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Mountain Biking News - September 2008
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Friday, 26 September 2008Oakland, Calif. - Specialized Bicycle Components has backed the expansion program of the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League, which has recently created a Southern California league and is now drawing up plans for state-oriented high school cycling leagues across the USA.
Mike Sinyard, the founder and owner of Specialized, said, "Getting kids on bikes is a perso nal passion of mine and a goal of the Specialized Fund. High school mountain bike racing is a fun way for kids to accrue health benefits, learn self-discipline, and foster camaraderie. We are honored to be able to support Matt (Fritzinger), his staff, the coaches, and the riders of the League. We look forward to working together in the coming years to get mountain bike racing into high schools across the nation."
Specialized becomes a Founding National Sponsor of the NorCal League, a category designed to acknowledge companies that have made a very substantial contribution to help realize the vision of a nationwide network of state leagues.
Matt Fritzinger, director of the NorCal League, said, "After eight years of building the NorCal League, we are entering a new phase of development. We are excited that our new SoCal League is taking off with a strong group of directors and sponsors. The next logical step is to develop high school bicycle racing beyond California. We are tremendously excited to partner with Specialized, which is a local company for us, in this development plan. Their commitments to innovation and advocacy are echoed in our philosophy, and we really stand behind their amazing line of bicycles and accessories."
The Specialized sponsorship comprises both cash and product components. Their support will allow the NorCal League to take on additional staff to manage current operations and administration, while Matt Fritzinger focuses on expansion plans.
Source:
www.norcalmtb.org
Friday, 26 September 2008BikeNZ and MTBNZ have recently announced the details of the upcoming 2009 New Zealand Community Trust New Zealand MTB Cup, comprising North Island and South Island Downhill and Cross Country Cups.
For the upcoming season, a similar structure will be adopted with the pinnacle being the NZCT National Championships to be held in Nelson late February.
Besides the 4 Island Cups being up for grabs, mountain riders will also get the chance to take out the NZCT NZ Downhill Cup and the NZCT NZ Cross Country Cup. To qualify, riders best four results, including both Island cup finals, will be collated.
More information on this event will be posted in the future on www.bikenz.org.nz.
For more details on this news, please visit www.canterburymtbclub.org.
Thursday, 25 September 2008Due to popular demand, the 8th Hope Valley Mountain Bike Challenge will be held on September 27. This event is open to all mountain bikers who are tough enough to take up the challenge of finishing two off-road routes of approximately 20 and 38 miles around the Hope Valley.
The 8th Hope Valley Mountain Bike Challenge will be organized voluntarily by two local Hope Valley Schools. All p roceeds will be alloted for improving facilities for the children. Advance registration is advisable to ensure your participation as well as assisting with organization and catering.
The first 50 entries will receive a free T-shirt! For an entry form, e-mail julie@sladenlodge.co.uk or call Julie Colley at 01433 650104.
For more details on this news, please visit www.planetfear.com.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008New Zealand's Macpac and Southern Traverse Ltd have joined forces to encourage the growth of adventure sport in New Zealand, by creating new initiatives in this year's Macpac 24 Hours of Southern Traverse, in Queenstown on November 15-16.
Both Macpac and Fairydown have been keen supporters of adventure sport and the Southern Traverse since its inception in New Zealand, and now all thr ee are working together. Fairydown was the principal sponsor of April's Classic Southern Traverse, and Macpac is approaching the 24 hour event in November with a new programme to grow adventure sports at the grass roots level - with an exciting incentive for young athletes to have a go.
Southern Traverse Race Director Geoff Hunt says the aim of these iconic brands and the Southern Traverse is to make adventure sport more accessible for a wider group of people and contribute to the expansion of the sport.
To achieve this Macpac has helped create a fantastic incentive for younger athletes to enter the 24 Hours of Southern Traverse in November, as well as a separate relay style adventure challenge within the main event, to appeal to active people who want to try the sport for the first time.
"Adventure racing is an exciting sport and one of the things we want to do, is ensure that younger people are able to compete with some of the older, professional athletes who can act as mentors and role models," says Hunt.
For this reason, the Macpac 24 Hours of Southern Traverse will offer 10 complimentary entries to New Zealand-based Under 23 adventure racing teams.
The Fairydown Southern Traverse at Hanmer Springs in April this year attracted the Under 23 Onemultisport.com team which included talented young racers Dougal Allan, Mike Walker, Mattie Graham and Emmah Ussher.
"The team made a real impression and signalled they will be among the podium finishers in the future," says Hunt. "These are the sort of young athletes we need to see competing regularly."
The Under 23 teams will be four members, with at least one woman athlete, or two member teams.
"We certainly expect to see quite a few young people put their hands up and get the opportunity for free entry into this challenging race."
"But we are also keen to encourage other people to have a fun, adventure race experience. We are targeting people who compete in triathlons, multisport and short adventure races and those who like to participate in teams," says Hunt.
Macpac's new 8hr Adventure Challenge will include kayaking, mountain biking and run/trekking and will be held after the start of the main 24 hour event.
"The new race should appeal to people who currently compete in events like our Peak to Peak, and who are keen to try a new format. It allows a group of friends who like the relay format to get together, and complete an individual leg each and at the same time get a taste of adventure racing. This race doesn't need a support crew which is also a plus."
The Macpac 24 Hours of Southern Traverse will be held for the third time this year and the secret course will cover 100kms of Wakatipu backcountry. The race kicks off at midnight on November 15 and disciplines involve trekking, including navigation, mountain biking and kayaking. The event is open to teams of four, which is the main category, and two person teams with everyone on the team completing each discipline.
"The course is very exciting this year and is designed not only to test teams, but also to allow them to have fun and enjoy the fantastic scenery," says Hunt. "They will need support crews and the first team should finish the course in 15 hours and the last in 24 hours."
New Macpac stores New Zealand-wide have become the gateway for Fairydown product and Southern Traverse entries from 2008.
Source:
www.southerntraverse.com
Wednesday, 24 September 2008Tbe Big Ben Nevis Triathlon & The Half Big Ben Nevis Triathlon
Sponsored by For Goodness Shakes
Kenny Riddle overcame the harsh conditions of a rain soaked Big Ben Nevis Triathlon to lead the field after seven hours of grueling competition. The former Commonwealth cyclist didn't have it all his own way though and while local support for Kenny cheered him on, the crowds wer e also keen to follow the progress of unknown quantity Ted Aas from Sweden, a late entrant that arrived keen to make the trip worth his while.
Setting off in choppy waters at 8am and a head wind of about 14mph Aas made an immediate impact, emerging first out of the water following the 1.9km loch swim in the icy waters of Loch Linnhe with a impressive time of 32mins 14secs. Following a lightening fast changeover of 40 seconds Aas set off on his mountain bike with a clear road ahead of him. Riddle wasn't far behind and carried the chase crossing over the Cow Hill and into Glen Nevis in a desperate attempt to keep up with the Swede's lap times, the fastest of which was 53 minutes, on the 90km bike ride. Despite this Riddle remained just a minute behind at the second transition.
The 21km fell run up and then down Ben Nevis was where Riddle made his move and a fantastic ascent saw him take a clear lead with only the 2006 winner Donald Paterson's record time to beat. Despite the inclement weather Riddle finished victorious just minutes outside the record time at 7hrs 35secs and a full half hour ahead of second placed Ted Aas. The top woman finisher was Charlotte Maurisen who finished 19th overall with a time of 9 hours 26 mins 41 secs.
In the inaugural Half Big Ben Nevis Triathlon Ian Veitch and Graham Whyte were fighting out the positions on the mountain, with Ian holding on as Graham put in a strong run and reducing the lead to 50 seconds as they crossed the line.
For triathlethes in both competitions the mist on the UK's highest mountain never cleared above half way with visibility down to less than 30 meters on the top and the support of Lochaber Athletic Club and the Mountain Rescue was invaluable and reassuring. Despite this a strong field of local, UK and international triathletes vowed to return to the Outdoor Capital of the UK for an event that pushes competitors to their physical and mental limits in some of the harshest weather conditions experienced in British racing.
Big Ben Triathlon Results
MEN
1 Kenny Riddle Inverness-shire - Total time 7:00:35
2 Ted Aas Sweden - Total time 7:30:28
3 Paul Matthews Aberdeenshire - Total time 07:56:54
WOMEN
1 Charlotte Maurissen Bath Total time 09:26:41
2 Ali Hughes Aberdeen10:19:30
3 Lucy Reid Edinburgh 10:44:34
Half Big Ben Results
1 Iain Veitch Hawick 04:04:04
2 Graham Whyte Inverness 04:04:54
3 Alasdair Sutherland 04:36:24
Source:
www.nofussevents.co.uk
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