Rotorua Bike Festival Gets Rude
Another world-class mountain biker will race at the Rotorua Bike Festival this weekend. Richie Rude from the USA was the 2013 UCI Junior Men’s World Downhill Champion, the first American to take that title. The man with one of the best names on international mountain bikingwill join his Yeti team mate and current Enduro World Series champion, Jared Graves, from Australia, at the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro on Saturday. The event sold out on Monday, reflecting the robust good health of the festival.
![Team Yeti rider Richie Rude 2014 Enduro Worlds Series... Racing at the sold out Giant 2W Gravity Enduro Rotorua Bike Festival 2015.]()
Richie Rude, Enduro World Series, Whistler 2014 (Dave Trumpore).
“There were over 1700 entries to events in the first three days,” said Festival event coordinator, Martin Croft. “Over 800 took the unique opportunity to ride the Rotorua Airport runway on Friday evening, which exceeded our expectations…by quite a bit.”
The feature events of the weekend were the New Zealand Cross Country Championships in the Whakarewarewa Forest on Saturday followed by the Downhill Championships on Sunday on a brand new course at Skyline Rotorua on the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. This venue will host Crankworx in late March. Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Anton Cooper from Cannonade won the Elite Men’s Cross Country with Kate Fluker winning the women’s event.
![ANTON COOPER Nails one of the trickiest sections of a very technical XCP course at the New Zealand Mountain Bike Champs at the Rotorua Bike Festival 2015 Photo Mead Norton]()
Anton Cooper, 2015 New Zealand XCO champ - seat up, hard tail on one of the trickiest parts of a technical course in the Whakarnewarewa Forest (Mead Norton).
Trek World Racing’s George Brannigan retained his Men’s Downhill title. He was the only ride to break the 3-minute barrier on a challenging course. Alannah Columb won the Elite Women’s title.
![Trek s George Brannigan sub 3 on the new course at Skyline Rotorua to defend his NZ MTB DH title. Photo Alick Saunders.]()
George Brannigan on his way to a sub-3 run a repeat as New Zealand DH champ. (Alick Saunders).
With the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro a sell out at 400 entries and two other second weekend events, the XRACE and Bike the Lake Rotorua, accounting for another 900 entries so far, the Festival is already up on last year’s numbers.
“It really demonstrates the strength of the biking community in Rotorua,” Croft added.
The Festival continues till Sunday February 22.
www.rotoruabikefestival.com
and on Facebook
MENTIONS: @RotoruaBikeFest
“There were over 1700 entries to events in the first three days,” said Festival event coordinator, Martin Croft. “Over 800 took the unique opportunity to ride the Rotorua Airport runway on Friday evening, which exceeded our expectations…by quite a bit.”
The feature events of the weekend were the New Zealand Cross Country Championships in the Whakarewarewa Forest on Saturday followed by the Downhill Championships on Sunday on a brand new course at Skyline Rotorua on the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. This venue will host Crankworx in late March. Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Anton Cooper from Cannonade won the Elite Men’s Cross Country with Kate Fluker winning the women’s event.
Trek World Racing’s George Brannigan retained his Men’s Downhill title. He was the only ride to break the 3-minute barrier on a challenging course. Alannah Columb won the Elite Women’s title.
With the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro a sell out at 400 entries and two other second weekend events, the XRACE and Bike the Lake Rotorua, accounting for another 900 entries so far, the Festival is already up on last year’s numbers.
“It really demonstrates the strength of the biking community in Rotorua,” Croft added.
The Festival continues till Sunday February 22.
www.rotoruabikefestival.com
and on Facebook
MENTIONS: @RotoruaBikeFest
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