You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / MTB Events / MTBa takes back control of the National Series
MTBa takes back control of the National Series
MTBA Takes Control of 2014 National Mountain Bike Series
Mountain Bike Australia announced today that the 2014 National Mountain Bike Series will be brought back under MTBA control and delivery. The recent re-structure of Cycling Australia’s (CA) Commercial and Events team means that the arrangement under which CA delivered the previous National Series is no longer a financially viable option.
“This provides a great opportunity for MTBA to engage with our clubs and our members to ensure that a series is delivered which meets the needs of mountain bikers while providing top-level competition for our best riders as they prepare for the international season.” said MTBA President Russ Baker. “I am confident that the future development of this delivery model by MTBA will see a better progression of club, state and national events which will provide fun, development and competition opportunities for all mountain bikers.”
“Our focus will be on providing great races for the riders, in many ways it will be getting back to the basics of our sport and providing what our riders want. It is those very basics that make mountain biking what we all love. I look forward to a successful first round in Adelaide in the new year.”
The 2014 National Mountain Bike Series will use the established venues and dates for rounds 1 and 2, and the downhill component of round 3. There will be no need to change travel plans for those events. XCO riders will still be able to earn valuable UCI points from all races in the series. The current MTB National Series Schedule is:
Round 1 17-19 January Eagle Park SAXCO, XCE, DHI
Round 2 7-9 February Mt Buller VIC XCO, XCE, DHI
Round 3 21-23 February Thredbo NSW DHI
The date and location for the third XCO/XCE round is subject to a final confirmation of the suitability of the course and venue. Some of Australia’s best Elite XC riders and MTBA Staff will be inspecting courses in the next week and an announcement will be made on the MTBA website as soon as a decision is made, along with entry details. Russ Baker said, “We must make sure that the course is worthy of our riders and the standard of competition. The best advice MTBA can currently give our riders for planning purposes for Round 3 XCO/XCE is that the dates will be either 22-23 Feb or 1-2 March.”
The 2014 Australian National MTB Championships will be held as announced in Bright VIC on 6-10 March.
In announcing the transfer of responsibility for delivery of the series, Cycling Australia Interim CEO Adrian Anderson said, “These changes have been undertaken with the best interests of CA, the sport and the mountain bike community top of mind. We would like to thank MTBA for their understanding and willingness to ensure the continuation of the series.”
Russ Baker AM Shane Coppin
President, Mountain Bike Australia Interim Executive Officer, Mountain Bike Australia
[email protected] [email protected]
0408 407 946 0417 045 702
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
... what this portends for the mooted National XCM series? Doesn't seem to get a mention. Maybe the announcement of the Maverick series has deflated their ambitions?
Not that I was in the sport way back then, but this debacle with the spacing of the XCM rounds and then this news sounds a lot like the stupidity from CA that led to the formation of MTBA in the first place?
More I think they wanted control back based on the money they were making out of MTB in the 90s. 2012 showed them a) the money isn't there anymore, b) the complexities have increased and c )they still haven't a fecking clue what make MTBers tick
thus they have dropped us like a snot covered hag fish.
I really hope they do a better job!
Last years downhill national series was a total joke! We arrived in Bright and they couldn't even tell us where the pits were! I finished 2nd overall in Vets and got nothing, not even a medal.
Worst run series I have ever raced!