Annika Langvad (Rockets) will be the favorite in the Danish National Series round 1 race this weekend. (Image credit: Kristian Skjødt)
The Danish mountain bike national series, the Apfossliga.dk - Powered by SRAM, will kick off on Sunday, May 1. It is the highest ranking series in Northern Europe and is offering increased UCI points and categories for 2011, which the organizers hope will draw more participation from abroad.
"We have deliberately tried to plan the race series so it wont collide with the German Bundesliga or the Norwegian Norgescup. We believe that with high quality courses, well organized events, a lot more altitude gain and more technical courses, we will continue to draw foreign visitors for our races," said Kristian Skjødt, National team manager and founder of the race series. Those extra UCI points should come in handy as riders and nations gear up for Olympic Games qualification.
The first race of the series in Århus, categorized as a C3, is drawing Annika Langvad. Last weekend, she finished 13th in the World Cup in South Africa, and she is a bronze medal winner at the marathon World Championships. Langvad is one of about 300 starters expected.
"The race venue is close to my hometown and my family. The race organization is great, so it's a double win for me to race in Århus this weekend," said Langvad. "I'm very much looking forward to the races in Varde and Kolding, where hopefully a lot of international riders will also attend."
Emil Lindgren (Rabobank - Giant Offroad Team), along with the Norwegian and Swedish national teams, will also be racing.
Those upcoming races are a double event over the national holidays with a C1 race (the first of its kind in Denmark) in Varde on June 2 and a C2 race in Kolding on June 4. The fourth round, also a C2, will be held in Aalborg on August 28 and will double as the Nordic Championships. The series will wrap up with the last round in Copenhagen on September 18, the weekend just prior to the road world championships.
2011 Danish Mountain Bike Series May 1 - Århus June 2 - Varde June 4 - Kolding August 28 - Aalborg September 18 - Copenhagen
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