Riders wanting to take part in this year’s Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge are being urged to sign up as soon as possible. Just over a week after entries opened on March 1 there are already more than 1,300 on the start list. With the event being limited to a maximum of 1,700 riders it’s expected that the race will be full within the next week. Entries must be made online at www.manxe2e.org.
David Smith, Manx Telecom Marketing Director, said the new sponsors were delighted with the level of interest in the race and added that Manx Telecom mobile customers could still take advantage of a ?5 discount on their entry fee.
The End2End has seen some epic battles in recent years, most notably the wheel to wheel duels between former Olympic mountain biker and four time winner Nick Craig, and Manxman Elliot Baxter who is a five times End2End winner and the reigning champion. Baxter is on the start list as one of the 1,385 riders who had signed up as of March 11. TT star Conor Cummins, who does a lot of mountain biking as part of his fitness regime, is also on the start sheet.
This year there’s a new prize - the Manx Telecom Merit Award - which will go to rider who has overcome personal challenges to compete in the event. The End2End is the latest major event to be backed by Manx Telecom and follows the company’s announcement in 2012 of a three year deal to sponsor the Parish Walk. The End2End is not the company’s first cycling sponsorship - since 2008 it has backed the Manx Road Club which competes as Team Manx Telecom.
Photo David Smith, left, Manx Telecom Marketing Director, five times End2End winner Elliot Baxter, and Steve Honeybone, Chairman of Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge organising committee.
