Matt Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Global Mountain Bike Marathon Series Kicks Off in SabiePress Release - Cycling South Africa25 November 2011 – The 2012 UCI World MTB Marathon Series kicks of in Mpumalanga’s mecca of mountain biking, in Sabie on 25th February 2012. The 14th annual MTN Sabie Classic 110 kilometre marathon route will form part of the 2012 UCI global series, which will be visiting countries such as France, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Austria, Italy and Croatia, culminating in the one-off Marathon Championship race in Ornans, France in October. MTN Sabie Classic race director Brett Coates was ecstatic in hearing the news: “This is the first time an African race has been included in the world series and is reward to our growth and reputation,” said Coates. “The race will attract not only the best mountain bikers South Africa has to offer but will ensure a world wide audience as the best mountain bikers in the world will make the trip to gain valuable UCI points. Being that the UCI MTB World Cup in Pietermaritzburg and the Absa Cape Epic are within the same period we are sure many international riders will spend this part of our summer in SA to race whilst it is winter in the Northern hemisphere. The MTN Sabie Classic has become a popular season starter for many South African endurance mountain bikers over the past 14 years, attracting not only the country’s top riders, but encouraging all levels of riders from the novice through to the enthusiast with the many race distances on offer. The race attracted 3000 entrants in 2011, which not only credits the popularity of the event, but also puts Sabie on the tourism map for social and competitive mountain bikers alike. The main beneficiaries of the MTN Sabie Classic include the Msiba Mbane orphanage in Sabie, the Lions Club and various local service providers. The race is hosted by the Lowveld Chaingang Cycle Club with the assistance of Advendurance. Entries are via the Advendurance website and further details can be obtained from race director Brett Coates on 082 774 5821, or email brettc@lantic.net. 2012 UCI MTB MARATHON SERIES25.02 - 25.02 Sabie Classic – Sabie – Mpumalanga, South Africa08.04 - 08.04 Roc Laissagais – Laissac, France10.06 - 10.06 Elsabiketrophy – Estavayer-le-Lac, Switzerland17.06 - 17.06 Endurance Atenas – Caldera, Costa Rica07.07 - 08.07 Südtirol Dolomiti Superbike – Villabassa, South Tyrol, Italy29.07 - 29.07 MTB Ucka Marathon – Lovran, Croatia19.08 - 19.08 Grazer Bike-Marathon Stattegg – Stattegg, Austria26.08 - 26.08 MTB Jurmala Marathon – J?rmala, Latvia08.09 - 09.09 Val di Fassa Bike - Moena – Val di Fassa, Italy09.09 - 09.09 O-Tour Bike Obwalden – Obwalden, Switzerland07.10 - 07.10 UCI MARATHON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Ornans (FRA)
kosmonooit Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Awesome event as well - certainly a Classic! Last year the marathon was about 3000m of ascent
Danger Dassie Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Awesome news indeed! ... To think there were so many naysayers a few years ago who said S.A. would never feature in the world stage of MTB!
Robrider Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Thats awesome. Is it just me or does that seem a very EU biased "world" series.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now