Registration Open for Alpine Epic 4-day stage race in New Zealand

Entries are now open for the 2010 Alpine Epic multi-stage four-day mountain bike race to be held from Mt Somers to Lake Tekapo on February 24-27, 2010.

Limited at 100 teams for 2010, the event will see two-man teams pit their skills and endurance against rivals over 243km of untamed terrain through high-country stations and alpine passes from South Canterbury and into the Mackenzie Basin.

Last year's winners Marcus Roy and Kashi Leuchs

At the inaugural event last year Team RoadCraft’s Marcus Roy, of Invercargill, and Kashi Leuchs, of Dunedin, won four out of the five stages in a total time of 13hrs27min47sec.

“The isolation is the unique factor in this race. You have this feeling of remoteness with just a couple of sheep tracks as guidance and knowing full well that the only people to venture up here are the musterers and us,” Leuchs said after the race in 2009.

The first event of its kind in New Zealand, the Alpine Epic combines raw adventure mountain biking with streamlined logistics. Each night a large marquee is set up to feed the riders and a presentation is held over dinner to acknowledge top-placed riders and share memorable moments from the day. Breakfast is also catered for and riders camp out each night in a tent village.

Described as the toughest mountain bike race in New Zealand the event attracts riders from throughout the world – in 2009 teams from the UK, Czech Republic, Switzerland and America vied for the title.

Alpine Epic event director Nick Ross said it was the feedback from the inaugural event that made the 18 months of planning worthwhile for his team.

"Riders really seemed to understand what we were trying to do in creating a laid-back atmosphere set in the spectacular South Island high country," he said.

The Alpine Epic is a rugged test of endurance

"We are pretty excited about 2010, we are planning on continuing where we left off in 2009, with some awesome remote campsites, challenging and scenic riding, while giving people the chance to hang out and meet riders from all over the country and world."

Mr Ross also noted that there would be a few "tweaks to the course", including a completely new last stage which will take in the rolling country above Lake Pukaki.

"We are also working on a few other surprises to keep things entertaining," he said.

Visit www.alpineepic.co.nz for more information.

Race entry is $895 per person or $1,890 for a team of two. Entry includes, breakfasts and dinners including desserts; 90L race gear bag, course notes, prize giving banquet, sports drink on course, aid stations, medical support, camping and transport of gear each day. Other items are still being discussed with sponsors so this is the bare minimum.

Categories are for two-person teams only and include Men, Women, Open Mixed, and Age Groups.

Stages:

Stage 1, Mt. Somers to Rangitata River - 45 km - 1,500 meters elevation gain

Stage 2, Rangitata River to Rangitata Gorge - 17km - 500 meters elevation gain

Stage 3, Rangitata Gorge to Ashwick Flat - 88km - 2,300 meters elevation gain

Stage 4, Ashwick Flat to MacKenzie Basin - 72km - 1,450 meters elevation gain

Stage 5, MacKenzie Basin to Tekapo - 49km - 750 meters elevation gain

Check out the MTBracenews Nationwide Mountain Bike Race Calendar - Newly updated with Laramie Enduro 2010

Click here for the direct link to our national race calendar and the 2010 date for the Laramie Enduro and hundreds of other races around the country.



You can also check out our coverage of the 2009 Laramie Enduro won by 24-Hour National Champion Eszter Horanyi and Barkley Robinson. You won't find it anywhere else but MTBracenews.com!

US Cup Announces New Triple Crown Event/ One of America's Best U-23 Racers Heads For the Dirt as the Other Hits the Road

The folks who brought you the US Cup in 2009 have announced a new three race series for the '10 season. The Triple Crown All Mountain Series incorporates cross country, super-D, and short track disciplines in a three-race series spanning the entire United States.

Sam Schultz descends the "Pro Only" downhill in Fontana

The 2010 Triple Crown All Mountain Series includes:

Bonelli Park - San Dimas, California March 13-14
Chalk Creek Stampede - Nathrop, Colorado May 15-16
Massanutten Hoo-Ha - Massanutten Resort, Virginia June 19-20

"We wanted to take into consideration all major UCI events and dates before we released the Triple Crown schedule. After reviewing the Pro XCT calendar which was released on USA Cycling’s website two weeks ago, we felt we have made the public wait long enough for this announcement, comments US Cup Chairman Scott Tedro. “The US Cup has also, as a show of support for the pro riders that are chasing Olympic birth, tentatively agreed to do our part by hosting a UCI category 1 inscripted Pro XCT event at Fontana on March 27-28th, and feel good that we have established this series with minimal impact and overlap of existing events” adds Tedro. “The whole concept of the Triple Crown event is in conjunction with our partner promoters, incorporate 3 top tier venues and offer Pro riders a substantial amount of prize money over $35,000 in cash payouts, not just the top 3 pro riders, but to the top 10, while still making it logistically possible to incorporate it with their existing race schedule”.

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with the great folks at the mountain states cup and Massanutten venues. In our opinion they are some of the top promoters in the country and already have established themselves with the racers and cycling community”, adds Ty Kady US Cup marketing director. “Chris Conroy, Keith and Sarah at MSC have been very receptive of our concept, and of course George Willetts of Massanutten has been running the Hoo-Ha for the last 20+ years and is all over the idea.”

Overhead shots of majestic Massnautten Resort in Virginia

“The Triple Crown All Mountain series will test the rider’s ability in multiple disciplines to declare the Triple Crown All Mountain winner. We have decided to make this series more appealing to the riders, sponsors and media by incorporating Cross Country, Super D and Short Track into the series concept”, continues Kady. “A rider’s best 2 of 3 events will be calculated to crown a winner at each race and ultimately the overall series Champion.”

We are also going to be paying 10 deep in each discipline, plus offer US Cup bonus bucks to the top 10 male and female finishers at each individual event given certain field numbers are met. Then as an added bonus any rider male or female that can sweep all three rounds of the Triple Crown will put an extra $2K in their pocket. This could be a huge pay day for the riders!

“This couldn’t be possible without all the US Cup supporters. Companies like H2O Overdrive, Specialized, Kenda, KMC Chains, GU, John Wayne Cancer foundation and others have all really stepped up their support of US Cup events for 2010”, adds Ty Kady.

In addition the US Cup will continue with its network of Kenda Cup’s, that act as local and regional qualifiers. The Kenda Cup’s feature over 15 locations across the US, from Ashland Oregon to French Lick Indiana. The US Cup Invitational shootout will be on September 11-12, The US Cup will also manage a high level west coast based series that incorporates the Triple Crown opener, Pro XCT race and other California favorite venues.
___________________________________________________________________________________

U-23 Mountain Bike National Champion Amy Dombroski recently announced she has signed a contract to race on the Luna Women's MTB Race Team in 2010. As reported on MTBR.com, Dombroski has been one of this season's most successful racers after having won National titles in mountain biking, cyclocross, and road cycling.

The petite rider, who lives in Boulder, Colorado, has signed with the most successful mountain bike racing team in the United States. The Luna team is stacked with the biggest names in U.S. mountain bike racing including Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash, and Catharine Pendrel,

It's reported that Dombroski will be focusing on National level cross country events, a handful of world caliber, and a full cyclocross schedule. She may hit some local mountain bike classics like the Iceman Cometh and Breck-Epic stage race.

Robbie Squire has a great future in cycling

At the same time it seems mountain biking may be losing one of it's most promising prospects as US National Team rider and the top American finisher at U-23 World Championships Robbie Squire recently announced he will be racing with the Garmin U-23 Road Team in 2010.

Squire competed in a few road races in 2009 while in Europe with the U-23 mountain bike team and has been recruited by the highly successful Garmin squad for the upcoming season. It is unclear if Squire will compete on the dirt in 2010.

At just 19 years of age, Squire has made a larger impact on the national mountain bike scene than anyone his age has done for years. After winning the Junior National Champion title in 2008, Robbie raced with the U-23 national team in 2009 where he had great success by taking second at the National Championships and had multiple top-20 finishes on the Pro XC Tour.

Squire was a contributer to MTBracenews throughout his fantastic 2009 season and you can read his weekly "Robbie Reports" here.

Product Review: Kid Tested, Mother Approved - Slime Pro

Written by: Brian Hester

Slime products have been preventing flats on bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, trailers, and wheel burros for just over 20 years now. Competitors have come and gone but Slime remains the industry leader for one simple reason. The green stuff works.



Missing from Slime’s lineup, however, was a tubeless bicycle tire sealant. Enter Slime Pro Tubeless Sealant.After extensively testing the competition Slime came up with a formula that addressed user’s complaints. It’s more effective, faster sealing, and weighs less than the other top brands. Slime Pro also contains their top secret rust and corrosion package to protect your expensive wheels and it’s made without ammonia so it’s less damaging to your tires and less toxic than other brands.

A 16-ounce bottle costs around 20 bucks. That’s enough to seal 8 mountain bike tires, about half what you get from a bottle of Stan’s for only a few bucks less. So at nearly twice the price why would you buy Slime? Easy, it works better and lasts longer.

My first experience with Slime Pro was a few months back. The perpetually bald rear tire on my mountain bike sprung a leak. I had sealant from one of Slime’s competitors in the tire but it just wouldn’t seal. After removing the presta valve cap I squirted in about an ounce of Slime pro and pumped up the tire. It sealed instantly even though I used half the recommended amount. Hundreds of miles later and a half dozen goat heads, the Slime is still working perfectly.

We also ran Slime Pro in a cycle-cross bike for a full season of CX racing. The courses in Utah feature an endless supply of goat head thorns and a flat tire usually means the end of your race. Our Slime Pro equipped bike went the entire season without incident despite routinely having multiple thorns in both tires. Slime Pro seals so quickly there was never any need to put more air in the tires so our tester finished every race ‘off the rims’.

While Slime Pro may initially cost more, the long-term value and that pina colada smell makes it worth every penny. We plan to use Slime Pro for the 2010 XC season so check back next year for updates.

Check Out the MTBracenews Nationwide Mountain Bike Race Calendar

We are constantly updating our race calendar with 2010 dates. Browse through hundreds of mountain bike races from across the country and find the race you have been looking for. We have everything including XC, Super-D, Ultra-Endurance, and Mountain Bike Stage Races. Do something new this year! Pick a new race mountain bike race to add to your 2010 schedule.

We have just updated with these excellent events:
Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic - 7-Day Mountain Bike Stage Race in Pennsylvania
Ouachita Challenge - 60 mile Ultra-Endurance Race in the Arkansas Back Country
Shenandoah 100 - Part of the NUE series and an ultra-endurance classic in Virginia

Check out these and hundreds of other races now on the MTBracenews Nationwide Mountain Bike Race Calendar

Utah Cyclocross Series #11: Ogden, Utah

The true “cyclocross weather” many Utahns had been waiting for finally struck. As snow fell Saturday morning riders bundled up for the coldest day racing of this year’s Utah cyclocross season.

The slick conditions claimed many riders

With series promoter Matt Ohran out-of-town for the final race the course for the final race of the season was set by his Monavie-Cannondale.com teammates Alex Grant and Bart Gillespie. Despite including a healthy dose of flats and pavement the weather conditions coupled with a loose, rocky section made this race one for the mountain biking crowd.

The women’s event saw the return of Kathy Sherwin (Velo Bella) to the racing season after a season filled with personal tragedy. Sherwin would be challenged by Sarah Kaufmann (Roaring Mouse) and Erika Powers (Revolution/Peak Fasteners) who would be looking to cement her second consecutive Utah Cyclocross series championship.

At the start the snow was falling gently at Fort Buenaventura. Kaufmann, racing in shorts, was’nt chilled by the snowy conditions as she quickly squirted off the front of the pack opening up an early lead.

Erika Powers took up the chase in second position followed by Chantel Olsen (PCIM), Jennie Wade (Church of the Big Ring), Jen Hanks (Revolution/ Peak Fasteners), and Sherwin, who was off to a slow start.

Kathy Sherwin makes her way toward the front

The conditions continued to worsen throughout the race with more snow falling making the course more and more slippery. Sherwin seemed to be struggling the most on the opening lap, after multiple crashes, she remained in fourth position with Kaufmann pulling away.

Sherwin’s willingness to push the pace quickly started to pay off as she became more comfortable with the course the Velo Bella rider began making her way through the field.

Sherwin started by overtaking Olsen followed shortly thereafter by Powers but Kaufmann wouldn’t go down so easily. A talented professional mountain biker, Kaufmann had been out front the entire event using her finely-tuned bike handling skills to amass a substantial lead.

Sarah Kaufmann had another strong cyclocross race

Kaufmann did her best to push the pace up front knowing that Sherwin was looming behind. Still leading at the beginning of the last lap Kaufmann gave everything to hold off the charging Velo Bella rider.

Sherwin was not going to be satisfied with anything less than a win as she powered up to and past the leader. Sherwin led into the final set of barriers, which set her up for a clear run for the finish line.

Kaufmann crossed the line just seconds later finishing off the closest women’s race of the Utah cross season. Erika Powers took the third spot and her second Utah series championship. Olsen crossed the line in fourth with a big gap over fifth-placed Stephanie Skoryenko (University of Utah).

The men started with their usual fury as Gillespie and Grant occupied the lead group joined by Jason Sager (Jamis), Eric Rasmussen (Specialized), and Ali Goulet (Chuch of the Big Ring).

Goulet, who leads the US Gran Prix of Cross series, wasted no time mixing things up at the front. While Goulet focuses on cyclocross, he is an accomplished mountain bike racer and it showed by flawlessly negotiating his way around the snow-packed course. Goulet consistently put pressure on the field with his fast pace and smooth riding through the technical sections.

Ali Goulet was not afraid of the snowy conditions

Gillespie stayed close in the first half of the race but Goulet gapped him around the halfway mark and never looked back.

While Gillespie had a firm grasp on second Jason Sager and Grant challenged each other for the third spot. Sager, who was racing a cross bike for the first time this season - he usually races a converted mountain bike, rode most of the race in third before fading late in the race. Having won the singlespeed race earlier that day, Sager began to run out of energy as the laps wound down. Finally, a crash on the final lap let Grant take the position.

Jason Sager runs the barriers

In the end Goulet crossed the line first. Followed by Gillespie, Grant, and Sager. Reed Wycoff (Contender), also a talented bike handler, took the final podium spot in fifth.

Bryan Gillespie rides one of the technical sections of Saturday's course

Results

1, Kathy Sherwin
2, Sarah Kaufmann
3, Erika Powers
4, Chantel Olsen
5, Stephanie Skoryenko
6, Jen Hanks
7, Heather Edwards
8, Jennie Wade
9, Kelsi Bingham
10, Christy Clay
11, Jessice Morris
12, Laura Patten

Men

1, Ali Goulet
2, Bart Gillespie
3, Alex Grant
4, Jason Sager
5, Reed Wycoff

Photos from Utah Cyclocross #11: Fort Buenaventura -- Ogden, Utah

Click Here to view our entire photo gallery from today's slippery final event on the Utah Cyclocross series

2010 US Cup/ SoCal State XC and Super-D schedule

Team Big Bear released the 2010 US Cup/ SoCal XC and Super-D schedule. Once again the Socal series includes two exciting stops at Big Bear and three races on the Pro XCT series presented by US Cup.

Adam Craig races in Fontana, March 2008

Check out this series and hundreds of other races on the MTBracenews nationwide mountain bike race calendar.Get easy access to the best races around the country. New races are being added everyday. MTBracenews has the most complete nationwide mountain bike race calendar available anywhere.

February 28-- Sagebrush Safari Cross-country
East County San Diego

March 13-14-- US Cup / Pro XCT Cross-country / Super D
Bonelli Park, San Dimas Short Track

March 27-28-- US Cup / Pro XCT Cross-country / Super D
Fontana City National Short Track

April 10-11-- Santa Ynez Valley Classic Cross-country / Super D
Los Olivos

May 2 -- Big Bear Shoot Out 1 Cross-country
Big Bear Lake

May 16-- US Cup / Pro XCT Cross-country
Big Bear National
Downtown Big Bear

June 6-- Santa Barbara Bike Festival Cross-country / Super D
Elings Park, Santa Barbara

June 20-- Big Bear Shoot Out 2 Cross-country / Super D
Series Final

What do you do with your off-season? Find out how the fastest women in the U.S. spend their winter months. Presented by Yeti Beti

Daylight savings is noticeably gone and so is consistently good weather. More often than not, Mother Nature can practically scream at us to stop riding our bikes. Within 24 hours the weather can fluctuate from a sunny warm day to blizzard-like conditions. Regardless of if you live in the Rocky Mountains or the Great White North of Minnesota, we have begun cycling’s off-season. In five short weeks we will ring in yet another new year. But before that, we all have to tackle a busy holiday schedule where overindulging, travel, and lack of daylight can make training harder.

With seemingly fewer days of good weather, what are some of the top female cyclists doing to stay on top of their game? Do they log long arduous hours of indoor cycling? How much gym time do they get? I was looking for answers to help spice up the typical, mundane winter training.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that indoor riding is generally not a top priority for these women. Base miles are ridden outside regardless of the weather. Specialized rider Jenna Zander lives and rides in Minnesota all year. With temperatures often reaching far below zero, not including wind chill, I was impressed to find she prefers cycling outside during the shortest days of the year. “I find that it’s better mentally if you can get outside and ride or do another fitness activity”, explains Zander. Her favorite rides take her over the abundance of frozen lakes and rivers scattered across the state. When there is too much snow to ride, she gets out the cross-country skis or snowshoes and heads out to the woods. You can generally find a good trail system anywhere in Minnesota for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. With the snow flying a solid six months of the year, you have ample time to perfect your technique and jump into several ski races offered through out the state (www.skinnyski.com).

Jenna Zander braves the Minnesota cold

Here in Colorado, it’s a bit tougher to find frozen water to ride across. With an abundance of sunshine and most days above freezing, riding outside isn’t quite as daunting for the local women. Subaru/ Gary Fischer’s Heather Irmiger and Giant’s rider Kelli Emmett view the off-season as an opportunity to capitalize on Colorado’s other outdoor adventures. Both indulge in another two-wheeled sport of off road motorcycle riding. With hundreds of miles of mountainous singletrack and jeep roads to explore, bike handling at high speed with a heavier bike makes maneuvering a 20-pound carbon rig effortless. Add in the exploding colors of Aspen trees and snowcapped peaks, you just discovered heaven in your back yard.

Kelli Emmett spends her off-season hitting the trails on a different kind of bike

Colorado and Utah have amazing backcountry skiing access. Once the snow pack has stabilized, earning your turns in the backcountry can offer some of the most rewarding winter days. Knee-deep face shots are the norm after a day full of uphill skinning. This is not only a great aerobic workout at high altitude, but the thigh burning snow on the way down is great for your cycling quads.

Heather Irmiger enjoying some back country skiing

SyRae Weikle, Tough Girl’s 40-year-old US XC National Champion, gets her quads burning through ice hockey. It is a way for her to maintain her cycling fitness with total body anaerobic bursts. Although it keeps her off her bike for much of the winter, skating compliments her cycling with the 2-fer-1 combination of aerobic conditioning and strength. You’d never know she didn’t ride much of the winter when she’s winning races in May.

This "Tough Girl" likes to dish out body checks when off the bike

When it comes to specific strength training, there are good options for both inside and outside of the gym. Strength and core are important and do not need to be in the form of dumbbells. Emmett maintains her core with Pilates and running the Incline once a week. A former railroad bed built in 1907, the Incline is a vertical mile-long stair climb to a lofty 8600 feet near the base of Pike’s Peak. Many of Colorado Springs’ cyclists hit the Incline weekly and loop back around on the Barr trail. It’s a grunt of a climb but well worth the view from the top of surrounding Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods.

2009 US National XC and Marathon National Champion Heather Irmiger hits the gym with a focused and purposeful 30 minute session. With a routine of push-ups, pull-ups, and crunches, she gets all she needs with simple, yet effective exercises. She maintains leg strength with the usual squats, lunges, and leg press and is careful not to ignore the hamstrings. It’s all about balance, power, and strength and it clearly paid off in 2009.

Get out and enjoy NOT riding your bike this winter. Even the top women take time away from their bikes and enjoy their winter environments. Snow doesn’t have to be a four-letter word and can actually help make for a better cycling season.

Thanks to Kelli Emmett (Giant), Heather Irmiger (Subaru/Gary Fisher), SyRae Weikle (Tough Girls), and Jenna Zander (Specialized) for their contributions to the article.