Welcome back to OffRoad InRoads and to the episode following Canadian XCM National Championships. We are back from an impromptu summer break for the podcast and we have a busy fall of racing ahead. 

To kick September off Haley and Lespy traveled to Whitehorse, Yukon to race at the Canadian XCM National Championships. It was an incredible opportunity to visit the Canadian North and to compete for a maple leaf jersey. It was a great weekend for the team with both Haley and Lespy earning their first Elite National titles.

Today’s guests also made the trip up to Whitehorse and the both share a similar story, it was an incredible experience and I need to go back! 

First up on the show we have Ruby West who is an athlete that takes multi-discipline to the next level. XCM Nationals was Ruby’s 4th National Championship event of the season, having competed in Road, Track, and Gravel Nationals already this season. Ruby finished up 2nd on the day to go with several other National Champs podiums this season. Ruby grew up racing off-road, with the early part of her career spent on the mountain bike and ‘cross bike. She returns to off-road racing to create the balance that she needs to perform her best on the track. We chat about her experience in the Yukon, how she balances pursuing Olympic dreams on the track with her love of many different kinds of bike racing and what the future may hold for her. 

Next up, we have Carter Nieuwesteeg on the show, a professional off-road and founder of Anything Goes Event Series (AGES), the company that produces the Fernie Gravel Grind. Carter had this event on his radar for a while and although the day didn’t play out as he had hoped, he really enjoyed the experience in the Yukon and is counting the days until he gets back there. We hear about what happened in the race and how he turned it around the next week to finish the season up on a high note at the Revy Fifty. Carter essentially holds two full-time jobs, one being an athlete and the other running events for AGES. Between BWRs, MTB Stage Race double-headers and everything that goes into running AGES, it was a full-on summer for Carter but he wouldn’t have it any other way. We chat about that and his thoughts on the off-road scene from the dual-perspective of an athlete and an event organizer. Hardtail's are the next big thing, you heard it here first.

Thanks to Maxxis Tires for supporting this podcast and bringing you inside the action with athletes at the biggest off-road races in North America.

Enjoy the show.

Hosted by: @andrewlespy
Joined by:  Ruby @ruby__west and Carter @carternieuwesteeg
Produced by: Bill Schieken @cxhairs

Note: Due to technical challenges, this episodes audio quality is not at our typical level, we apologize and will ensure it is improved for upcoming episode. Thanks!