THIS weekend’s End2End Bike Challenge, which has attracted another record number of riders, has had another massive surge of overseas entries.
Riders from as far afield as Israel, Scandinavia and throughout Europe will be on the start line at the Point of Ayre lighthouse on Sunday morning, with more than 900 of the competitors from outside the Island. The event is being sponsored once again by Sleepwell Hotels and promoted by the Manx Mountain Bike Club.
The organisers have also gone to the trouble of issuing a polite warning to residents living along the 42 mile route that it’s going to be busy on the roads for a few hours whilst the 1,400 bikes ride past.
The race starts at 10am but this year - in a bid to avoid traffic congestion - the road from Bride village to the Point of Ayre will be closed between 9.30am and 10.30am.
“It’s turning out to be a major tourist attraction,” said Geoff Corkish MHK, political member for the Department of Tourism. “The number of riders coming to the Island from the UK and Europe is highly impressive and this year’s entry shows just how popular the event is.
“The organisers have done a magnificent job in creating a really well run event and clearly the competitors are extremely keen. This is a major success story.”
The big surge in entries for the Sleepwell Hotel's End 2 End Bike Challenge is also making the organisers consider expanding the event in the future. One idea is to run more than one race over two or three days, although the pressure on volunteer marshals is a concern.
“It has become a big event on Europe’s mountain biking calendar - a very big event,” said Steve Honeybone, chairman of the End 2 End committee. “Without doubt the coverage on Sky TV last year has made a difference. Once it was broadcast we saw a really big increase in the number of people asking for application forms.”
Heavy traffic congestion on the road in recent years led the organisers and police to agree on the roads closure and also to improve signage both for competitors and also spectators.
The organisers are also providing riders with the option of transport to the start using coaches and lorries leaving Douglas early to get to the start line in good time. Around 500 competitors can be transported using this system.
Lots of properties along the route have already received a leaflet drop closer to the race day, to advise them that 1,400 riders will be travelling past their front doors, with the greatest congestion expected in the first few miles, chiefly in the Bride, Andreas, Sulby and Ballaugh regions, before the competitors hit the mountain tracks at Ballacobb, Ballaugh.
The route has also been slightly changed in the Glen Rushen area to use a wider track than previously with the intention of providing more space for the record number of riders. The new route will be clearly sign-posted for riders.
The winner in the last two years, former Olympian Nick Craig, is once again taking part and he starts as hot favourite to complete a hat trick, expecting to cross the finishing line in the very fast time of just under three hours. The slowest riders could take up to seven hours to finish the event.
Local hopes are once again with Elliot Baxter who was the first Manx man home last year. Paul Kneen, Rob Sorby and Julian Corlett are also expected to do well. Julian is one of the favourites for the veterans over 50's class title. He knows the route well as he is the man with the annual responsibnility of marking out the course. Guy Martin - who took part in the End2End Bike Challenge last year - is also fortunately fit enough to take part after his horrendous crash in this year’s TT.
