PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sun Valley’s seven-time world champion mountain biker Rebecca Rusch has expanded her Rusch Academy to an online, globally-available endurance sports education platform.

Rusch Academy has added a virtual learning hub spearheaded by Rusch and her coach Tim Cusick that is kicking off with online classes focused on gravel cycling.

Ultimately class offerings will broaden to cover more cycling disciplines, adventuring and expeditions, and provide a direct line to Rusch and her team of performance experts. Rusch brings the stoke and experience to each class, and Cusick brings the science and fact-based “why.”

The first class--Boost Your Gravel Game--is now available on Rusch Academy. The second class-- Mastering Rebecca’s Private Idaho--will be available in early August to help riders get ready for Rusch’s Labor Day Weekend gravel rides up Trail Creek Summit.

In addition to these classes, Rusch Academy will also offer Rusch Academy Live webinars with Rusch and her team starting in August. These webinars will cover breathing techniques, bikepacking, motivation and other topics. The site also offers a free library of resources available to anyone.

“Currently Rusch Academy offers classes focused on gravel cycling, but we have our sights clearly set on creating content covering all aspects of endurance sports,” said Rusch, a member of the Mountain Bike and Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. “We’re excited to keep expanding the site to include expedition planning, bikepacking, fat biking, and more aspects of what has helped me succeed as an endurance athelete.”

Rusch Coach Tim Cusick has worked with Rusch for a number of years and Rusch attributes her success in major races and expeditions like the Iditarod Trail invitational to Cusick’s training methodology.

“We can make up reasons why certain programs are more effective than others or we can look at facts,” said Cusick. “I helped Rebecca build out these classes in Rusch Academy based on working with thousands of athletes and result-proven techniques. I know these classes will make a noticeable impact for riders at every level and I am thrilled to continue to grow the offering with Rebecca over the coming months and years.”

Currently, each class and Rusch Academy Live webinars are sold separately. Anyone can access the Rusch Academy Library for free. Learn more and sign up by visiting www.ruschacademy.com.

REBECCA’S PRIVATE IDAHO TO COMMEMORATE TEN YEARS

The tenth annual Rebecca’s Private Idaho will celebrate 10 years Aug. 31-Sept. 4.

The event, which brings bicyclists from all over the world to Sun Valley to bike the trails in Rebecca Rusch’s back yard, has expanded over the past couple years to include para-cyclists, tandem teams and others. This year’s event will also include a remote category that will allow riders to participate from wherever they are in the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.bikereg.com/rpi-2022