Hannah’s Ride Journal – Season Opener on The Spark RC
INTRODUCING HANNAH’S RIDE JOURNAL
Over four grueling stages, Hannah tested herself and the Spark RC logging 141 miles of rugged terrain, conquering 16,000 feet of steep climbing and technical descents. Along the way, she experienced both the thrill of the podium and the inevitable challenges that come with endurance racing. No matter the highs or lows, Hannah’s enthusiasm for competition shines through, fueling her drive for the next start line.
As she traveled back from Spain, she had time to reflect on a season that, despite being just over a month old, has already been packed with accomplishments. From putting in big training miles on a new quiver of bikes to diving straight into a demanding four-day MTB stage race, Hannah shares her experiences—the triumphs, the struggles, and everything in between—all with a smile.
Read Hannah's Med Epic recap in her own words below:
PUTTING IN THE WORK BEFORE RACEDAY
The off season is a time to expand your comfort zone. It’s a chance to press into the areas where you feel vulnerable, and to add reinforcement to your racing armor. Most people already do this by spending the winter months building a “base” foundation for the season ahead. In January alone I spent approximately 115 hours training, but in this modern age of racing, big training blocks are just your ticket to entry at the highest levels. It’s all of the “other stuff” that gives an athlete the winning edge.
Dialing in equipment, testing new set ups, increasing your skills, and practicing nutrition are just some of the many things that I try to dial in during the off season. Creating and establishing routines and practices now will add confidence and security to my races in the season ahead.
After landing a partnership with SCOTT I had a lot of new equipment set ups to play with and to make feel like home. I’ve had a lot of ‘new bike days’ over the years and to be completely honest, I never get too hopped up about it. Don’t get me wrong, I get excited and I’m extremely grateful, but I’ve learned that new bikes take time to truly shred. You have to get used to the set-up, feel, geometry and more. So, when I first went out on my SCOTT Spark, I did so with caution. That lasted all of about 5 minutes. It felt like the bike was made for me. From ride one it fit perfect, it felt perfect, and I felt like every watt I was pressing into the pedals was being expressed through speed on the trails. I never do this, but I abandoned my ride plan for the day and I took off. I dropped my riding partner and I rode sections of the trail that I had resigned as being “unrideable” previously. It was a match made in heaven.
Of course, we still took time to make it ‘even better.’ The trick to dialing in a new bike is to change one small thing, one ride at a time so that you can really hone in on the singular change that you’ve made and give it time to see if you become accustomed to the change. I might dial in fork pressure one ride, and suspension pressure the next. I might need the saddle moved slightly forward or backward, and once one of those things change, I might need to go back and adjust one of the previously mentioned things. And once the bike is fully set, it’s time to hit the races.
THE MEDITERRANEAN EPIC—EARLY SEASON TEST
The Mediterranean Epic is a 4-Day UCI HC Mountain Bike Stage race on the coast of Spain. The HC designation makes it the highest level of stage race that the UCI offers. The designation is saved for races like the infamous Cape Epic.
Why start the season by travelling all the way across the world to a 4-day stage race of the highest level? To continue to expand my comfort zone.
The stage race format not only allows me to continue to build fitness, but it allows me 4 chances to put all of the pieces together. It might feel a bit clunky at first, but by day 4 we’re a well-oiled machine.
Coming from the USA and racing a high-level race in Europe is also an adventure in and of itself. I pack and unpack my suitcase somewhere around 30 times a year, but after a couple month break, it’s funny how quickly you forget exactly what you need. Before even going to the airport, I’ve looked up all of the Stage distances, calculated my estimated finish times, and packed the exact carbs per hour that I need for each and every stage. With suitcase weight limits, you can’t afford (literally) to pack too much drink mix, and with European nutrition brands being so different, your gut also can’t afford to not have enough.
We also pack all of the spare tools and parts we need for any and every circumstance. Not only can I have the spare parts in the feed zone, I also need to have my own parts to make easy adjustments between stages, rather than desperately searching for something to ‘make-do.’
After a few days of pre-riding dialing in lines, gear choices, tire pressures, and beating the jet lag, it’s already time to line up!
STAGE 1:
After arriving in Europe on Sunday night, it was already time to race on Thursday morning. The first race would feature a blazing 1-hour mountain bike time trial. A time trial is a brutal way to start the year. Racing on your own before having actually felt race pace, leaves a lot of question in your mind around pacing. My mind was still reeling about my pacing strategy as we all lined up to be paraded in to the start ramp. Most of the directions were in Spanish, with an English explanation thrown in every now and then. It’s just enough to make you wonder what you missed in the longer Spanish explanation. With athletes from Switzerland, Netherlands, Columbia, Sweden, Poland and more, different languages were circling the air. It’s the perfect moment to practice turning inward and visualizing your plan and tuning out the noise.
As they counted down to my start, the nerves poured into my body. My hands were tingling and my heart was racing. I exploded off the line, catching the rider who started ahead of me in the first 2 miles. I suffered for my nerve-ridden over-pacing in the final miles as I made mistakes. I crossed the finish line in 6th place, but less than 1 minute away from the podium. With 3 days still ahead, it was anyone’s game and I had just gotten the nervous jitters out of the system. This is why I start the year with a stage race. I love a good second chance.
STAGE 2:
Lining up for Stage 2 I was ready to make it count. About 20 minutes into the race, I was feeling invincible, leading the group in the singletrack when all of a sudden, I heard the dreaded sound of sealant spraying everywhere. I whispered to myself, “seal, seal, seal” but it went flat almost immediately. There was a cameraman filming me as I pulled over on the trail and saw all of my competitors zoom by me as I stuffed 3 plugs into the gapping hole. It still wouldn’t seal. I decided I had to move on. I hopped back on my bike, and rode the flat tire on the rim cushioned by an insert for the next 8 miles.
For the next 8 miles I felt the race slipping away. I knew the time gap was growing as I nursed my wheel. The language barrier felt at its highest as the amateur men passed me, pointing at my flat, and yelling something in Spanish.
When I finally got to the tech zone, Clayton did a lightning-fast wheel swap and sent me on my way. I felt temporary relief having the situation out of my hands and in his as he tended to my bike, but it was short lived. As I pushed off again, it was just me and the pedals and I needed to self-motivate for the next 3 hours.
I knew that a placement in Stage 2 was long gone down the trail, but I had to find a way to keep pushing to salvage whatever time I could in the general classification. It was a test of resilience and resolve as I powered away on my own. I crossed the line having moved down to 11th in the overall and with my work cut out for me on Stage 3.
STAGE 3:
Lining up for Stage 3, I had race nerves behind me from Stage 1 and bad luck behind me from Stage 2. In This stage, I had something to prove.
As the trail pointed upward the race broke apart. The amateur men also started to swarm us pro women as we clambered to stay together. I was following closely behind the GC leader when we needed to pass one of the amateur men. We hollered to get around. She made the pass, but he didn’t see me coming and moved over right as I tried to jet around him. We hit bars and I was sent off the trail. Racing is also more physical in Europe. This situation was one that I would log away as another excellent early season lesson that I would be better from later on. The gap to first formed in that moment and for hours I could see glimpses of the yellow jersey just up ahead but the chasm seemed too big to cross. It was a relentless and ruthless pursuit, but I knew that even if I never caught her, my efforts would pay off by putting in time on those behind.
I finished up Stage 3 in 2nd place and my strong performance allowed me to move up to 5th in the Overall GC. One stage left to go.
STAGE 4:
For me, Stage 4 was about going for broke, racing with curiosity and seeing what I could do. I hit it right from the line and by the first singletrack section, I was leading off the front with just the GC leader on my wheel.
The SCOTT Spark absolutely hauled through the technical singletrack trails. Riding huge rock gardens with drops and ledges is not for the faint of heart, and along with peeled eyes, you have to rely on your bike to pick up the slack when you pick a wrong line in the heat of the moment. The Spark delivered on all accounts.
For the rest of the stage, it was mountain biking at its best. I was locking out my suspension and hammering on the climbs, and risking it all on the descents. The GC leader and I traded positions and attacks for well over 15 miles. With each attack it felt like the heat of the race escalated and our respect for each other’s abilities elevated as well.
The race came all the way down to the final meters in a tactical move. I finished Stage 4 in 2nd and the performance once again allowed me to move up in the GC. Tenacity and determination allowed me to move up to 4th overall in the GC after 4 days of racing.
At the finish line, after hours of battling on the bike, my competitors and I hugged. Language barriers and culture differences seem to melt away in a mutual love for the bike.
TAKEAWAYS
The 2025 season opener was everything I wanted it to be. I worked through the rust, proved my fitness, and walked away a better bike racer. I got to represent SCOTT on my first podium performances of the season and the Spark passed its first test with flying colors. Now I’m heading back to the USA, and prepping for my next race in just a few short weeks, my gravel season opener where I’ll get to test out the SCOTT Addict Gravel RC at BWR Arizona.
