Pietermaritzburg – With less than two weeks to go to the Rainbow Challenge Final at the Cascades MTB Park on Saturday 28 June, the day before the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships, organisers have extended their entry deadline after concluding a massive new incentive package worth over R200 000.
The event has joined forces with the much-talked ultra endurance event The Munga that will be staged over more than 1000 km from Bloemfontein to Stellenbosch in December, offering a first prize of $1 million.
Recognising the common interest in the local marathon racing community, Cycling South Africa has struck a deal with the organisers of The Munga to give two team entries, each worth $10 000, to riders at the Rainbow Challenge and the UCI Marathon World Championships.
One of the entries into The Munga will be given away as a lucky draw prize to a rider who has entered and completed the 70km race at the Rainbow Challenge Final. This means that one lucky rider in one of the age groups between 30 and 59 years of age will win the two-rider team entry into The Munga in a lucky draw of all the riders who finished the race.
The other entry into The Munga will be awarded to winner of the elite women’s race at the UCI MTB Marathon World Championship.
With a steady flow of entries reaching the Cycling South Africa office, and the collaboration with The Munga triggering substantial interest in the local MTB Marathon community, the organisers have agreed to extend the closing date of entries for the Rainbow Challenge Final to midnight on Friday 20th June.
The Rainbow Challenge is based on the popular format used for the MTB Masters World Champs and the UCI World Cycling Tour Final for road cycling that allows veteran and masters age group rider to contest a title in each five year age bracket.
More information on the 2014 Rainbow Challenge can be found at www.rainbowchallenge.co.za
Source: Gameplan Media
