UCI Mountain Bike World Cup May 20, 2011

Those with dreams of becoming the next Julian Absalon or Nino Schurter can try out the official Mountain Bike World Cup course for themselves, as part of a weekend of top class riding coming to Yorkshire this month.

Run by British Cycling in association with Welcome to Yorkshire, the UK leg of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup takes place at Dalby Forest on Sunday 22nd May.

Amateur mountain bike riders will be given the chance to put their own skills to the test in the Dalby Dare on Saturday 21st May and a free-to-watch urban street race, the Pro Sprint Eliminator, kicks off the weekend in Pickering on Friday 20th May.

Finishing under the World Cup arch, Dalby Dare participants need to be skilled enough to cope with the technical difficulties of a course built to test the endurance of the best riders in the world. From 3pm, mountain bikers will start the race in three waves to ensure they are riding with those of similar ability.

Cheered on by friends and family, the Dalby Dare will see members of the public ride a full loop of the official 6km World Cup course under race conditions, before heading out on to another 14km of some of the best trails that the UK has to offer.

With top British names such as Liam Killeen and Annie Last expected to compete, the event is a great opportunity to watch some of the world’s best riders in action ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Adults can watch Sunday’s World Cup racing for just £14, with child, family, weekend and Dalby Dare passes also available.

Early on Sunday, Go Ride Racing gives young club riders the chance to race a 1km course that crosses both the World Cup start and finish lines. Children who have not competed before can also get a taste of the action in the World Cup Village, with entry-level racing on offer free of charge through British Cycling’s Go-Ride Racing programme or by entering Dixons Dare.

Other activities available in the World Cup Village include bike demos and the chance to watch technical teams at work, as well as mingling with the stars and soaking up the atmosphere of a top class sporting event.

Adult spectator day passes cost £14, with child, family and weekend passes also available. Discounts are available for British Cycling members. Entry to the Dalby Dare costs just £33.50 per person and includes a weekend spectator pass, participant T-shirt, Event Programme and Purple Mountain goodie bag.

Don’t miss out. Buy tickets now by visiting Ticketmaster. For more information and to find out about the many benefits of joining British Cycling, visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership

Official Website: http://www.mtbworldcup.co.uk