MTB News & Racing Round-up, October 25, 2009

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Date published:

October 25, 2009, 21:14

Edited by Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

Welcome to our regular roundup of what's happening in mountain biking. Feel free to send feedback, news, & releases to mtb@cyclingnews.com and results, reports & photos to cyclingnews@cyclingnews.com.

• 2010 British cross country mountain bike series set

  

  Article published:

  October 25, 2009, 19:40

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Team relays and bike manufacturer demos spice up already successful series

  The British Mountain Bike Series will return in 2010, with five racing events and the backing of three major bicycle brands at six demos held in conjunction with the series: Giant, Specialized and Trek. In 2009, the series attracted over 4,000 riders to participate in enduros and cross country races according to British Cycling.

  The series will visit five racing venues in Yorkshire, South West London, South Wales, Plymouth and Nottinghamshire. A demo-only round of the series will also happen in Scotland early in the season.

  "Things have really developed in 2009 and we felt that the one thing missing was a high level demo package," said Series Organizer Martyn Salt to British Cycling. "We spoke to Giant, Specialized and Trek and they all agreed that it would be a great way for them to support the racers at the events and showcase their product range. To be able to test ride a bike and watch the best riders in action is a great way to bring more people to the events. With British Cycling's support, we now have a great package that should appeal to anyone that rides a mountain bike.

  "We are introducing a team relay format as well next year so it's going to be another busy year."

  Each full weekend will feature elite racing, camping, enduros, demos, enduro rides, team relays and free races for under 12-year-olds.

  2010 British cross country mountain bike series
  March 6-7: Glentress (no racing, demo only)
  March 27-28: Sherwood Pines (British XC1 + Nightrider 6 + night demo)
  May 8-9: Porridge Pot Hill (British XC2 + Are You Tough Enough enduro)
  May 29-30: Margam Park (British XC3 + Big Welsh Weekend enduro)
  July 3-4: Dalby Forest (British XC4 + Great Yorkshire enduro)
  September 25-26: Newnham Park (British XC5 + Newnham 60 enduro)

  Kate Potter and Oli Beckingsale won the elite women's and mens series, respectively, in 2009.

  To follow the series, visit www.britishxc.com.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Danielson leads Colorado High School League fundraising ride

  

  Article published:

  October 24, 2009, 18:25

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Road racer helps kickstart new MTB racing league

  The Colorado High School Cycling League is launching on Sunday, October 25 with a fundraising road ride led by former mountain biker Tom Danielson of the Garmin-Slipstream team. The ride departs at 9:00 am from the Bácaro Venetian Tavern in Boulder, Colorado.

  As part of the recently formed National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), the Colorado League is based on and supported by a long-running, successful high school mountain biking program established in California, where mountain bike racing has become a varsity high school sport. Funds from Sunday's ride will seed the early activity of the Colorado League.

  "This is an exciting step for all of us. The Colorado League sits on a foundation of many years of work in the state of Colorado, which as we all know has a rich history in the sport of mountain biking, having been the site of the first UCI World Championship back in 1990 and again in 2001," said NICA Excutive Director Matt Fritzinger. "Enthusiasm for mountain biking has not missed a beat since then, and it makes great sense that the Colorado community should launch the first NICA League outside California."

  Leagues in Northern and Southern California have been established since 2001 and 2008, respectively, and following the Colorado League launch will be one in Washington state. These four leagues will complete the first tranche of NICA regional chapters.

  Colorado's mountain biking culture runs deep throughout the state. Numerous mountain bike racing heros including Ned Overend, Greg Herbold, Mike Kloser, Daryl Price, Travis Brown, Dave Wiens, Todd Wells, Jeremy Horgan Kobelski, Jay Henry, Ruthie Matthes, Heather Irmiger, Alison Dunlap, and Julie Furtado started their careers in Colorado. The 2009 USA World Mountain Bike Championship Team was composed of 45 athletes, with 15 of them from Colorado.

  The state is also home to several series in Colorado Springs, Winter Park, Crested Butte, and Summit County. More and more local events crop up every month, ranging from the opening of a new bike park to a new charity ride, and fat tire festivals abound from April through October. Several mountain bike industry innovators started in Colorado such as Rock Shox, Yeti, Maverick, Pearl Izumi, and CatEye.

  Dave Wiens, one of the most accomplished of all the Colorado mountain bikers, said "It's fantastic, we're all really excited about this. There's a lot of buzz about this new league all over Colorado. Here in Gunnison, in Denver, for example, and at the Interbike trade show, I spoke to bicycle sales reps from across the state who were very excited about it. I can see a lot of high schools signing up to it."

  The opening race of the first League season is planned for September 2010.

  The Colorado High School Cycling League is currently recruiting founding board members. Interested individuals should contact League director Kate Rau at kate@coloradomtb.org.

  For more information on the fundraiser, visit http://bacaro.com/Events.aspx.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Dramatic Crocodile Trophy stage neutralized

  

  Article published:

  October 22, 2009, 20:45

  By:

  John Flynn / Crocodile Trophy

  Bushfire, medical emergency, lost racers make eventful day

  Australia's Outback dished out an eventful day for racers and organizers for stage three of the Crocodile Trophy. Flat tires, medical emergencies, bushfires and lost racers were on the menu for what was supposed to be a 131km stage from Granite Gorge to Irvinebank.

  Perhaps the person with the least bad luck was Monique Zeldenrust of the Netherlands, though the race leader might not have thought so at the time. At just 15km, she flatted after gouging a sidewall. A lengthy repair followed and the Dutchwoman thought her lead was history.

  Dutch racer Willemjan Hopstaken had his own woes five kilometers later when a severe crash caused him to begin suffering seizures. Fortunately, for him two racers for team Jungle Patrol Wilderness Medicine were close behind, and Doctor Andrew Graham and nurse Sharman Parr were soon on hand to administer emergency medical treatment that prevented a potentially life-threatening situation. Hopstaken went then sent to a hospital for treatment of what organizers termed a severe concussion.

  While Zeldenrust was busy with her tyre and Hopstaken was getting medical treatment, the 11 riders in the lead race group were busy getting lost after they missed a turn and ventured off-course, into the inhospitable wilderness of the Australian Outback. Race leader Urs Huber, former World and Olympic Champion Bart Brentjens and Croc Trophy stage winner Jure Robic were among them.

  After 25km of misguided racing, three locals from Australia's Tropical Tableland Discovery team were able to guide the group to safety. AIsaac Tonello eventually followed the route used in the 2008 Crocodile Trophy to get everyone to the finish in Irvinebank.

  Fortunately for just about everyone, yet another strange event occured, a bushfire. Police and rural fire service volunteers exercised emergency powers and intervened to shut down the race, effectively bringing stage three to a premature end.

  The race judiciary later decided to nullify the stage, meaning the results after stage two will be carried into tomorrow's fourth stage. That means that despite the mechanicals and getting lost, Zeldenrust and Huber will keep their roles as race leaders going along 157km from Irvinebank to Chillagoe.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Taberlay, Lopes and Overend to CORBA Fest

  

  Article published:

  October 22, 2009, 16:55

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Fat Tire Fest this weekend in California

  Sid Taberlay is one of a few riders headed to the Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA) annual Fat Tire Fest at Castaic Lake, California on October 25. Team Sho-Air/Specialized's Taberlay, an Australian National Champion, will make a guest appearance alongside former World Champions Brian Lopes and Ned Overend.

  The trio will lead out the advanced group ride at 8:30 am and both riders will return for the skills clinic at 11:15 am, with CORBA member Mark Langton at the helm.

  Taberlay brings with him a wealth of riding and racing knowledge, having competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics and as a former World Cup podium finisher. A little known fact about Taberlay is that as a youth, he got his intro into cycling in downhill and trials riding. Those early years gave him a great technical skill set for a cross country rider and should serve participants in the CORBA riding clinic very well.

  Taberlay will also be available for a relaxed Q & A over at the Sho-Air/Specialized van in between events and after the riding clinic. Here riders can talk with Taberlay about topics like training, diet and recovery.

  For more info on the CORBA Fat Tire Fest, visit http://corbamtb.com/FTF/2009/pages/events.html.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• One year until Singlespeed World Championships

  

  Article published:

  October 22, 2009, 15:00

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Dates finalized by Rotorua hosts

  Organizers of the Singlespeed World Championships have selected a date for the 2010 edition. The racing will be held in exactly one year, in Rotorua on the North Island New Zealand from October 22-24, 2010.

  "They're traditionally late August, early September, but I think we'd like to push them a little later in the year when the days are longer and it's closer to summer," RSSS president Gaz Sullivan had said previously. "The event will be held in conjunction with a new mountain bike festival called the Rotorua Bike Festival."

  New Zealand won the privilege of hosting the worlds during a multi-round contest at the 2009 edition of the championships, held in Durango, Colorado.

  Rotorua has previously hosted the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships in 2006. It also hosted the national singlespeed championships in 2008 and 2009.

  Heather Irmiger and Ross Schnell won the 2009 worlds and received the obligatory winner's tatoos. There is no word yet on whether they will return to defend their titles next year.

  Those looking for some singlespeed racing in the interim might compete at the Australian Singlespeed Nationals on November 28-29 in Newcastle or the 2010 New Zealand Nationals on April 24 in Queenstown.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Video: Interviews with Croc Trophy racers

  

  Article published:

  October 22, 2009, 14:21

  By:

  Cycling News

  Brentjens, Huber, McLennan among interviewees

  Cyclingnews' video collection from the 2009 Crocodile Trophy is now online and growing. So far, it includes interviews with stage 1 winner Urs Huber (Team Stöckli-Craft) of Switzerland and stage 2 winner Bart Brentjens (Trek-Brentjens Mtb Racing Team) of the Netherlands after he finished second in the opening stage.

  There are also pre-race videos of the Australian Rattle & Hum Vision team training and the Europeans acclimatizing to the heat. Finally you can meet the charming Abby McLennan of Team Rattle & Hum and learn her strategy for what it takes to get through this gruelling mountain bike stage race.

  Stay tuned for more videos coming as the race unfolds during 10 stages run through October 29.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.