$10k prize attracts top riders

ENDURO: The Giant 2W Gravity Enduro series begins today in Rotorua. Pictured are riders getting started at the last event in February. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

SOME of Rotorua's best mountain bikers will join the hunt for a $10,000 prize when the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro series begins today.

The series includes three enduro events in Rotorua, the first of which is being held in the Whakarewarewa Forest this weekend.

About 450 mountain bikers are taking part today and will tackle six stages with each stage counting towards their overall time.

Top Rotorua riders Carl Jones, Keegan Wright and Annika Smail have all entered today's event and will be gunning for the top category titles.

Sponsors Ray White Real Estate have put up a $10,000 prize this year for anyone who can win all three events during the series, in either the men's or women's division. If both a male and female rider achieve the rare feat they will split the prize and get $5000 each.

Giant 2W Gravity Enduro race organiser Neil Gellatly said Jones, Wright and Reon Boe (Queenstown) were the front runners in the men's race today.

"Unless there is a few wild card entries or dark horses that I don't know of, I think they seem to be the guys that will be in the running for it," he said.

Meanwhile, Smail, Vanessa Quin (Tauranga) and Raewyn Morrison (Nelson) look to be the obvious contenders in the women's race today.

Gellatly said there was also another $10,000 in prize money - put up by the organisers - which would be spread out across the three-race series.

Gellatly said enduro racing was very popular in this area and events attracted good numbers.

"I think each event that we put on is different which helps attract riders," he said. "We mix up the stages and make new combinations that keep them on their toes."

He said it was also a very social event and people generally had a great time.

"You cruise up to each stage and you have a few yarns ... so around the racing it is actually quite social."

Stages vary from one to six kilometres today with about 17km in total, and the full course was kept secret until a couple of days ago.

Racing started at 10am next to the Rotorua Holiday Inn.

- Event dates for the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro: Race 1: October 17, Race 2: December 12, Race 3: February 13.