Come and give us a LIKE on www.facebook.com/pages/Trailmasters.
You will fins lots of updates from the Builth Wells event office on the new FB page – in particular details aout the course etc.
…and if you have any questions just send them through on the new page. THANKS
…come and spend an amazing riding and racing weekend with us in 2013!
After its launch in August 2012 the 3 day XC enduro event will return to central Wales on the earlier date of the 24-25-26th May 2013. Solo riders and pairs will get the chance to test themselves over three demanding days filled with classic cross country trails and challenging timed sections as well as enjoy a bursting ‘off bike’ activity programme.
The TrailMasters is a 3 days event which features more than 200km of riding and over 6,000m of climbing and 6 special stages. But if the three days are too much for you and you can only spare a day or two you can also come along and take part in the day rider event (Saturday) and enjoy the spectacular ride as well as the fantastic event atmosphere.
The event will be based in the very heart of Welsh mountain biking – Builth Wells – the birthplace of the MTB-Marathon Series – one of the most famous mountain bike locations in the UK.
Expect some…epic riding, some challenging timed sections including the night special stage, fantastic facilities, relaxed atmosphere and some great evening entertainment…in short one Amazing Riding Weekend!
Ritchey Trail Masters – The Riding
Course designer and Builth Wells local John Lloyd has been thinking about the best trails for the TrailMasters since the beginning of his MTB-Marathon Series more than a decade ago. Endless amount of riding, guiding and creating courses for the MTB-Marathon Series in the area has given him the chance to not just know his way around perfectly but to incorporate all the hidden gems the area has to offer.
The Ritchey TrailMasters combines linking stages (untimed long distance rides) with special stages – off-road time trials. By doing this we aim to cater for those who want to see what the area can offer as a cycling destination whilst indulging the more competitive rider with the special stages.
Expect some challenging ups and down in the linking stages which you would not normally find in a marathon type event and some fast flowing and fun packed special stages which will test the riders on their technical riding skills as well as their stamina and speed.
‘Off the bike’ time
Based at the weather proof location of the Royal Wales Showground, the Ritchey TrailMasters will have an extended after ride programme, lots of hard standing for the caravan lovers out there, fantastic facilities and a new catering crew on board. We will have fun rides, kids activities, live music, on site event bar and if you rather have a proper bed to sleep in than the town of Builth Wells is only a few hundred yards away from the start line. Families and supporters are welcome throughout the weekend!
Find out more and get your entry in now!
The new Ritchey TrailMasters website www.trailmasters.cc is now open and ready for business. Riders and their support crews can find out all the details on the stages, the ‘off bike’ program, the entry details and enter either via the secure online entry or by downloading an entry form.
MTB-Marathons & Road Sportives Series 2013
It has been very busy at our end since the final round in Ruthin and we are almost there with the new title sponsor and the details for the 2013 MTB-Marathon Series.
What we have at this point are the dates and locations for the 2013 series. Here you go:
13-14th April – Builth Wells (Sat: Night Marathon / Sun: MTB Marathon/MTB Marathon Champs)
13-14th July – Marshbrook (Sat: MTB Marathon / Sun: Road Sportive)
3-4th August – Abergavenny (Sat: MTB Marathon / Sun: Road Sportive)
August/September – Ruthin (Sat: MTB Marathon / Sun: Road Sportive)
As you can see we have changed the order of events over the weekend (except the 1st round in Builth) which we tested this year in Crickhowell and which worked really well.
We should have the new website and entry system up and running in January but in the meantime please give us a LIKE on our new facebook page: www.facebook.com/MTBmarathonSeries. Till the new site is up and running we will put all news and updates on the facebook page and will obviously keep it going there after.
Now the only think left is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
The first ever Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport took place a few days ago and certainly gave riders the chance to find out the real ‘Trail Masters’ out there.
Typical British summer conditions (which have been affecting lots of events this year) with rather persistent rain on Thursday and Friday mixed things up a bit for the event – on the trail as well as back at base!
However in equally typically British manner the riders and their support crew got the wellies and waterproof shorts out and just got on with it. A few alterations had to be made and some of the planner ‘off the bike’ programme points had to be put aside but all in all the first Ritchey TrailMasters came together rather well.
Throughout the long weekend we had some rather tied racing with some of the favourites fulfilling their expectations.
Open Male Solo Category
1st Ben Price (Torq Performance) in 15:30:41
2nd Werner van der Merwe (Marathon MTB) in 15:31:31
3rd Oli Holmes (CNP-Orbea) in 15:32:24
Open Female Solo Category
1st Leona Kadir (LA Fuga / Sigma Sport) in 15:43:10
2nd Natasha Barry in 15:43:31
3rd Lisa Kamphausen in 15:45:15
Open Male Vets Category
1st Paul Wittaker (Stockport Clarion) in 15:36:11
2nd Mike Sanders (Corridori) in 15:34:43
3rd Andy Roberts in 15:38:57
Pairs Male Category
1st Ryan Bevis & Dave Thomas (RAM / MTB-Marathon) in 15:29:46
2nd Hugh Lloyd & Andrew Jenkins (MTB-Marathon) in 15:34:53
3rd Chris Bates & Adrian Peters (First CMS) in 15:39:48
Pairs Female Category
1st Katie Collins & Kirsty Prior (Cotic a Quick Release Holiday) in 15:43:00
2nd Rebecca Good & Nell Hall in 15:53:43
Teams of 3 Category
1st Steve Whitehouse, Tim Russon & Martyn Andrews (Beer Biddies) in 15:37:21
2nd Lee Bacco, Nick Towers & Richard Edge (Lutterworth Cycle Centre/Teamprokit) in 15:37:27
3rd Neil Kerruish, Paul Flanders and Shaun Lewis (Logthan Loaded) in 15:40:20
Full results can be found here.
Images are up
Our event photographer Jon Brook was out in the elements all weekend taking pictures of pretty much everyone. Check out the images on www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk.
Video
We also have put up the 1st little video. This version is only a rough cut of the first 2 days – so there is more to come including the Exposure Lights Night stage and Sunday’s ride. Please click here.
A big thanks
We would like to send out a big thanks to the guys from Ritchey, to the Paligap crew and to Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport to support this event in its first year. An even bigger thanks goes out to the riders and their support crews for making it an event and hopefully will help to put it on the UK cycle event map for year to come. We are certainly already thinking about next year and hopefully will see lots of you in 2013.
Other events you might enjoy
With the TrailMasters over our attention goes back to the last remaining CRC Marathon which will take place in Ruthin on the 15-16th September. This is the first ever triple event for us and should be a worthy season finale. For details please go to www.mtb-marathon.so.uk
If you fancy a sportive in and around the Bristol area why not look at the Bristol Belter (23rd September). With three courses on offer all level of sportive riders will be well catered for. Please go to www.bristolbelter.com for details.
And finally the NoTubes Oktoberfest (13th October). An 8 hour replay event on one of the best (and weather proof) courses in the country. Enter as solo, pairs or team and if 8 hours is not enough for you maybe stay for the Run Rider off road duathlon on the Sunday (14th October). For details please go to www.bike-fest.com and/or www.runrider.co.uk.
Here the rough cut of the first 2 days of the Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport. There is some more stuff coming including the night stage and Sunday’s ride. But for the tim being enjoy!
Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport 2012 – rough cut day 1&2 from michael wilkens on Vimeo.
A BIG THANKS YOU to everybody for coming to the Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport. It was an epic weekend which tested man, material and spirit to the extreme.
We will have some more pictures (please check: www.rightplacerighttime.co.uk), some videos and reports go up over the next few days.
In the meantime though here the final results in case you missed at the event.
teams 3 times TM 2012
teams 3 times TM 2012 (PDF)
pairs times TM 2012
pairs times TM 2012 (PDF)
solo times TM 2012
solo times TM 2012 (PDF)
Thanks a lot for being part of the 1st Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport and we hope we will see you again next year!
Only a few days now before the Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport (17-19th August 2012) will kick off this weekend at Plas y Cadno Farm in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales.
Preparations have been on overdrive and everything is set for a great (long) weekend of riding, racing, campground games and more.
The Ritchey TrailMasters will have around 220km of fantastic Welsh riding waiting for the riders and to make matters interesting there are 6 (timed) special stages spread over the weekend.
The ride
Friday will kick off with a longish ‘warm up ride’ at lunchtime followed by a long dinner break and finished off with the Exposure Lights night stage.
Saturday is a classic big day on the hills. An 85km loop will showcase the best trails and views this beautiful pocket in the heart of Wales has to offer. The day is not timed in the conventional way so that riders can take it easy and enjoy the rider rather than ‘chasing the tyre in front’. But as always a couple of ‘special’ sections will be against the clock again to establish who the real ‘TrailMasters’ are.
After enjoying an entertainment packed Saturday night the Sunday is another proper day on the hills which will feature the last two special stages of the event.
The camp
The Ritchey TrailMasters is trying to look after the riders and their support crews throughout the day. Starting with some great food and drinks from the ‘Luff Bus’ and carrying on with some great kids activities on site. The campground has all the facilities you need (including a bar) and the afternoon and evenings are filled with lots of interesting things to do, take part in or listen to! And don’t forget your running shoes if you are supporting/staying back at the camp and fancy a 10km fun run on Saturday!
The products
If you are looking for some new gear then the Ritchey TrailMasters has a rather broad offering in that department as well. Test the latest Avanti Bikes and MIO GPS units, or get your wheels ‘NoTubes’ for a very special price or check out the latest from our title sponsor Ritchey. And you don’t have to do any of your ‘testing’ just in and around the event venue we have test MTB and road test courses all laid out.
Entries still open
Entries to the Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport are still open and will stay open till the start of the event. You can still enter for the three day event or maybe just come along for the ‘Day rider’ on Saturday. For details on registration times and start times please check the ‘Details’ page and to enter please go to the ‘Entry’ page.
For all other info please visit the Ritchey TrailMasters website: www.trailmasters.cc
Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport
The first ever Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport is only a little more than a week away and preparations are in full flow.
We have again a few updates for the riders who have already signed up as well as for the once who are still ‘umming and arring’ if they should come along or not.
Entries
The entry for the Ritchey TrailMasters is still open and will stay open till the event starts. You can enter via the online entry till 11am on Friday (17th) morning or use the paper entry so it arrives at our office no later than Wednesday the 15th August. But failing that you can even enter at the event. Please make sure that you bring enough cash as we don’t have card facilities. To enter please go to the entry page.
Massage
There will be two Professional Massage Therapist and Body Workers on site throughout the event so please book your massage slot when you register to avoid disappointment. Massages may be available on a drop-in basis at the end of each stage but availability cannot be guaranteed.
Rates are £25.00 for 40 minutes; £20.00 for 30 minutes and £15.00 for 20 minutes. Payment in cash/cheque only.
Mechanics
But we don’t just have specialists for your body we also have specialists for your bike. The crew from Cycle-Tec will be with us helping riders out throughout the weekend with their knowledge and expertise. These guys have been with us for a few TransWales events and the majority of our MTB-Marathons!
EXPOSURE LIGTS night stage
To make sure that the night stage on Friday (17th) evening is a much fun as possible we will have the EXPOSURE LIGHTS crew with us as well. The guys will have their charging station for everybody who needs a top-up, hire lights as well as a few event specials on the stand. So make sure you check our their stand and get EXPOSURED up!
Torq Truck
And we also have the specialists for your engine. The Torq team will be on site giving advice on energy foods and will have their event stand open throughout the weekend.
Kids stuff
As you know we have lots of kids stuff going on. We will have bouncy castles, water slides, face painting, games on the lawn, kids races and so on, and so on. So simply bring your family along and have a great weekend away.
Other stuff going on
In case you missed our last rather packed newsletter which had a rather long list of things you can do, try, expect on it then make sure you give it another read here. Not bad for a small event we thought! And be assured we are not even telling you about everything we have planned.
Diet requirements
If you have already entered or if you are thinking about please make sure that we are aware of any special dietary requirements (including vegetarian). Simply send us an email to info@trailmasters.cc with your name and your requirements and we will do our best to consider them.
Time table of the weekend and event location
The event will me signposted from Thursday (16th August) onwards – the address is Plas y Cadno Farm, Llanwrtyd Wells, LD5 4SA.
Thursday (16th Aug.): Registration from 6-9pm, Site open from 3pm onwards
Friday (17th Aug.): Registration from 8-11am, ride starts at 12pm (noon) from the site, Registrations re-opens for ‘Day Riders’ 6-9pm
Saturday (18th Aug.): Registration for ‘Day Riders’ 7-8am, ride starts at 9.30am
Sunday (19th Aug.): ride starts at 9.30pm, final presentation approx. 3.30pm
Bike security – be extra careful
With lots of cycling events being targeted at the moment we would like to remind everybody to be extra careful with leaving bikes unsecured. Please make sure they you have proper precautions in place and if you need any support/help then please see us at registration.
Doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned stage race competitor, enjoy the odd MTB marathon or like your MTB racing the TrailMasters combined all three ‘loves’ in one great weekend.
Expect almost 220km of 1st class trails mixed in with 6 special stages. Enjoy the great trails, scenery and company in between the timed stages and give it your best when the clock is ticking.
The event is less than 4 weeks away but there are still lots of places available.
You can find all the details and entry facilities on www.trailmasters.cc and don’t forget that if the 3 days are too much we also have a fully catered one day option available.
Latest updates:
Here a snapshot of what we have on offer besides an action packed riding schedule:
The Paligap (www.paligap.cc) crew will be on site all weekend with the latest of their rather big product portfolio.
Ritchey:
Title sponsor Ritchey will be showcasing the new Ritchey Trail range which should be pretty much perfect for events like the TrailMasters. Make sure you check it out at the Ritchey stand. Get a little preview here.
Avanti test bikes:
New to the UK we will have a broad range of MTB and Road bikes available for test throughout the weekend. We will have a marked road and off road test course marked out which can be used during the day (for the support crew members) as well as after the racing has finished (for all the keen TrailMasters out there). Some of the bikes will be also equipped with a MIO gps device so that you can venture a little further afield without worrying about getting lost.
MIO GPS:
Also new this year is the MIO GPS range. A super intuitive GPS unit with a broad range of functions and features. We will have a dedicated GPS seminar where the units will be explained by the specialists from Paligap. You will get the chance to test these products throughout the weekend as well as get all the insights from the MIO staff.
Muck Off bike wash and lubrication:
We will have everything on site to keep your bike clean and lubed to perfection.
No Tubes special event offers and technical seminar:
Tubeless is already huge but there are still lots for riders out there shying away from what they see as difficult and potentially messy. The NoTubes guys will be running a technical seminar showing how easy it is to turn pretty much any wheel/tyre into a tubeless setup, answer all the questions you might have and offer a fitting service free if products purchased.
Stan′s tubeless system converts your existing wheel set to tubeless. It allows you to use either standard or tubeless tyres, saving hundreds of dollars and weight over purchasing other Tubeless Systems.
Fits most standard mountain bike rims (Mavic 221, 317, 517, 519, 223 and Sun 0 XC, UFO, Sub4, etc..) Also fits Bontrager 29′er DISC rims and more…
This kit includes
• Two moulded rim strips with Presta removable valve cores
• One pint of Tire Sealant with a 60g scoop and spout
• One 10 Yd roll of spoke tape
• NoTubes.com Decal
• Detailed instructions
Purchase at Stans No tubes kit at £55.00 and receive free fitting at the No tubes stand. Subject to availability and compatibility.
‘Saris Triathlon’:
To make sure that everybody puts some real effort into the weekend we will have the ‘Saris Triathlon’ on Saturday. Image 3-4 riders racing around the event venue oval but after every lap they complete they have to pick up another Saris product which they have to carry around the next lap. So expect some imaginative carrying technics, some surprising tactics and some interesting tumbles.
We will have some heats, eventually the grand final and obviously you can win lots of great prizes if you push it or make a fool of yourself!
For all products mentioned above, technical details and dealer locator go to www.paligap.cc
Food at the TrailMasters:
We have joined forces with Ian from the Drop-Off Bus to make sure that no-one goes to bed hungry. Ian used to run the much loved Drop-Off café in Glyncorrwyg and is now running the mobile version of his café at cycling events around the country.
Drink at the TrailMasters:
On the liquid side of things we have joined up with the ‘Heart of Wales Brewery’ who happed to be just stone throw from the TrailMasters event village. The guys have kindly supplier a few drinks for everybody so expect 5 drink vouchers in your signing on bag. You can use those all in one night and spread them nicely over the weekend. The choice is yours. But don’t worry once you have used them up we will have some more drinks available for purchase.
The first ever Ritchey TrailMasters powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport is only a little more than a month way. Difficult to imagine, as it doesn’t really feel that the summer has even started yet.
Preparations are in full flow and we have recently put the design for the TrailMasters jersey together. Here you go!!
To make sure that we get the right size to everyone and to also keep the level of ‘spare jerseys’ to a minimum we have gone for a new way of ordering the jerseys.
If you enter before the 16th July (has just been extended from the 12th) then you will receive your finishing jersey when you cross the final finish line on the 19th of August in Llanwrtyd Wells. If you haven’t entered by the 16th then you will get the chance to find out the right size for you at the end of the TrailMasters and we will then post your jersey to you around 4-6 weeks after the event.
If that is not an incentive to enter the event right now – we don’t know what is. So make sure you get your entry in before the 16th July to guarantee your finishing jersey to be handed to you when you finish!!
Here again what is included in the TrailMasters package (here the silver option for £225):
- three days of fantastic trail riding including 6 special stages (incl. one night stage)
- breakfast, lunch and dinner starting from Friday morning all the way to Sunday dinner
- chip timing
- medical cover
- parking/camping for you and your support crew
- feed / service stations out on course
- prizes for the first three riders/teams for each special stage and for the over all
- finishing jersey
- extensive ‘off the bike’ program
Click here for the other two packages on offer.
Don’t forget we are open for solo / pairs and teams of three:
The TrailMasters is now open for solo riders, pairs and teams of three. So if you fancy doing the event on your own, together with your riding buddy of in a team of three – the choice is yours. All three options ride the same distance over the weekend but the way they get timed on the special stages varies. Pairs will get positioned based on the average time of the two riders while teams of three will get ranked on the average time of the two fastest riders. This will give teams of three more flexibility when it comes to the strengths or weaknesses of the individual riders and should eliminate the effect of crashes and technical problems. Read the details here.
All the info and entry facilities:
If you want to read up a little more on the concept of the TrailMasters, maybe get a better idea of the riding you can expect or have a look what is o offer when you are not riding your bike make sure you check out the TrailMasters event website www.trailmasters.cc. To enter (either via our secure online entry – where you can pay by credit or debit card – or via downloadable entry form) simply jump onto the entry page and get your entry in now. Don’t forget that you will have to wait for 4-6 weeks for your TrailMasters jersey if you enter after the 12th July. Get your entry in now!!
See you at the Ritchey TrailMasters in August!
