Kelli Emmett (Team Giant) made a late surge to claim third place(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Barry Wicks (Kona) riding to an impressive sixth place today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The Whiskey Off-Road mountain bike race weekend announced an increase in the prize money offered to elite racers for its 2013 edition on April 26-28 in Prescott, Arizona. Sho-Air International, a global transportation and asset management company specializing in the transport of Tradeshow and Event Material, and also a co-title sponsor of the Sho-Air/Cannondale team, has donated $5,000 to augment the total prize purse.
"We are excited to support a premiere event like the Whiskey Off-Road," said Sho-Air International President R. Scott Tedro. "To bolster the already robust pro purse by adding an additional $5,000 to be divided equally among the men's and women's field is money well spent for us."
Three years into the Whiskey Off-Road Pro Category, through cooperation with sponsors and community Epic Rides has doubled the cash purse from $20,000 to $40,000. The enhanced cash purse distribution, now paying 12 deep in both the men's and women's categories, can be seen on the Whiskey Off-Road webpage.
"This cash sponsorship increase raises the bar for mountain biking in America and offers financial validation to the pro categories' commitment to training, racing and representing the mountain bike industry. We are thrilled Sho-Air shares in our vision," said Todd Sadow, President of Epic Rides.
It remains to be seen how USA Cycling's promised enforcement of UCI rules against competing in non-sanctioned events - at least for riders on UCI-registered teams - will affect pro attendance at the Whiskey Off-Road, a race which is sanctioned neither by USA Cycling nor the UCI.
Celebrating its 10th annual edition, and now one of the most attended mountain bike events in North America, The Whiskey Off-Road continues to draw industry and non-industry attention. Expected to bring 8,000 mountain bikers and concert goers for associated musical events, the 2013 Whiskey Off-Road will feature three days of nonstop entertainment from live music on the courthouse lawn to family-friendly events and activities happening on Whiskey Row.
An elite fat tire crit and beginner fun ride will kick things off on Friday. Saturday will be packed with action from sunup to sundown and beyond, featuring the 25 and 50 proof distances for amateur racers amidst a crowd of more than 10,000 cheering spectators. Sunday, the elite men and elite women will roll out of town with a shotgun blast in a dash for the largest one-day cash purse in mountain biking.
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Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for coverage of the Whiskey Off-Road mountain bike weekend.
