Becci Skelton Dominates Trans Madeira on Her Ariel 60 X Frame-set

When it comes to tackling big mountain missions, Saracen rider Becci Skelton doesn’t do things by halves. Fresh off an Everest challenge earlier this year, she set her sights on one of Europe’s toughest and most iconic multi-day enduro events: Trans Madeira.

True to form, Becci didn’t just take part—she stormed the race and took the overall win, piloting her Ariel 60 X Frame-set to victory across six grueling days of racing. We caught up with her to hear more about the experience, the challenges, and why it’s already gone down as one of her best-ever rides.

WHAT MAKES TRANS MADEIRA SO SPECIAL?

Set on the breathtaking island of Madeira (plus a bonus day on Porto Santo), the race covers an incredible variety of terrain across six days:

• 35 timed stages

• 7,500m of climbing

• 17,000m of descending

• 235km of riding

From alpine ridge lines to rich red dirt, rainforest singletrack, volcanic rock, and the infamous “Madeira Ice,” riders experience it all.

Becci describes it best:

“The variety on the island is absolutely mind-blowing. Honestly, the trails were some of the best I’ve ever ridden!”

WHY DID YOU ENTER ?

“It’s been on my bucket list for a while, and this year I wanted to mix things up with some big missions—including an Everest challenge and Enduro2. I’d heard incredible things about both the island and the race, so I finally decided to pull the trigger and sign up.”

DID YOU EXPECT TO WIN IT?

Not at all. Becci admits her main goal was simply to enjoy the adventure:

“Honestly, my only real expectation was to have an epic time with some great people. I was coming off the Everest with solid fitness, but I’d never done a multi-day event and had no idea what to expect from the trails or terrain. I figured if I rode to my potential, I might be in the mix—but I was completely blown away to come away with the win!”

RACE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Gully Track: “Flat-out, insane dirt, and the crew waiting at the bottom with a cold beer—pure perfection.”

• Nevada Tunnels: “Such a cool experience, one of those ‘this is sick AF’ moments.”

• Epic variety: Alpine one minute, rainforest the next.

“Plus, the Trans Madeira crew was waiting for us at the bottom with a cold beer—couldn’t have asked for a better finish to an epic run!”

ANY DISASTERS OR CRASHES?

“Oh, I had a couple of hugies! Then, on the last day, with the win basically secured, I was just trying to cruise in and play it safe. But of course, I got caught up in a super fun, chill girl train and spotted a steep, rocky chute with photographers at the bottom. Once again, just a bit banged up and bloodied—but mostly a hit to my pride. Still, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself!

• The second or third day I misjudged a super steep, rocky corner and went flying over the handlebars. I jumped straight back on and got to the bottom, but I couldn’t feel my fingers and was too scared to look at them! Thankfully, it was just some cuts and what I affectionately dubbed a "skelbow."

• Final day I thought it’d be a good idea to show off so I let go of the brakes...only to realize that Porto Santo’s volcanic rock is a bit sketchy and gives way pretty easily. I splatted hard in front of all the photographers!

“Another challenge was finding a consistent pace over six days. Some tracks, I played it too safe and ended up going too slow, while on others, I pushed too hard and ended up crashing! It was definitely a learning experience!”

THE WINNING MACHINE

Through it all, the Saracen Ariel 60 X Frame-Set proved the perfect partner.

“It was flawless—even after a couple of crashes. It just floated over the rough stuff. I couldn’t have asked for a better bike.”

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT OF THE WHOLE RACE?

“HANDS DOWN, IT WAS WHEN THE CREW HAD A COLD BEER WAITING FOR US AFTER WE FINISHED THE DAY WITH THE GULLY TRACK. ALL THE TRAILS THAT DAY WERE INSANE, AND TREKKING THROUGH THE NEVADA TUNNELS WAS SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE. DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE “THIS IS SICK AF” MOMENTS.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Becci has already qualified for Trans Sierra Norte in Mexico thanks to her win, but Madeira isn’t off the cards just yet:

“I’ll 100% be back for Trans Madeira. It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

Her advice for anyone considering it?

“Just press send on that entry and go for it!”

📸 Photo credits: @cammacenziephoto @johnfernandez @theblackmountainphoto