Events: Urge Kenya 3 Hour Downhill Race
The Downieville Classic is one of the longest downhill races on the West coast. Mark Weir has already proven he can dominate that event, but with the wild imagination of two-time Downhill World Champion Fabien Barel at his aid, Mark is going to be stepping things up this February. Weir will be competing in an invitational event sending him racing 10,000 vertical feet down Mt. Kenya. In comparison, the Downieville Classic drops 5,000 feet, and even the Mt. 7 Pyschosis, dubbed the World's most demented downhill, drops a little over 4,000 vertical feet.
Mark will be joining a select group of the world’s best mountain bikers in the race. The event, named Urge Kenya, is being organized by Fabien Barel and Fred Glo of Tribe Sports Group. Only ten athletes will be racing this spectacular, ultra-endurance downhill event and all proceeds will be donated to ACORD, an international alliance working to promote social justice throughout Africa.
So far, the roster of invited riders includes Mark Weir, Brian Lopes, Fabien Barel, Wade Simmons, Ritchey Schley, Steve Peat, Julien Absalon and Anne Caroline Chausson, among others. The riders will spend three full days trekking to the 16,355-foot summit of Lenana Peak. Although each competitor will be assigned a Swahili guide, the riders must carry their own bikes. The hike up the mountain will serve as course inspection and the start order will be determined by each rider’s knowledge of the Swahili language, encouraging interaction between riders and guides throughout the trek. The voyage up Mt. Kenya will undoubtedly be a life-changing bonding experience for the group. The trip down will be a flat-out battle between the world’s best mountain bike pilots across a half-dozen ecological zones, including bamboo forests and Afro-Alpine chaparral. The group will speed through the impressive landscape and finish in less than three hours.
Fabien Barel and Fred Glo are visiting the area right now organizing the event and Mark Weir is anxiously awaiting his departure in late January. “It will be a once in a lifetime trip,” said Weir. “I just hope I can breathe at 16,000 feet.” Weir also stated that he’d be riding with a paper bag over his head to prepare for the thin air. In a more serious tone, Weir stated that, “this is an incredible opportunity to use our sport to help people that are less fortunate.”
Please visit Urgekenya.com and WTB.com for more information.
AWSOME!!
I'd be down for another weekend trip to Ashland after the snows gone. I'm doing the 12 Mile Super D again this year.
Last year over 3 days, we road the course 4 times, 2400 ft of climbing, 20,000 ft of descending!
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