Lachlan Morton had competed in the Absa Cape Epic, but still had to seriously consider whether to accept Keegan Swenson's invitation to partner him in the grueling eight-day mountain bike race in Africa. Swenson, the U.S. national champion in the discipline and winner of the Lifetime Grand Prix, was clearly going into the event with the goal of leading the pack.

"He's probably the strongest and most experienced partner I'm going to get in this race," Morton said in a media release from his team, EF Education Easy Post.

"Because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to reach his level of experience.

"Then I realized I had a few months to focus and get ready to test myself against the best mountain bikers in the world. It's kind of daunting, but being scared and nervous about it means it's worth the challenge."[5

The former World Tour pro, now chasing a different calendar, showed up on the road several times during the Australian summer, racing the Buninyong circuit for the national championships and the 267 km from Melbourne to Warrnambool. But there was never any doubt where Morton's focus would be. The adventure rider was in Port Macquarie in between road days, continuing his training for the eight-day, 658-km mountain bike event.

"I have been training very specifically and intensively on the mountain bike with the goal of being physically and technically fit to get to the start line," Morton said. [and] Morton said. [Aside from what happens in the race, I'm glad to be able to go through the preparation process and be a little scared and hold someone accountable.

Morton last competed in the Cape Epic in 2021, partnering with Kenyan rider Kenneth Kalaya and finishing 35th overall. Swenson first competed in the event in 2022, racing with another experienced mountain biker, Maxime Malotte, who finished 11th overall and third in the final stage.

"Lachlan brings tactical advice and race smarts from the road, and he does a lot of mountain biking. I think he brings a lot to the table." I have a little bit more experience racing mountain bikes, so I can pick up the pace on the descents and pick up the tempo when it gets rough."

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"It would be nice to win one or two stages and go for GC. I'm going to set good times. I'm going to make a good team."

The eight-day, two-man African race from March 19-26, which climbs 15,775 meters in elevation, will feature up to 680 teams, with hardy amateurs testing their mettle against experienced pros. [There are] world-class mountain bikers who ride at ultra-high speed through spectacular terrain, including singletrack, rocky jeep roads, and gravel roads.

"There's a lot at stake: equipment, fitness, technical ability, resilience, and heat.

"You have to put a million things together to perform well. Even those who win the race have to adapt because so many things go wrong. This is essentially an adventure race.