Neil Beltchenko, winner of the Colorado Trail Race 2021

Neil Beltchenko has competed in some of the most infamous bikepacking races for nearly a decade, including the Iditarod Trail Invitational, which he won in 2018, and the Arizona Trail 300, which he has won multiple times and where set a course record in 2016. In this interview, he joins Payson just days after winning the Colorado Trail Race. He has ridden and completed the Colorado Trail six times, and set a course record in 2016. In spite of these accomplishments, however, he tells Payson that he never starts a race with a win or a record in mind, nor does he expect to be the fastest. He talks about why he keeps returning to the CT, the moment in this year's race that he almost turned back, and the off-the-bike physical preparation to which he attributes his consistent success and surprising lack of long term injuries. He also gives a detailed gear list run down, and offers a few nutritional hacks that he's learned over the years. 

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