CYCLECOACH.cc

CYCLECOACH.CC trip to Morocco, February 2026.

Part 1 the Route and the Bikes.

We planned this as a predominantly six day off road adventure, with road options if required. This proved to be a wise choice. Of the four of us who went, two rode Hardtail Mountain Bikes and two on Gravel Bikes. There was plenty pristine gravel, and some road on the route, however, the Mountain Bike was definitely the right choice. Although Ben, an experienced cross racer, could ride all the trails on his gravel bike, it did start to beat up his body. The route used some of The Alas Mountain Race route, which was then modified to include visits to the Oasis at Skoura and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Ait Benhaddou. Unfortunately, our other Gravel rider, Richard, had a crash which snapped off his left brake lever and this resulted in a few route changes to accommodate a bike with only a front brake.

I rode a Vitus Rapide CRS, a Carbon XC Mountain Bike and this was perfect for the trip. The only modifications from the standard bike being, some Sonder Alpha XC Race wheelset, Vittoria Mezcal 2.35" tyres, Ergon GA3 Grips and SQ Labs Inner Bar Ends. The grips and bar ends are crucial for hand/wrist comfort when riding off road for extended periods. The Mezcals are the perfect tyre choice for Morocco and popular with riders on the Atlas Mountain Race.

This was the ambitious plan:

Day 1 - Marrakech to Ait Ourir - 53km - 250m
Day 2 - Ait Ourir to Telouet - 102km - 3518m
Day 3 - Telouet - Skoura - 94km - 1440m
Day 4 - Skoura - Ait Benhaddou - 83km - 1052km
Day 5 Ait Benhaddou - Telouet (via Quarzazate) - 108km - 1685m
Day 6 - Telouet - Marrakech - 146km - 2509m

In the end we had to make some changes, which made the route longer to include more road but ultimately it was required for Richard's safety. The route was still stunning, with amazing scenery and friendly people. The locals seem to respect cyclists far more than in the UK, so even in getting in and out of the crazy city of Marrakech was pretty straightforward. Although we carried all our kit, we did stay in Hotels, these were easily sourced on Booking.com.

I'll do another post shortly to highlight the kit carried and the bags used, plus what if any changes I'd make to the route and the kit.

Feel free to reach out to me if you would like further details to help you plan your adventure to Morocco.

Some super racing tonight at the local Burki Cross. The pesky kids keep on performing. Harrison Evans and Freya Vaughan winning the male and female races and will now wear the CYCLECOACH.CC Leaders Jerseys next week. If you want some fast and furious fun, sign up on Rider HQ.

If anyone is still looking to purchase any new Road, Gravel or Mountain Bike Clothing, we have 4 friends and family discount codes, offering 40% off at 7Mesh. https://7mesh.com/en-GB

"7mesh is cycling apparel for road, gravel and mountain. Designed and proven in our backyard Squamish, Canada."

I have several pieces of their kit from their Industry Pro Program, definitely worth taking a look at these prices.

Anyone interested, then please contact me directly.

Winner, winner chicken dinner! Congratulations to Ollie Swinburn, (Beeston CC) for taking the win at the East Midlands Regional Cyclocross Championships, and to all our coached riders who took part on a challenging and muddy circuit

Not only do we offer performance coaching here at CYCLECOACH.cc, but we also coach the weekly Wednesday night (6.30 - 8.00) skills session at Yarborough for Velo Club Lincoln, which is open to all riders. Please contact us if you would like to come along. There is a whole range of abilities in attendance from novices to former World Champions.

Another super week for our coached Cyclocross riders. With only 3 racing last weekend, we still managed to get some decent results: Toby 1st - U14 Youth (Lincs). Oliver 2nd - U16 Youth (Leicester) and Ben 4th - Vet 40-49 (Lincs). However, I think Gavin Sykes 'topped' them all with his epic ride in Nepal up to Thorang La Pass at 5416m, resplendent in his CYCLECOACH.cc jersey. Well done to everyone.

If you want to take steps towards the top, then either reach out to us at CYCLECOACH.cc or come along to Yarborough on a Wednesday night, 6.30 - 8.00pm, for some group Cyclocross training. A fully coached session, where you can learn from some of the best local cyclocross riders, including former World Champion - Stuart Marshall who is a regular attendee.

2024 Road Season Wrap Up.

With cross already started and our coached riders already on the podium and one on the top step, thought I'd better wrap up the end of the road season.

It was a successful season for all the roadies and we finished with some solid results. The Open Collective riders, Ben Mills and Adam Brumpton both got their first ever wins. We also gabbed a few late season podiums and Matthew Kent wrapped up the Lincs Road Race series as overall winner. Matthew also managed to take 3rd place at the RTTC National 10 Mile TT, between travelling back and forth to UCI races on the continent.

Well done to all our coached riders. Some will have a rest and others will be straight into the Cross season.

We still have space for a few more riders, so if you want to improve your performance and take a step towards the podium, then please reach out to us.

Burki Cross Round 1

Exciting cross racing tonight, with brothers Callum and Harrison Evans dominating proceedings. Super to see one of our coached youth riders Oliver Turnbull bounce back from a broken collarbone only a few weeks ago to take the final place on the podium.

Callum Evans is back in the CYCLECOACH.CC Leaders Yellow Jersey, something he's become accustomed to over the last couple of years.

Superb racing tonight at Brattleby. Two of our young coached riders, Matthew Kent (Junior) and Ollie Swinburn (Youth) made the break with Toby Bartlett. The three of them worked well, gaining nearly a minute with a lap to go. In an exciting finish it was Toby, Matthew and then Ollie.

This result puts Matthew Kent in the CYCLECOACH.cc Yellow Jersey as the new series leader, with Ollie Swinburn now in second place. Both our young stars have a bright future ahead if them.

Busy weekend of racing for our coached athletes. Young Ollie Swinburn taking another win at Darley Moor. Matthew Kent winning the Lincoln Grand Prix Hill Climb. Kathryn Vaughan almost on the podium at Burghley Triathlon, despite her mechanical. Fantastic results all round.

I spent the weekend helping out at the Lincoln Grand Prix. It was great to witness the return of Matt Holmes, winning the men's race. Thanks again to all those who came to help and also the supporters who make it such a special event.

Busy morning getting Lincoln ready for the Sportive riders today and the Lincoln Grand Prix tomorrow. Plus some final coaching with Matthew Cavendish Kent to get his gearing sorted for tonight's hill climb at 6pm.

We still need a few Marshalls for either half or full day tomorrow (Sunday) for the Grand Prix. Anyone interested then please message me.

Super racing last night, with quite few of our coached riders taking part. It was our younger riders who stepped up with Matthew Kent (1st year Junior) finishing second to ex track sprinter Ben Green and Ollie Swinburn (Youth) making the top ten. Well done to all who took part. Ben Green will now wear the CYCLECOACH.cc Yellow Leader's Jersey at the next round on the hilly Brattleby circuit. I'm not sure this circuit is going to suit Ben's strengths.