Tour De Timor - a 5 day mountain bike roadrace!

I came across this one today - a 5 day mtb race in Timor, August 24th to 28th, 2009.

It's a really interesting concept, free entry (to support tourism), a big prize pool, and several possibilities for sponsorship. It's a mix of bitumen, variable quality dirt roads and river crossings, with plenty of hills and spectacular landscape thrown in! Have a look at the course http://www.tourdetimor.com/Race-Route.php then think about what bike you'd want to take.... cyclocross, hardtail 29er with narrow tyres etc.

I have some connection to the organisers, so if you are really interested let me know and I can connect you. I'm tempted in a 'how can I pull this off' kind of way myself! (FYI: flights to Dili from Darwin are $750).

http://www.tourdetimor.com/index.php
President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. José Ramos-Horta today announced the inaugural Tour de Timor bicycle race, which will run from August 24th to 28th 2009. The event is a unique 5 day 350km mountain-bike road-race, which has a lucrative prize pool of USD$50,000, offers free registration and entry for participants and significant regional and international press coverage. The Tour de Timor will be an unparalleled means for participants and supporters to experience Timor-Leste, travelling through 9 of Timor-Leste’s 13 Districts in just 5 days, with 4 nights in and amongst traditional villages of Timor-Leste. President Ramos-Horta welcomes all participants and supporters to utilise the Tour de Timor as an opportunity to showcase the wondrous beauty of Timor-Leste as well as contribute alongside the President and people of Timor-Leste in making the capital Dili a ‘City of Peace’ in 2009.

The first of what will be an annual event, Tour de Timor is being billed as a major sporting challenge but one delivered in the spirit of international peace. As President Ramos-Horta described it, “We Timorese have had the benefit of extraordinary international support for our commitment to the creation of a democratic, inclusive, and harmonious society. As we move towards achieving that goal, it is fitting that we celebrate our potential with friends and neighbours from across Timor-Leste and from overseas. Tour de Timor will bring people together in a spirit of friendly competition, where ultimately everyone’s a winner”.