The Unseen Stage Archives

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“I’d do it again”: Melanie Bianchi on What Training for the L’Étape Czech Republic Taught Her

October 6, 2026 at 7:51 am2 min reading

Last week, yet another of our Challengers successfully crossed the finish line in The Unseen Stage challenge. For Melanie Bianchi, reaching L’Étape Czech Republic marked the end of a journey that began with only occasional road cycling, a mountain-bike background, and a long-standing self-doubt about…

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First Training Rides, then Outdoor Sleepovers: Melanie Bianchi’s Unexpected Journey with Škoda Kodiaq

October 3, 2026 at 8:50 am2 min reading

Health & Training

For Melanie Bianchi, life as The Unseen Stage Challenger has meant fitting cycling around two children, family responsibilities, and an increasingly demanding training schedule. With bikes, riding kit, and snacks constantly in tow, having a practical support vehicle quickly became part of the equation. Enter…

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The Willpower to Start: Melanie Bianchi Goes Toe to Toe with the L’Étape – and Herself

August 20, 2026 at 4:17 pm2 min reading

Health & Training

Melanie is a mountain biker and relative newcomer to road cycling – she knew that preparing for L’Étape Czech Republic would test more than her stamina. For her, signing up for The Unseen Stage meant stepping beyond a long-held fear of competition. It would ask…

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Making Space for the Bike – and for Ambition: What It Takes to Prepare for L’Étape Czech Republic

August 12, 2026 at 4:30 pm2 min reading

Health & Training

When we first met Melanie Bianchi, she was entering The Unseen Stage with a very personal goal: to confront the fear of competition and prove to herself that she could commit to something challenging. A mountain biker and mother of two, she knew L’Étape Czech…

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From Self-Doubt to the Start Line: Melanie Bianchi’s Journey to L’Étape Czech Republic

August 1, 2026 at 8:31 am2 min reading

Health & Training

For Austria’s Challenger Melanie Bianchi, joining The Unseen Stage means far more than preparing for a cycling event; it marks a personal turning point. “At 35, I feel I am in a very honest and powerful transition,” she says. “For years, I didn’t take certain…

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Not Just a Support Car: How the Škoda Kodiaq Became Part of Ewa Zwolska’s L’Étape Journey

June 30, 2026 at 1:58 pm2 min reading

Road cycling

Preparing for L’Étape Poland and The Unseen Stage was never going to be straightforward for Ewa Zwolska. Between running a mountain hut high in the mountains, fitting training around long workdays, and travelling to suitable roads for structured sessions, logistics often felt as challenging as…

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Finding Something of Her Own: The Quiet Strength Bubbling in Ewa Zwolska

June 9, 2026 at 1:37 pm2 min reading

Health & Training

When Ewa joined The Unseen Stage, she hoped it would pull her out of routine and give her a reason to focus on herself again. Since then, her preparation for L’Étape Poland has been anything but straightforward. Between running a mountain hut, working punishingly long…

Between Mountain Hut Shifts and Training: Ewa Zwolska’s Hardest Cycling Hill to Climb Yet

June 5, 2026 at 6:43 am2 min reading

Health & Training

When we first met Ewa, she described herself not as an athlete, but as someone who simply likes to “do things”: long mountain trails, thousand-kilometre bike trips across Poland, adventures powered more by curiosity than competition. The Unseen Stage was meant to push her into…

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Chasing the Mountains, Mastering the Routine: Markko Karu’s Road to L’Étape

April 27, 2026 at 2:59 pm2 min reading

Health & Training

The Unseen Stage strips cycling back to its rawest, most relatable form – not just the spectacle of race day, but the long, often invisible build-up. It follows four amateur riders as they prepare for various global iterations of L’Étape, squeezing structured training in between…

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Fitting Pro Training into Everyday Life: Follow Ewa Zwolska As She Preps for the L’Étape Poland

April 9, 2026 at 2:37 pm

Health & Training

The Unseen Stage follows four amateur riders, the Challengers, as they prepare for four different L’Étape editions, balancing structured training with everyday life – jobs, responsibilities, and family commitments. It’s a glimpse into the part of cycling most riders know well: the unseen hours of…

Tag: The Unseen Stage

“I’d do it again”: Melanie Bianchi on What Training for the L’Étape Czech Republic Taught Her

First Training Rides, then Outdoor Sleepovers: Melanie Bianchi’s Unexpected Journey with Škoda Kodiaq

The Willpower to Start: Melanie Bianchi Goes Toe to Toe with the L’Étape – and Herself

Making Space for the Bike – and for Ambition: What It Takes to Prepare for L’Étape Czech Republic

From Self-Doubt to the Start Line: Melanie Bianchi’s Journey to L’Étape Czech Republic

Not Just a Support Car: How the Škoda Kodiaq Became Part of Ewa Zwolska’s L’Étape Journey

Finding Something of Her Own: The Quiet Strength Bubbling in Ewa Zwolska

Between Mountain Hut Shifts and Training: Ewa Zwolska’s Hardest Cycling Hill to Climb Yet

Chasing the Mountains, Mastering the Routine: Markko Karu’s Road to L’Étape

Fitting Pro Training into Everyday Life: Follow Ewa Zwolska As She Preps for the L’Étape Poland

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Roc d’Azur

UCI MTB World Championships

La Vuelta