Angus Young Wins The Highland Trail 550 | Official Fastest Known Time!

We caught up with MASON Rider Angus Young after his edge of the seat Highland Trail 550 win and Oficial Fastest Known Time!

In classic Angus fashion, he set out hard and mostly raced with a smile on his face. It was a real nail-biter at the end though! Read more about his incredible journey below.

Angus, congratulations on your incredible triumph at the Highland Trail 550! We're eager to hear about your overall experience. Could you kindly share your thoughts on this remarkable journey?

Tell us about the race and what your strategy was from the start, obviously, you had a score to settle from the previous year.

My usual strategy has been to go out all guns blazing and try to break the pack and make them fight for second position. This year I took a much more measured approach and pretty much raced it like a time trial with the intention of negative splitting. This worked for Huw last year so fingers crossed it would work for me. 

Did things unfold as expected whilst out on the course? You must be happy with your performance but did it all go to plan?

Things clearly went very well but that isn't to say that there were not some problems. It is almost impossible to put together a “clean run” on a course like the HT550. I would say my biggest time loss was due to a recurring issue of snapping a chain. Foolishly I only packed one quick link which was used and then I was down to re-pinning the chain. Not something that works well for 12speed.

Looking back on the race, are there any adjustments you would consider making in hindsight?

Pack another quick link perhaps! Other than that it went well, I would maybe go for a narrower tyre, I used Vittoria Mezcal 29x2.60” which was almost too chunky. There is a reasonable amount of road so I would probably go for a 2.35” next time.

The performance of your bike is so important in such demanding races. How did your RAW handle the unforgiving terrain of the HT550?

It shouldn't come as a surprise but when Dom designs a bike with a certain race in mind it behaves flawlessly. The longer wheelbase makes it so steady on the climbs and allows ample pedaling traction. Point it downhill and it gave me the confidence to enjoy the descents even without a dropper.

Undoubtedly, a race of this magnitude must have offered numerous breathtaking moments. What were the highlights that made a mark in your memory?

I remember entering Fisherfield at sunrise and it was just magical. The legs were good and I had just had a decent sleep so when the sun came up behind me and turned the mountains golden there was no place that I would rather have been.

Endurance races can present significant obstacles and personal challenges. Could you share some of the most difficult moments you encountered during the HT550? How did you overcome them?

The second chain snap was perhaps my low point. From then I could tell that it would potentially become a big issue. My thought process was to just deal with it as best I could at the time and then get back on the road. 

Physically, I recall entering a zombie-like state after leaving Glen Affric. I had exerted a tremendous effort during the climb, and once nightfall arrived, my legs began to weaken massively. My mental state started to deteriorate as well, and the next thing I vividly remember is my alarm going off. I had unintentionally drifted into autopilot mode and taken a brief nap in my bivvy. It wasn't a terrible instinct, but it wasn't the most time-efficient decision.

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Looking ahead, what's next on the calendar? Do you have any upcoming races or more audacious undertakings that you have set your sights on? 

My next big goal is the Silk Road mountain race out in Kyrgyzstan, this is roughly twice the duration and even more wild and remote. I'm looking forward to seeing how I get on over this slightly longer distance.

With your extensive experience, what advice would you offer to future HT550 riders? 

Learn the route, this year was the third time that I had ridden the route and it makes such a difference to my mental state when I know what to expect. I’m not saying that you need to recce the whole thing but have a good understanding of the difficult sections and where the resupply is.

How do you plan to celebrate your win on the HT550? Champagne, Whiskey, or more electrolytes?

The best celebration is waiting at the finish to cheer in as many of my competitors as possible and listen to their experiences. Everyone has a different story to tell which is the magic of the Highland Trail.

Some stats from Angus’s ride:

Total distance - 556.2 Miles

Total elevation gain - 12,050

Average speed - 7.6 Mph

Daily average distance - 167.4 Miles (on that terrain?!)

Total time on course - 3 days, 7 hours, 15 minutes

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