“Yeah, positively at Sea Otter I actually wish to do nicely. Coming off the Epic win, I am fairly assured I can carry among the kind that I’ve.”
It is the primary time the 30-year-old has been to Monterey, California and the Sea Otter Traditional, which he heard about as a toddler in Cape City. Whereas he could also be at an obstacle with no race expertise on the course and travelling 10,000 air miles (16,400km) to even get to the venue, he mentioned at the least he will not need to battle at excessive elevation, which appears to be a trait for different US occasions.
“It is fairly thrilling to race at Sea Otter. I’ve heard about it since I used to be a child; it was all the time within the magazines. And clearly, it is one of many only a few races at sea stage. I dwell at sea stage. And it is a mountain bike race. I do like gravel, however mountain bike is my old flame. So this race [Fuego XL] simply hits all the appropriate spots for me.”
With one other Cape Epic title checked off the checklist, the Cape City native has made the Life Time Grand Prix his focus for the season. Final season he was seventh within the males’s general standings going into the ultimate race at Huge Sugar Gravel in Arkansas. He suffered a shoulder separation and damaged ribs in a crash so didn’t end and completed 14th general, which means he missed incomes a part of the $250,000 prize purse distributed evenly to the highest 10 women and men.
“Racing at elevation has been a giant studying curve from final 12 months. You must take heed to your physique much more and never simply go as arduous as you may after which recuperate. I positively paid the value just a few instances. We’ve got somewhat little bit of elevation in South Africa, however nothing like right here,” Beers mentioned about his primary epiphany from racing the Grand Prix final season.
“I am much more assured by way of my capability and what I must do higher than final 12 months, by way of preparation and racing rather a lot smarter, not simply going till I blow up after which by no means come out of the outlet I made. Each time it is a shock, at altitude. I discovered that getting acclimatized 10 days earlier than the race has helped rather a lot.”
He has set a schedule of three journeys to the US in 2024 to present him time to regulate extra to circumstances just like the altitude. One back-and-forth journey to South Africa that he eradicated was to defend his titles within the South African marathon MTB and gravel championship occasions, each moved to Could. He’ll stay within the US at the moment to deal with Unbound Gravel 200, the place he was eleventh final 12 months, 31 minutes behind winner Swenson.
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“Unbound is a giant one the place I wish to do nicely. Leadville is excessive altitude and clearly, it’s extremely a lot a climbing course, and I am fairly a giant rider. So I’ve type of accepted that does not match me very nicely,” he laughed when speaking about his 6-foot, 4-inch (1.96 cm) body.
“Programs that actually swimsuit me are Chequamegon and Huge Sugar. However you may’t goal every part. I can goal the place my talents [are best].”
“Yeah, positively at Sea Otter I actually wish to do nicely. Coming off the Epic win, I am fairly assured I can carry among the kind that I’ve.”
It is the primary time the 30-year-old has been to Monterey, California and the Sea Otter Traditional, which he heard about as a toddler in Cape City. Whereas he could also be at an obstacle with no race expertise on the course and travelling 10,000 air miles (16,400km) to even get to the venue, he mentioned at the least he will not need to battle at excessive elevation, which appears to be a trait for different US occasions.
“It is fairly thrilling to race at Sea Otter. I’ve heard about it since I used to be a child; it was all the time within the magazines. And clearly, it is one of many only a few races at sea stage. I dwell at sea stage. And it is a mountain bike race. I do like gravel, however mountain bike is my old flame. So this race [Fuego XL] simply hits all the appropriate spots for me.”
With one other Cape Epic title checked off the checklist, the Cape City native has made the Life Time Grand Prix his focus for the season. Final season he was seventh within the males’s general standings going into the ultimate race at Huge Sugar Gravel in Arkansas. He suffered a shoulder separation and damaged ribs in a crash so didn’t end and completed 14th general, which means he missed incomes a part of the $250,000 prize purse distributed evenly to the highest 10 women and men.
“Racing at elevation has been a giant studying curve from final 12 months. You must take heed to your physique much more and never simply go as arduous as you may after which recuperate. I positively paid the value just a few instances. We’ve got somewhat little bit of elevation in South Africa, however nothing like right here,” Beers mentioned about his primary epiphany from racing the Grand Prix final season.
“I am much more assured by way of my capability and what I must do higher than final 12 months, by way of preparation and racing rather a lot smarter, not simply going till I blow up after which by no means come out of the outlet I made. Each time it is a shock, at altitude. I discovered that getting acclimatized 10 days earlier than the race has helped rather a lot.”
He has set a schedule of three journeys to the US in 2024 to present him time to regulate extra to circumstances just like the altitude. One back-and-forth journey to South Africa that he eradicated was to defend his titles within the South African marathon MTB and gravel championship occasions, each moved to Could. He’ll stay within the US at the moment to deal with Unbound Gravel 200, the place he was eleventh final 12 months, 31 minutes behind winner Swenson.
“Unbound is a giant one the place I wish to do nicely. Leadville is excessive altitude and clearly, it’s extremely a lot a climbing course, and I am fairly a giant rider. So I’ve type of accepted that does not match me very nicely,” he laughed when speaking about his 6-foot, 4-inch (1.96 cm) body.
“Programs that actually swimsuit me are Chequamegon and Huge Sugar. However you may’t goal every part. I can goal the place my talents [are best].”
He dabbled in a little bit of highway racing, competing as a stagiaire with UAE Group Emirates in 2019 and driving at occasions throughout Europe, together with Vuelta a Burgos. However he added gravel to his mountain biking resume after the coronavirus world pandemic and hasn’t seemed again. 2023 was a giant 12 months with second at BWR California in 2023, third at Crusher within the Tushar and tenth at The Rad Grime Fest.
That is his first season on the Specialised Off-road group, which additionally consists of LTGP ladies’s general champion Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Grotts, who was his teammate for the Cape Epic victory. Grotts specifically is usually a large asset in races.
“This 12 months being a part of the Specialised group, that was a giant objective of mine. All of it fell into place, which was cool. We are going to strive techniques. For instance for example at Leadville, if he [Grotts] has an excellent probability of profitable there, then I am going to type of run my setup just like his so if he wants one thing I might help. After which the identical goes for him possibly at Unbound, as a result of I actually wish to do nicely there.
“However we’re full opposites [in size]. We might share simply wheels at this level,” he laughed concerning the duo sharing any gear.
Can he beat Swenson at Fuego XL, or take sufficient factors over the seven Grand Prix occasions to unseat the reigning champion?
“Keegan is Keegan,” he mentioned. “He and Sofia had been the primary folks to assist me out earlier than I used to be on the [Specialized] group determining the US. With out them, I would not be capable of do it [Grand Prix].”
