Regular readers will know that we’re giving away a mixed team place to this year’s pioneering TransWales stage race (12-20 August, most of Wales). The entries are now in, and we’ll be bringing you the details of one of the shortlisted entries each day this week before throwing open the voting on Friday.

Our fourth candidates for the big TransWales prize are top-flight racers Jules Toone and Oli Cox…

In their own words

Having spent a lot of time camping and riding round, across, up and down Wales and Scotland, we’d absolutely love to race the TransWales. It’s pretty much what we spend our free time doing! Being one of the few competitive mixed-pair couples we’ve been through the emotions together of bad days and good days, pain and elation, both riding at home and abroad, and we see the TransWales to be a good challenge…

We’d both jump at the chance to spend seven days in the hills racing together on some of our favourite terrain in the UK. We’d love the interaction and banter with other like-minded riders, campfire brewed tea every night and the chocolate caramel energy bars at the service stations! Oli would like the chance to prove to himself he can still mix it with the big hitters and Jules strangely seems to love the pain of keeping his rear block in sight!!

We’ve spent consecutive days riding at the separate Welsh MTB centres but the opportunity to ride the terrain between them would be awesome. We are a competitive team that would put ourselves out there 110% to bring home success.

Jules and Oli’s race CV

Jules Toone (23)

• National Points Series Expert category rider: 2nd overall, Expert Series, 2005
• 1st, Margam Park, 2005
• 1st, Sherwood Pines, 2004, 2005 and 2006
• 6th 3 Peaks Cyclo-X, 2003
• 7th 3 Peaks Cyclo-X, 2004 (with broken ribs only 6 days before!!)
• 4th Etape de Tour (road), 2003 = 1st GB overall
• 5th Etape de Tour (road), 2004 = 1st GB overall
• Consistent rides in Merida 100s including Builth Wells 2004, Selkirk 2005, Rhyader 2006

Consistent performances in National fell-running races, including:

• 1st Shining Cliffs 2005
• 1st Leg It Round Lathkill 2005
• 9th Charnwood Hills 2006
• 8th Winter Hill 2006
• 19th Cader Idris Fell Race 2006

Oli Cox (24)

• 3rd place, Elite Men’s Team, Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem 2005
• National Points Series Elite category rider: consistent top 20 finishes in the past 5 years
• 7th National Marathon Championships (Margam Park) 2005
• Former member GB Junior MTB team (1999-2001)
• 6th place 3 Peaks Cyclo-X 2003
• 7th place 3 Peaks Cyclo-X 2004
• Former GB Cyclo-X rider, World Cup races 1999 and World Championships in 2000
• Etape de Tour 2003 (road), 3rd placed GB = 42nd overall
• Etape de Tour 2004 (road), 5th placed GB = 120th overall
• Consistent performances in Merida 100s including top 5 placings in Builth Wells 2004, Selkirk 2005, Rhyader 2006

Consistent top 20 finishes in National fell running races, including:

• 21st Cader Idris Fell Race 2006
• 20th Charnwood Hills Fell Race 2006

Together

• Enduro 6 Mixed Pairs winners, 2005
• Enduro 6 Mixed Pairs, 3rd, 2006