The Life Cycles Teams Race takes place in Wairakei Forest on Sunday 16th August 2009, and will be based at the MTB car park on Powerline Road.

Everyone is welcome. Entry categories are as follows:

Individual Man; Individual Woman; Open; Mixed; Family; Secondary Schools; Individual Boy; 12 Years and Under; and an all-in class for Single Speeds ie for riders on a bike with only one gear (wheel size optional!).

The entry fee is $15 each, but this reduces to $10 each for those 12 years and under, and for Taupo Mountain Bike Club members. Entry is On-The-Day only.

Registration will be open from 9.00 am till 9.45 am, followed by briefing, then a 10.00 am start to racing.

This is a relay event, with 3.5 hours to cutoff. Your team rides relay-fashion up until the 3.5 hour cut-off. At that point you cannot start another lap, but you do finish the lap that you are on. Every completed lap counts, and along with your finish order after cutoff, determines your placing. (Note: It is important to have someone in the course at cutoff, to get an accurate placing amongst the teams with the same number of laps completed.)

The course will consist of the lower portion of Corkscrew, via Squirt, all of Tourist Trap and all of Ferret. You will pass through or around the car park twice per lap, so this course is spectator friendly, and family friendly also as younger riders have the option of doing a half lap before "passing the baton over".

The length of the full course is about 9 km. Indicative ride times for the full course are about 25 minutes for a person with good MTB skills and a good level of fitness, and about 40 minutes for a recreational rider. The course is a figure-8, with 2 km in the top "half" and 7 km in the lower "half".

We have some great spot prizes, thanks to event sponsor Life Cycles, the cycle shop on Oruanui St, Taupo. So get your team organised now, think up a catchy team name, and get into the Life Cycles Teams Race 2009. See you there!

Thanks also to associate sponsor Matt Jensen Insurance Brokers, for all Taupo Mountain Bike Club insurance covers.