GT Wants to Make You a Mountain Bike Hero

GT Launches the Golden Bike Series

GT Bikes recently announced the creation of a new mountain bike race series with an eye toward promoting amateur racers across the country. The Golden Bike Series is a seven race series and the amateur racer with the fastest overall time at each race will be crowned the GT Golden Bike Winner.

In addition to the accolades of being the fastest amateur racer, The Golden Bike Winner receives their choice of a custom painted golden GT Zaskar or Marathon Team bike to use at the next race in the series. As for getting to that next race. Don't worry, GT will give each winner an all expenses paid trip for two to the following race. While at the race each winner will have their own personal cheerleading squad, complete with pom-poms, and a professional mechanic. And if that racer wins again, it's on to the next race until you lose the crown or complete the series on September 13th.

Michael De Leon, PR Manager at GT bikes said "We wanted to focus on helping privateers and we felt the Golden Bike Series was a good way to do that. GT is a race brand and this follows with the heritage of GT Bikes"

The series itself includes races in all regions of the United States beginning with the Sea Otter Classic and finishing in Massachusetts. Races in the series will vary between Olympic distance cross country and marathon, with an average of one month between races to allow each Golden Bike Winner to log some miles on their new rig.

 In the end, only one amateur racer will be crowned the 2009 GT Golden Bike Champion, but each individual winner on the Golden Bike Series will receive a trip to the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas where they will be presented with their own custom Golden (painted) GT Bike. "We wanted everyone to have a trophy for their accomplishments and this is a trophy that won't collect dust" joked, De Leon.

The competition is open to any amateur racer without a professional license in any cycling discipline, over 18 years of age, and did not receive a free bike from sponsorship in 2009.

GT Golden Bike Series Sponsors include: GT Bikes and Sugoi Clothing

GT Golden Bike Series:

April 19: Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA
May 2: GHORBA Big Ring Challenge, Coldspring, TX
May 17: Spring Thaw Mountain Bike Festival, Ashland, OR
June 7: Massanutten Hoo-Ha, Harrisonburg, VA
July 4: Firecracker 50, Breckenridge, CO
August 8: Ore To Shore, Marquette, MI
September 13: Landmine Classic, Hingham, MA

News: 2009 Rocky Mountain Factory Team, Top Men Returning to '09 BC Bike Race

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BICYCLES NEW FACTORY TEAM

Vancouver B.C. - Rocky Mountain Bicycles (RMB) is proud to announce the new Rocky Mountain Bicycles Factory XC-Epic Racing Team.

Rocky Mountain Bicycles has been at the forefront of all facets of mountain bike competition; from early DH and XC victories (circa 1991*) to pioneering Freeride and most recently dominating epic stage racing.

With wins in almost every notable race on the planet, RMB decided to officially create a team dedicated to non-World Cup events. The new team will be attending epic stage races, all-mountain events, festivals, enduros and any other bike event that represents fun on two wheels.

Alison Sydor, Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, three time World Champion, and Olympic Silver Medalist is returning to the Rocky Mountain team in 2009. Alison had an extremely successful season in 2008, winning both the Cape Epic Challenge and the Trans Alp Challenge. In 2009, she will be looking for more stage racing domination with confirmed starts at Cape Epic, TransGermany, and TransAlp.

A Rocky Mountain factory team wouldn’t be complete without cross country racing legend Andreas Hestler aka ‘Dre’, a Canadian Olympian and three time winner of the Trans Rockies. Dre had a successful 2008 season, winning a stage at both the BC Bike Race and the Trans Rockies. For 2009 he will be targeting various other races and epic single day events, such as the Downieville Classic and the Fruita Fat Tire Festival.

New to the factory team are Stefan Widmer and Marty Lazarski, formerly of the Rocky Mountain-Different Bikes squad. Both have several Canada Cup podium finishes to their credit and together finished 3rd overall in the 2008 TransRockies stage race.

Rounding out the team is Evan Guthrie, the 2008 Canadian Junior XC and Cyclocross Champion. Still with a year left in the junior category, Evan is poised for another stellar season.

Stay tuned for more Rocky Mountain bicycles team news as we find out where Marie-Helene will be piloting her Rocky Mountain for the 2009 season.

For more information: www.bikes.com

*Grundig World Cup Cahteau D’Oex Switzerland 1st Alison Sydor 1991
Grundig World Cup Over-all Regina Stiefl 1993


2009 Sponsors: Shimano, Race Face, Fox, Alpina, Maxxis, Fizik, Fox

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BC BIKE RACE CONFIRMS RETURNING 2008 CHAMPIONS

 B.C. - The BC Bike Race - The Ultimate Singletrack Experience is proud to announce the return of Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks of team Kona, the 2008 winners.

The BC Bike Race is proud to have Barry and Kris back, these two exceptional athletes will defend their title beginning June 28 and finishing July 4. They have confirmed their participation and their goal of victory for the 2009 BC Bike Race.

When contacted about the upcoming season Kris Sneddon stated flat out “the BC Bike Race was one of the best events of my career and win or lose I’m going back to rock those trails!” Kris is originally from the Sunshine Coast, the host for days 4 and 5, “having a local boy take the lead and hold it was not planned but what a great surprise” yelled Dean Payne as the two mounted the final podium.

Last years victory was anything but easy as the field was stacked; Olympians, Champions and an overall deeply qualified field. The second year of the BC Bike Race was a hotly contested title, a back and forth battle between Teams Trek, (Chris Eatough, Jeff Shalk) the 2007 winners, team Cannodale Mona Vie (Jason Sager and Bart Gilliespie) 2008 stage one’s winners and the eventual winner Team Kona (Kris Sneddon, Barry Wicks) gave spectators some nail biting excitement. Some of the other notables; Chris Shepherd and Seamus McGrath ran into mechanicals on stage 1 and were officially not in contention but able to continue as with Rocky Mountains team of Andreas Hestler and Max Plaxton.

The combination of last year’s winners; a Canadian –Kris Sneddon and an American –Barry Wicks, was unbeatable and they both showed great class in teaming up to win the BC Bike Race. “It’s during events like these that you want to know who is in your corner” said Kona team manager Smiley Nesbitt.

This years BC Bike Race is ticking slowly towards being sold out and it also looks like there will be more singletrack for 2009 as the ‘best bike race in the world’ rolls forward.

For more information
-BC Bike Race – www.bcbikerace.com

News: Wisconsin Tapped as Cycling Venue for 2016 Chicago Olympic Bid

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced today that the state's capitol of Madison has been chosen as the location for all mountain and road cycling events if Chicago wins it's bid for the 2016 Olympics.

The cycling events would be shifted from Chicago, 150 miles west to Madison to take advantage of Wisconsin's rolling hills and abundance of excellent off-road terrain.

Cross-Country mountain bike events will be held at Tyrol Basin ski and snowboard area west of Madison.

The road race would begin in Madison and head into Blue Mound State Park located in the hills west of Madison.

With it's rolling hills and legions of cycling fanatics, Wisconsin is an ideal locale for the 2016 cycling competition. Wisconsin currently hosts the Wisconsin Off-Road Series, the nations largest mountain bike racing series and Super Week, the only three week road bike racing festival in the United States.

Chicago is competing with Madrid, Tokyo, and Rio De Janeiro for the 2016 Games. Selection for the Games will be made October, 2nd.