With little over four months until South Africa hosts the 2013 UCI MTB Masters World Championships in Pietermaritzburg, from 21 to 25 August, the cross-country (XCO) course at Cascades MTB Park is complete and is ready to be ridden.<\/p>\n
For the first time in the history of the UCI MTB World Championships, the masters\u2019 and elite events will be held at the same venue, and event organiser Alec Lenferna says that it will be quite a number of years before this happens in South Africa again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is important for our riders and spectators to be involved as the world championships is way bigger than the world cup events we have previously hosted, and way more important. The championships won\u2019t be back in SA for many, many years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Masters\u2019 Champs will include XCO and downhill (DHI) races and the Elite Champs will include XCO, DHI, cross-country eliminator (XCE), XCO Team Relay & Trials events.<\/p>\n
The rainbow stripe jersey that the Masters will be racing for – the ultimate prize in mountain bike racing.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time that Masters riders have the opportunity to ride the event on their home continent and all those that are able to should try and take up the option, even those that currently ride marathon races,\u201d continued Lenferna. \u201cMasters riders who enter the 2013 World Championship XCO or DHI events will have first option to enter the 2014 UCI MTB Marathon World Champs in Pietermaritzburg as well \u2013 this is pertinent as the Marathon Champs entries will be limited.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if people are not riding, every effort should be made to get to the Elite World Champs, especially those that are based in KwaZulu-Natal. Not only will spectators be watching the live action as it unfolds, but they will be showing support for our local competitors as well.<\/p>\n Online entries for the Masters world champs is open and riders can enter by visiting this web link<\/a>.<\/p>\n The courses for the elite and masters races will soon be marked with colour-coded demarcations and is open to those who wish to ride it.<\/p>\n The 2013 UCI MTB Masters World Champs will be staged at the Cascades MTB Park, the same venue as the 2013 UCI MTB & Trials World Championships, from 21 \u2013 25 August 2013. The 2013 UCI MTB & Trials World Championships will be staged from 26 August \u2013 1 September 2013.<\/p>\n Public entry spectator tickets for the Elite championship event are now available online at the event website www.mtbworldchamps.co.za<\/a> – entry into the venue will only be charged for Friday, Saturday and Sunday attendance of the final weekend.<\/p>\n For all detailed race event information, please visit the official event website: www.mtbworldchamps.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n