Forget Trans-Wales, now it’s Trail Masters!

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Michael Wilkens, the brains behind the TransWales and other great events has been in touch to tell us what’s going down in 2012.
It seems the Trans-Wales format is having a rest this year and in its place, Michael is very excited about his new event, the (deep breath…) “Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport” which he reckons is going to be THE XC enduro event of 2012.

Here’s what happens: On the 17-18-19th August 2012 solo riders and teams of three will get the chance to test themselves over three demanding days filled with classic cross country trails and challenging timed sections as well as a full ‘off bike’ activity programme.

The TrailMasters is a three day event which features more than 220km of riding with more than 7,000m of climbing and six special stages. There is also a single day option on the Saturday for the time-pushed.

...and don't come back! (For a while...)

The event will be based in the ancestral home of Welsh mountain biking – Llanwrtyd Wells – one of the best known early mountain bike locations in the UK which has seen the birth of lots of world renown events (Man vs. Horse, Real Ale Wobble, Bog Snorkelling World Champs…) as well as the first UK mountain bike centre which was opened more than 25 years ago.

The Riding Course designer John Lloyd has been working on the course for the TrailMasters in his head for the last twelve months. He reckons that endless amounts of riding and guiding in the area have given him the chance to not just know his way round perfectly but to explore all the hidden gems the area has to offer.

Singletrack in an enduro?

The TrailMasters combines linking stages (untimed long distance rides) with special stages – off-road time trials. By doing this the organisers aim to cater for those who want to see what the area can offer as a cycling destination whilst indulging the more competitive rider with the special stages. Expect some challenging ups and down in the linking stages which you’d not normally find in a marathon type event and some fast flowing and fun packed special stages which will test the riders on their technical riding skills as well as their stamina and speed.

‘Off the bike’ time
Wilkens says of the off-bike time; “We know that bike events are not only about riding your bike but also about enjoying yourself ‘off the bike’. The TrailMasters is going to put some extra attention in the ‘off bike time’. The event village in Llanwrtyd Wells will be open throughout the day and will have an extended programme of fun rides, test courses, fun runs, kids activity, films etc to entertain the support crews and the families who have come along to enjoy the weekend. All these activities are free of charge – so make sure you bring your family along! And once the riders have returned we will have an extended evening programme with live music, on site bar, film and photo shows, technical seminars and maybe even a pub quiz! Again all these activities are part of the entry fee.”

Find out more…
The new ‘Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport’ website www.trailmasters.cc is now open and ready for business. Riders and their support crews can find out all the retails on the stages, the ‘off bike’ program, the entry details and obviously enter either via the secure online entry or by downloading an entry form.

Start here for your 'What tyres...' thread...

See you all in August!

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

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