NZ is to be represented at the First World MTB-orienteering Champs, to be held in the first week of July at Fontainebleau, 90km from Paris. Greg Barbour, who last year rode one of the World Cup series in Finland, and later captured the Belgian MTB-orienteering title, is to travel to the pioneering world event from his base in Holland. Trevor Knowles of Wellington will also take part in the associated masters events.
There will be three championship events. The long distance begins with a 90-min interval-start event (60 min for women), followed the next day by a chasing start final of 2 hours (90 min women). In a chasing start, riders are started behind the "winner-so-far" so that the first across the line is the winner. This puts high pressure on the leaders, and will call for cool thinking on the part of the followers if they are to break through. Perhaps it will bring out a spate of tactical riding as seen in road racing, and one hopes that there is enough room on the final legs to deal with the inevitable dicing!
There will also be a 35-40min sprint event with 1-minute start intervals; this is similar in length to the unofficial ANZ challenge at Waitarere. And a 3-leg relay, in which Barbour may ride unofficially with other "loners" in a similar situation. Australia is believed to be sending a team but we don't expect it will be the maximum allowable size of 6 men and 6 women.
A masters and junior competition, and non-representative open senior competition,
will be held concurrently. The
event website has nore details.
Written by Michael
Wood and installed on 4 Mar 02.