west and doing something that\u2019s right, super high elevation. That\u2019s another factor to take into consideration. This is everything sea level, you know, or not sea level, but you\u2019re you\u2019re not getting over 6000 feet.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 45:23<br \/>Yeah, yeah, that\u2019s that\u2019s a great recommendation. So what are your plans for this year? What other races do you have on the calendar?<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 45:32<br \/>So I\u2019ll probably end up doing the Pisgah productions, their king of Pisgah series. There\u2019s always a few different races sprinkled in there. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/community\/race-report-2015-off-road-assault-on-mt-mitchell-oramm\/\">ORAMM<\/a> is always a fun. One little lake later in the season is always a fun. One handful of different gravel events throughout the year get thrown in. I don\u2019t know what if I\u2019ve got anything big on the schedule.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-37f98d79c9ce2606635917e74b1e2da9 singl-content\" id=\"singl-37f98d79c9ce2606635917e74b1e2da9\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 45:59<br \/>No more international trips this year? <\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 46:02<br \/>Nothing planned, but neither was Guatemala. If you\u2019d asked me at Christmas or New Year\u2019s starting year, I always put it on my calendar because I always wanted to go back and do it, and then I just it worked out really well, because I had friends going that we had done it before with. So it was like, almost like, you know, family reunion going back there with the same guy. So that was awesome, always plotting and planning and seeing what events come up.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 46:36<br \/>So, yeah, awesome. Well, what\u2019s, what\u2019s the best way that listeners can keep up with you and follow you and see see where you\u2019re at in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 46:46<br \/>Probably just Facebook, Instagram. Thomas Turner on Facebook, and I think Instagram handles probably Thomas Turner, MTB, five best ways to follow me there. On YouTube. There\u2019s a bunch of different videos that probably be linked under, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s under myself or under Jamis bikes, and we did. We\u2019ve done different events, from Crusher in the Tushar and Unbound to a race over in India, some kind of cool documentaries, right? Yeah, those out get an idea of what, what racing stage races overseas would look like. So those are cool.<\/p>\n<div style=\"min-height: 250px;padding: auto;margin-bottom: 20px\" class=\"singl-6fc72d91cce868d8f5fc0ad7a2bd97b0 singl-content\" id=\"singl-6fc72d91cce868d8f5fc0ad7a2bd97b0\"><\/div>\n<p>Jeff Barber 47:25<br \/>Yeah, definitely fun to keep up with you and see all the places you\u2019re riding. So yeah, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast today. This was a lot of fun.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Turner 47:35<br \/>Absolutely my pleasure,<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Barber 47:37<br \/>And thanks to our listeners. If you want to check out more from the Singletracks podcast. Go to Singletracks, DotCom, slash podcast. Thanks for listening, and we\u2019ll talk to you next time.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;!&#8211;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Related articles<\/h4>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&#8211;&gt;<\/p>\n<div style=\"height: 30px\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tjQuery(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tpostpayloads._f98e32ecc7ca5ad84cdc261c9a82d3ad = {&#8220;ids&#8221;:&#8221;293273,253207,700386,301876&#8243;,&#8221;posts_per_page&#8221;:null,&#8221;offset&#8221;:0,&#8221;style&#8221;:&#8221;4up&#8221;};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tpostcounter._f98e32ecc7ca5ad84cdc261c9a82d3ad = {start: 0, step: 0, end: 0};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\" style=\"background: #fff\">\n<div class=\"col-xs-6 col-md-3 st_archive_4up\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/mtb-tips\/jeremiah-bishop-on-mountain-bike-racing-fitness-and-giving-back-podcast\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201%201'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jeremiah_bishop_interview.jpg\" alt=\"A mountain biker performs a jump over a wooden ramp in a forest area, surrounded by tall, bare trees. 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The truth about junk food and MTB performance<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-xs-6 col-md-3 st_archive_4up\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/mtb-tips\/pro-skills-katerina-nash-offers-up-a-few-stage-racing-tips\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201%201'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.singletracks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BCBR19_7_0169_DS-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"A cyclist in a yellow and black jersey navigates a narrow trail through a dense forest, surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery, while another cyclist in a gray shirt follows closely behind.\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"st_archive_tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/tips\/\">MTB Tips<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"st_archive_title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singletracks.com\/mtb-tips\/pro-skills-katerina-nash-offers-up-a-few-stage-racing-tips\/\">Pro Skills: Katerina Nash Offers up a few Mountain Bike Stage Racing Tips<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"clearfix visible-xs\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Turner is a professional mountain bike racer who\u2019s been competing at the top level of gravel and mountain bike racing for nearly two decades. He\u2019s been sponsored by Jamis since 2010, was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Champion, and has notched multiple National Ultra Endurance Mountain Bike Race Series podium finishes along the way. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,274],"class_list":["post-1857252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-singletracks-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1857252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1857252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1857252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1857252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}