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- 15. June 2007.

THE WORLDS IN FORT WILLIAM NEWS UPDATE



2007 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships
powered by Nissan Sports Adventure
Fort William, Scotland
Monday 3 - Sunday 9 September 2007
http://fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk




The Fort William team are motoring towards the biggest, best most
spectacular mountain bike event in the World this September.

OUR NEWS:


NISSAN SPORTS ADVENTURE TAKING MOUNTAIN BIKING FORWARD

Great news for mountain biking as Nissan reveal a 3 year partnership
with the sport at both UCI World Cup and World Championships level.

It's been a few years since a major brand was so heavily committed to
competitive mountain biking but with Nissan Sports Adventure backing,
expect to see a far higher profile for the sport, the riders and the
events throughout the World.

On a practical level, Nissan will be supplying all of the vehicles
necessary to run the World Championships, including 4x4 transport for
the 4X and course building in and around Nevis Range and the
Leanachan forest.

We've already taken delivery of a World Championships branded Navara
Outlaw that will be used to tow the Worlds exhibition trailer around
the country this summer. It's already clocked up trips to Birmingham
and London pushing Worlds awareness to thousands of road users every
journey.


THE HIGHLANDS COME TO LONDON

To launch the build-up to the Fort William UCI Mountain Bike World
Championships and to announce Nissan as the main sponsor, 10 of
Britain's top riders met up in London's Trafalgar Square for a press
conference and photo call.

This roll call of home talent were restricted to some casual posing
on the steps in front of Trafalgar Column – despite a desire to leap
around on the lions. The real action is being saved for the Nissan
sponsored Mountain Bike World Cup series and the big one, the UCI
Mountain Bike and Trials Championships in Fort William, powered by
Nissan Sports Adventure.


HALFORDS BIKEHUT SIGNS UP FOR WORLDS

Halfords Bikehut, the UK's biggest bike retailer, has signed up as a
Presenting Partner for the Mountain Bike and Trials World
Championships. They will be the retail and cycle maintenance partner
and will also promote cycle access at the event along a new bike
route from Fort William, together with offering maintenance services
at a secure bike park whilst you watch all the action.

The Worlds will also get a big boost from in-store exposure and
promotions through Halfords Bikehut 428 branches nationwide where
their range of performance mountain bikes (Kona, Diamondback,
Saracen, GT and Carrera) continues to expand. The retailer has also
opened two new standalone Bikehut stores in Brighton and Putney,
providing an extended range and service for cycling enthusiasts.

In addition to this they also sponsor the Team Bikehut downhill race
team with riders Jonny Cheetham and Helen Gaskell.
www.halfords.com


COTTAGES 4 YOU

Cottages4You have signed up as the latest Presenting Partner for the
2007 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships.

They have a huge range of holiday cottages for rent, throughout the
UK and Europe, many with easy access to popular mountain biking
areas. Their on-line booking system gives quick and clear information
on properties by area and you can check availability on-line as well.

At each venue of the Worlds Promo Tour, Cottages4You are offering a
free short break in one of their properties, plus an overall tour
prize of a week long holiday.
www.cottages4u.co.uk


THE WORLDS ON TOUR

The Worlds go on tour this month. For most of June and July we are
taking the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, powered
by Nissan Sports Adventure, on the road. The Worlds trailer pulled by
the World Championships Nissan Navara will be visiting a number of
events and city centres. As well as information on all aspects of the
Worlds there will be giveaways and competitions, with prizes from
Cottages4U and Halfords Bikehut.

Former top UK downhiller Crawford Carrick Anderson has been turning
the Worlds exhibition trailer into a suitable billboard to travel the
nation's roads.

Crawfie has a vinyl signage business and rushed through the
signwriting so that we could get the trailer to the Bike Show.

If you want any vinyl lettering, contact Crawfie at www.ccasigns.co.uk

Catch the Worlds at these venues:
June 16-17, SDA DH & NPS 4X Test Event, Fort William
June 23-24, Mountain Mayhem, Ledbury
July 7, George Square, Glasgow
July 8, Halfords Bikehut (tbc), Braehead
July 14-15, Rat Race, Princes St Gardens, Edinburgh
July 21-22, World Highland Games, Inverness
July 28, City Centre, Aberdeen
July 29, Halfords Bikehut (tbc), Perth or Dundee
August 4, Glentress, Peebles
August 5, Merida Marathon, Selkirk


THE CROSS COUNTRY COURSE

THE HAGGIS TRIP
One of the features of the new XC track in the Leanachan Forest is
the crossover near the top of the course, where climbing riders go
through a tunnel underneath descending riders. Named the Haggis Trap,
this is going to be one of the great spectator viewpoints where you
can watch leading riders crossing chasing riders, having descended
the open switchbacks from the highest point of the course. The tunnel
looks tight but even the tallest riders get through no problem – it's
just a bit tough if you see descending riders passing over your head
knowing they are about 1km ahead.

THE BRIDGE IS UP
The Forestry Commission Scotland stressed timber bridge is now in
position – a beautiful, slender arch spanning the 20m gorge over the
upper reaches of the River Lundy, at the top of the start climb. It
is the missing link in the puggy line section of the new World
Championships course.

XC TEST EVENT 19 – 20 MAY
The first test of the new Forestry Commission Scotland World
Championships course was the SXC event on 19-20 May. The weekend also
included a one lap time trial used by British Cycling in their team
relay selection procedure. There has been a great deal of work by
three different trail builders – Golspie Wildcat and Learnie Red Rock
designer Mark Hedderwick who tackled the new swooping singletrack in
two forest sections, Corrie Construction who tackled the major
engineering works on the open hillside after the final climb and the
Forestry's own trails team who have done the rest of the works. The
result is a mix of trail types and necessary riding styles that
should make for an interesting and challenging course, where the
rhythm is constantly changing.

OLI BECKINGSALE TAKES WIN AT XC TEST EVENT
Oli Beckingsale (Giant Racing) won the first event on the new Witch's
Trail World Championships course (Sunday 20 May). Austria's Michael
Weiss (Biking Cyprus International) had led from the start but
Britain's Oli reeled him in on the final climb of the last lap,
winning with a time of 1:52:10 for the 5 lap race. 'The course is
really testing, with some really big climbs and I think it's better
than the old World Cup course' said Oli. For Michael Weiss it was a
'real World Championships course.'
Ivonne Kraft (GER, La Carrere BTS Travel) won the women's Elite event
ahead of Amy Hunt (GBR, Trek VW). In total 260 riders competed in all
of the categories and the general consensus is the course is shaping
up really well, is very tough, and is much harder when you have to
race it.
With three months of bedding in and some tweaks and changes ahead of
the actual World Championships it will be a real challenge for the
world's elite in September.


THE DOWNHILL AND 4-CROSS COURSES

GOING UNDERGROUND
Another big project funded by Highland 2007 (the year long
celebration of Highland Culture) is the complete remodelling of the
DH and 4X finish section. A new spectator tunnel under the final
straight will improve access around the DH/4X and XC Finish arenas,
there will be increased viewing and new features are being designed
for the DH and 4X courses coming into the finish.

DH boss Bob MacFarlane and 4X designer Phil Saxena debated leaving a
sizeable gap jump – but common sense prevailed and the tunnel was
used after all.

The new finish section will be ready for the SDA DH and NPS 4X events
on 16/17 June.

DH TRACK OPENED ON 12 MAY
The new World Championships DH course opened to the public on 12 May.
Apart from some special World Championships features, just for the
Worlds week in September, this will be the same course as the stars
will ride. If you are planning a visit, remember it is a full-on
downhill, very tough and very long. It's a great chance to test
yourself on one of the most demanding courses in the world.

DH/4X TEST EVENT - 16-17 JUNE
The new DH and 4X courses get their first official test on 16 and 17
June with the SDA DH and a round of the NPS 4X. Work has only just
finished on the shaping of the top section of the 4X so this will be
an important test before any final modifications pre Worlds.
For the DH, the new top section has been bedding in since April.
Fast, open and smooth it rewards good riding before it enters the
more brutal, challenging mid section. This will form the basis of the
Worlds course but other changes and features are planned for the
final course in September.

www.sda-races.com/sda_www.nps4x.com
The demand for entries crashed the SDA website server with all
entries taken up in 4 hours. The big names starting their Worlds
preparation will be Steve Peat, Fabian Barel and Nathan Rennie.


GAELIC LIVE
The West Highlands of Scotland continue to be one of the bastions of
Gaelic (Scotland's original Highland language) so it features in lots
of World Championships activities. For non-Gaelic speakers,
pronunciation can be something of a challenge so the website now
provides sound files of key headings. Just click on the heading and
you've got instant access to proper pronunciation.
www.fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk


HEED THE CALL!
It's official. Peaty needs your help. In an interview in the latest
MBUK Peaty makes it clear where you should be in September.

MBUK: '…have you got a philosophy of life that you'd like to pass on
to the waiting masses?'

Steve: 'Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, shag when
you're horny….and come to Fort William in September to help me win
the World Championships in Britain'
Of course your support is needed by all of the British Team riders.
So what are you waiting for? Make September 3-9 very special days for
British mountain biking.
MBUK 213 www.mbuk.com


Editor's Notes
The UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships at Fort William –
powered by Nissan Sports Adventure – will be staged from Monday 03 to
Sunday 09 September 2007 –
For more information - http://fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk/

At the World Championships, an annual competition with the emphasis
firmly on riding for country rather than for trade teams and
sponsors, 700 of the World's top riders from more than 50 nations
worldwide will compete across the four mountain bike disciplines of
Cross Country, Downhill, 4-Cross and Trials for a total of 19 World
Championship titles.

Tickets for the World Championship are on sale now. For ticket
information and all the latest news about the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike
World Championships visit http://fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk/

Accommodation Booking – Tel: 0845 2255121 (+44 1506 832121 outside
UK) / www.visithighlands.com / Tourist Information Centre, Fort
William - Tel. +44 (0)1397 703781 / www.visitscotland.com / www.visit-
fortwilliam.co.uk

The headline sponsor is Nissan Sports Adventure. The key partners
behind the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships at
Fort William are UK Sport, EventScotland, Highland 2007,
VisitScotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, and Nevis Range.

Useful Websites
The UCI Mountain Bike & trials World Championships at Fort William -
http://www.fortwilliamworldchamps.co.uk/
The UCI (International Cycle Union) Website – http://www.uci.ch
The British Cycling Website - http://www.britishcycling.org.uk
Nissan Europe - http://www.nissan-europe.com/
UK Sport - http://www.uksport.gov.uk/
EventScotland - http://www.eventscotland.org/
Forestry Commission Scotland – http://www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland or
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/mtbscotland
Highland 2007 - http://www.highland2007.com
VisitScotland - Adventure sports in Scotland – http://
www.visitscotland.com/adventure
Nevis Range - http://www.nevisrange.co.uk
Outdoor Capital of the UK - http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk
Bank of Scotland - http://www.bankofscotland.com/
Halfords Bikehut - http://www.bikehut.com
Cottages 4 You - http://www.cottages4you.co.uk






MEDIA CONTACT:
Paddy Cuthbert - Podge Publicity :
17 - 23 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL
T: 0131 477 2037 / F: 0131 558 3904 / M: 07968 699 636
E: [email protected] / W: www.podge.co.uk
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