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Mountain Bike News and Notes: New dates and new contracts

Published: Dec. 26, 2006

One of Southern California’s largest mountain-biking festivals, the eighth-annual Firestone Santa Ynez Valley Mountain-Bike Classic will be held April 27-29, 2007. The event, which features downhill, cross-country and an endurance cross-country race, is sponsored by Platinum Performance nutrition and is held at the Firestone Vinyard outside of Buelton, California.

Last year the Classic attracted about 1000 racers. Race organizer Mike Hecker hopes to offer $8000 in pro prize money this year. The amount would give the event Category II status in USA Cycling’s new Mountain-Bike national racing calendar. With the event scheduled two weeks after the Sea Otter Classic and one week before the National Mountain-Bike Series race in Fontana, California, Hecker hopes for an increased turnout of professional riders.

“I think with the increased pro purse we’re going to get better pro turnout,” Hecker said. “I think it’s going to enhance our spectator numbers and will grow the sport. It gives pros a way to source out their livelihood.”

Spots are still available in the event expo. For more information, checkwww.ridesb.com or emailHecker at hecktone@cox.net.

Multivan-Merida signs Gehbauer
Robert Gehbauer is the newest addition to the Multivan-Merida professional mountain-bike team. The 19-year-old Austrian won the 2005 junior world cross-country championships in Livigno, Italy, and took the European and world titles in winter triathlon.

“I’m greatly looking forward to this fantastic opportunity,” Gehbauer said. “In years to come, I want to learn as much as possible from these top athletes. And if possible I’d like to follow them in their footsteps, of course.”

Gehbauer joins Norwegian Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjå, Germans Nina Göhl and Moritz Milatz, Swiss Ralph Näf and Spaniard José Hermida on the Multivan-Merida team.

Team G-Cross/Honda adds third rider
Team G-Cross/Honda will once again be returning to the international mountain bike race season in 2007 with riders Greg Minnaar (RSA), Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) and new addition Brendan Fairclough (GB). The new lineup of three riders will be contesting the UCI World Cup Downhill as well as selected Maxxis Cup events, British National Point Series events, and sending selected riders to other high profile events such as Whistler’s Crankworx festival and the Lisbon Downtown.

Minnaar, 25, hails from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Minnaar has been with the team since 2004, and will begin his fourth season on the Honda RN01 chasing the world championships, and will look to take back the World Cup title he won in 2005.

Matti Lehikoinen, 22, had a great season in 2006, winning the No. 5 World Cup in Balneario Camboriu, Brazil, the Red Bull Empire Rider in Peru and finishing 6th overall in the World Cup. In his third season, Lehikoinen hopes for a top-five finish in the World Cup overall.

Brendan Fairclough, 18, hails from Hampshire, and won the inaugural junior World Cup downhill overall in 2006. Apart from his two World Cup podium finishes as a junior-aged athlete, Brendan has impressed the team with his all-round approach to racing.

"We are very excited about the 2007 season,” said Martin Whiteley, team director. “Firstly we have been very fortunate to be able to retain the services of both Greg and Matti who make excellent team mates and have both had great success on the Honda RN01 in recent years. We can now also announce that we have secured one of the most exciting young riders on the world scene in Brendan. He and the other two riders know each other very well and they are all good friends, which is important in building team spirit as we hunt our goals for 2007. It should be a very exciting year ahead".

Lehikoinene and Fairclough will make their first racing appearance for Team G-Cross/Honda at the Maxxis Cup in Gouveia, Portugal on March 18. Minnaar will start his downhill season in April at the opening round of the British National Points Series.

Endurance 100 Mountain-Bike Race sets 2007 dates
The Endurance 100 ultra-endurance mountain-bike racing series will feature four separate race dates in 2007. All races will be held in Park City, Utah.

12 Hours of The E100 -- June 23The E100 Relay/50 Mile Solo -- July 21The E100 100Mi/100K/50Mi -- August 25 The Endurance 100 Ultra -- September 16 – 22

For more information, visit www.thee100.com.