A fun day for competitors and spectators alike – come along and make some noise!

BikeNZ, New Zealand’s governing body for cycling, has been active in liaising with various clubs around New Zealand to have an official National Cyclocross Series.  Queenstown have been asked to kick start the series with its race in Queenstown as part of the Winter Festival. See:  www.nzcyclocross.co.nz for more information on the national series.  

The  Club are therefore holding local 5 race series (of which race 2 will be a national series race as part of the Winter Festival) at  a specially designed course at Remarkables Park, Queenstown on the following dates:

Race 1 - Sunday 17th June starting 10am

Race 2 - Sunday 1st July starting 2pm

Race 3 - Sunday 22nd July starting 10am

Race 4 - Sunday 12th August starting 10am

Race 5 - Sunday 26th August starting 10am

 What is Cyclocross?

Cyclocross first began in Europe during the 1940’s and was a means by which road cyclists could maintain their fitness through the autumn and winter seasons. The race course is commonly marked with tape, has a length of 1 to 3 km and usually comprises: grass fields, dirt roads, sand, mud / stream crossings, forced dismounts and running sections.

Races involve the rider completing a number of laps over the same short course which typically has a number of obstacles (natural and man made) such as barriers, water features or drains which require the rider to dismount their bike in order to cross. Specific cyclocross bikes are available on the market and are similar to road bikes, however, there are major differences in that cyclocross bikes have wider tyres with knobs, lower gears, cantilever brakes and frames with wider clearances. The uptake of Cyclocross in New Zealand has happened relatively recently and many participants begin their introduction to the sport on mountain bikes.

The Course is to be located in the lower terraces of Remarkables Park, right next to the Kawarau River.   It is an amazing spot and the Club are very lucky to have access to it.   The  terrain allows just about everything you could hope for in the cyclocross course - steep uphill  and downhill sections, hairpin corners, swamp, dirt, ditches ... chances are we will even have snow for one of the races.   With Phat Lines involved in the course design - who knows what else will be manufactured from the land.         

Who Can Enter?

The course will be designed to enable anyone, of any age, on any kind of bike to come and race. The series is about riding bikes, in the middle of winter, and having fun.  Whether you finish first, or last, you will have a blast.  For more details on how to enter please visit the Club's website: www.queenstownmtb.co.nz.  For further information please contact Carey 0274 858123.

$75 for the five race series. Or $35 for Race 2. Or $15 each for races 1, 3, 4 and 5. All proceeds go towards Club trails maintenance and development.