If there are household names to be had in the local mountainbiking scene, then Sonia Foote would be somewhere at the top of the list.
The effervescent cross-country rider, who recently touched down in the Sulphur City after spending the last seven weeks racing on the European circuit, is
one of 10 Bay of Plenty riders - six from Rotorua - named in the New Zealand team to compete at the 2005 Mountainbike and Trials World Championships in Livingo, Italy.
And it's an honour she isn't taking lightly, with the Championships acting as a qualifying race for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
"The heat is going to be on everyone, particularly in the women's field as we're all very close and it's very strong," said Foote.
"But it will be awesome."
Foote said she will also relish the opportunity to travel with and compete alongside fellow Bay riders - saying the camaraderie will add to the team.
She attributes the large number of local riders named in yesterday's Bike NZ team as a reflection of how strong the sport is in the area.
"I think it's just fantastic. The strength in mountainbiking at the moment is so great, particularly in the junior ranks, so it means we're going to get stronger and stronger as the years go on," Foote said.
"There's also a lot of momentum with the Worlds here next year; but mostly there's a lot of really passionate people involved in mountainbiking who are prepared to offer their time and services - one of the ways this has manifested itself is through the huge amount of trail work being done locally. It's really, really neat."
