We're baaack! Today on the show we share more about our time in Morocco for the Atlas Mountain Race, as well as answer your questions about the race. Let us know what you think of this episode and if there's anything we missed - it's always a challenge post event to synthesize our thoughts and cover it all.

As always thanks for being here! If you loved today's episode please consider leaving us a five star review, or buying us a coffee. Every little bit helps us continue to produce the show.

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A small but mighty field of women will be starting the fourth edition of the Atlas Mountain Race. We were fortunate enough to hear from nearly all of them ahead of the start. These incredible individuals share what they’re most excited about and what challenges they are likely to face. Each of them has a unique story, and we hope by shining a spotlight on the women’s field it will encourage more to line up next year or to take on their own challenge. 

You can follow our dots on MapProgress - www.amr24.maprogress.com

We’ve put together a list of the women featured in this episode so you can track them on the map by cap number. They are organized here in the same order as they appear in the episode. 

Cat Magill - 183

Christiana Tamburini - 173

Cynthia Carson - 172

Hannah Larbalestier - 140

Hannah Simon - 139

Harriet Wingfield - 314A

Marika Latsone - 101

Marion Dziwnik - 99

'Masca Lu Wahlig - 130

Megan Casebow - 309A

Melina Boening - 84

Mel Webb - 85

Molly Weaver - 79

Nathalie Baillon - 78

Quinda Verheul - 56

Sarah Heller - 306A

Shona Oldfield - 305A

Veera Lahde - 6

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It's officially the week of Atlas Mountain Race! We're joined by special guest host, Allan Shaw, who interviews us on our preparations for the race, expectations, and much more. Expect a lot of giggles, hot tips on navigating the race from Allan (who raced in 2023), and a not-so secret announcement!

The not so secret announcement? We'll be producing a daily podcast in partnership with Atlas Mountain race, that will be hosted on their feed. Search for "The Silk Road Mountain Race and Atlas Mountain Race Podcast" wherever you listen, or click the links below for Spotify and Apple.

Listen to the AMR podcast on Spotify

Listen to the AMR podcast on Apple Podcasts

Racing kicks off at 6PM local time and there's plenty of places to catch the action.

• Dotwatch here
• Follow Mel on Instagram for live updates
• Follow Cynthia on Instagram

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We're officially into racing season over here at Detours. Cynthia and Mel will be toeing the line of the Atlas Mountain Race kicking off on February 9 and what better way to get ready than to host last year's women's winner, Luisa Werner. She shares about her winning ride — from the crash that resulted in a major mechanical, to injury, and doing things your own way, this episode will surely get you in the dotwatching or racing mood.

Follow Luisa on Instagram to keep follow her 2024 cycling plans @luisasophiewer

There's a few ways you can follow Mel and Cynthia on their journey through the Atlas Mountains

• Follow along on Instagram @melwwebb and @watt_wagon
• Watch our dots https://amr24.maprogress.com/

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We're officially back for 2024! January and February will mainly be occupied with Atlas Mountain Race content so buckle up.

In this episode we are joined by Molly Weaver, former professional road cyclist turned ultra rider. Not only is Molly a talented rider, she is a community builder and determined to get more women into the ultra cycling and bikepacking scene. She shares loads about her transition away from the world tour peloton, the races she's tackled so far and much more.

If you're interested in Molly's ultra camps you can check them out here and be sure to give her a follow on Instagram to stay up to date with her latest adventures.

If you loved this episode please leave us a 5 star review wherever you're listening and consider buying us a coffee!

Thanks as always for listening!

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Our last episode for 2023 and thought it was about time the two of us took to the hot seat and answered some of your questions. We share how we found ultra, navigating sponsorship deals, dream races, goals for ourselves and the podcast and more.

We're so grateful for everyone who has tuned in and helped us get the show off the ground. It's been a blast and we can't wait to see where 2024 takes us.

If you love the show, please take a moment to share this episode with a friend and leave us a review. It helps more than you know. You can support us even further and buy us a coffee to help offset our overhead.

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A retired English and Creative Writing teacher, Robin Todd started bikepacking in the 80s and has since ridden across Canada and the United States. At 58 years old she has a wealth of experience. She shares stories of her origins on the bike, and how her relationship with it has changed over the years, and her hopes for a more inclusive cycling community.

To read more about Robin's adventures visit her website, where she shares beautiful recounts at the end of each day when she's on the road.

If you loved this episode, be sure to leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen and consider becoming a supporter.

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Be prepared to be hit with a heavy dose of inspiration — Allan Shaw is a breath of fresh air. In a world where we are constantly being marketed the latest and greatest tech to power our adventures, Allan has challenged what many think are possible on a bike, most recently completing the infamous Silk Road Mountain Race on a cargo bike. From early days as a bike messenger, to touring across the United States (three times!!!), to his travels around the globe and navigating different cultures as an openly gay person, there is something for everyone in this episode.

Check out Allan's company, Gay's Okay and be sure to follow him on Instagram to keep up with his adventures.

If you loved this episode, please consider leaving us a five star review — it helps more than you know.

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If you've dotwatched any ultra-races in recent years or kept up with social media, you've likely seen Nils' photos. But the photos of riders and their triumphs only tell one part of the story. In this episode, we sit down with photographer Nils Laengner. We dive behind the scenes of what goes into getting those stunning shots and the nuances of photographing these unsupported bikepacking events. From jumping out of a moving car in Kyrgyzstan to navigating the emotional complexities of races of this magnitude, this episode is full of wild stories. 

Make sure to follow Nils on Instagram to keep up with his work.

As always, don't forget to rate, review and share — it helps us more than you know!

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Fresh off her win at the Silver State 508, a Race Across America Qualifier, we sat down with Canadian ultra-endurance cyclist and author, Meaghan Hackinen. This episode is a little longer than normal, and for good reason. We went deep with Meaghan on her humble beginnings in the sport, lessons from the road and tips for folks new to the off-road scene.

To support Meaghan consider purchasing one her books Shifting Gears and South Away — we can't wait to read them!

Make sure to follow Meaghan on Instagram to keep up with her latest adventures.

Trigger warning: Meaghan did briefly share a story that touches on suicide from 21:00 to 25:00.

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