2007 VAUDE Highland Fling named as Australian MTB Marathon Championships
After another successful running of the Fling in Nov 06 with 1,100 riders enjoying a fun but very challenging course across the Southern Highlands of NSW, the organizers, Wild Horizons, are pleased to announce that the 2007 event on 11 November will act as the 2007 Australian MTB Marathon Championships. But this year there will be no twists!
Event Director Huw Kingston of Wild Horizons made the announcement today saying:
“The 2006 Fling was widely hailed as a real MTB marathon course for all who took on the challenge. We have had quite a number of elite riders who stated they felt the Fling was worthy of the status as Australian MTB Marathon Championships. With this in mind we’ve decided to award the coveted Green&Gold tartan jersey - the ‘maillot tartane’ as the French would say – to the winning Elite Male and Female riders. We will also be announcing a very substantial prize for these champions in the new year.”
Kingston added: “As many will know we first announced the 2006 VAUDE Highland Fling as the Australian MTB Marathon Championships with a twist, ie awarding the Championship jersey to the average timed male and female. Of course we will not and could not forget our mass participation Fling riders in 2007. The average timed Male and Female in the 2007 Full Fling will receive a major prize of being sent to New Zealand to compete in the Kona Colville Connection – flights, accommodation, free entry etc.
Our announcement in 2006 created some controversy, particularly from MTBA, a body that governs some MTB racing in Australia and resulted in them copying our title name and awarding the title to another Marathon race in Queensland for 2006. We would like to state from the outset that the 2007 VAUDE Highland Fling as the Australian MTB Marathon Championship has absolutely no sanctioning from MTBA and receives no UCI ranking points. What it does do is mark out the winners purely as the Australian MTB Marathon Champions”
For further information please contact Huw Kingston on 0418 977609 or email fling@wildhorizons.com.au