The Bermuda Bicycle Association’s 2009/10 mountain biking race season gets underway this Sunday with the first of the Conrads Race Series events at Fort Scaur Park at 9:00am. This year the series will be comprised of seven races that take in Ferry Reach Park, Admiralty House Park, Ft. Scaur and Hog Bay Park. The season finale will be the Winners Edge National Mountain Bike Championships which is scheduled for February 28th at Ferry Reach.
Added to the season this year for the first time will be a 4 hour endurance race for teams of two riders. Located at the longest of the local courses at Ferry Reach, it is expected that the final hour of the event will be in the dark of the evening, necessitating extra lighting to be carried by each rider. Teams will compete to complete the most laps possible within the time and pairs will be handicapped to reflect the demonstrated ability of the pair.
This year’s Conrad’s series will see many familiar faces return to the off road competition as well as a few newer ones. Mark Hatherley, Grant Goudge, Neil de ste Croix and Garth Thomson, having dominated this discipline in recent years are all expected to make appearances,. Joining them will be Somersfield Academy teacher Mark Brown who has demonstrated great skills in the weeks leading up to the season as well as Berkeley students Marquis Cann, Dominique Mayho and Tre’shun Corriea. The latter three are attempting to carry the success they had in their initial road season on to the dirt and rock tracks. Whether their youth and enthusiasm is a match for their older rivals will be known shortly after the gun goes off this Sunday.
Racing classes range from juniors to Adult A including novice and Female categories so all are welcome. With cycling thriving in Bermuda this year MTB season organizer Grant Gouge is expecting increased participation. Entry forms are available from Bicycle Works and Winners Edge or from the BBA’s website www.bermudabicycle.org.
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