Experience the grit, guts and glory of mountain biking at its most exciting!! The jam-packed programme promises loads of fun for outdoor enthusiasts and spectators. Adrenaline-boosting activities will include endurance races, cross-country courses, dirt jumping contests, downhill competition, bicycle polo, night rides, skills clinics and fun rides for the whole family.

Two new events on the schedule include a three-hour team relay event and the Dirtopia Outdoor Dash on Friday, April 14.

The three-hour team relay will see teams of four riders rotate on the seven kilometre course. The goal for each team is to do as many laps as possible within a three-hour time period. Riders are also welcome to take part individually.

For newcomers to the sport, the Dirtopia Outdoor Dash will provide the ideal opportunity to be introduced to the adventure racing scene. This team event (each team must be made up of two athletes) takes place on an easy course and promises to be lots of fun for participants and spectators alike.

Guided rides and adventure races

Team members will need to compete together in a 5km mountain bike leg, followed by a 2-3km run and lastly a 200m river swim (aided by a tube). Finally team work skills will be put to the test when crossing an obstacle course made up of ropes and poles.

All activities will start and finish from the Festival Village at Tarentaalkraal. Pre-entries on the website (www.dirtopia.co.za) are recommended as discounts apply, but will only be accepted until April 10. Late-entries can also be done at the registration point on Tarentaalkraal during the Festival weekend.

"Our aim is to make the festival accessible to as many riders as possible and we will offer guided rides daily from the Festival Village. These will vary in difficulty, so whether you are a beginner or expert rider, we will have a route that caters for you," says organiser Meurant Botha.

Festival highlights

The spectator highlights of the 2006 Dirtopia MTB Festival will undoubtedly be Friday’s three-hour team relay (10am) and the Outdoor Dash (3pm) with loads of excitement on Saturday during the Observed Trials (1pm), Night Dual (7pm) and Dirt Jump Competition (8pm) and the Downhill Race (1pm) on Sunday will definitely wow the crowds.

On Sunday, participants and spectators can once again look forward to the infamous 70km Dirtopia Enduro, which includes a flowing single-track and granny ring climbs. Less adventurous bikers (or more sensible riders) can tackle the 40km route while those looking for a straight forward, fun event can enjoy the 15km ride.

Time to Playdirt(y)

To coincide with the Mountain Bike Festival, Dirtopia will launch its MTB Club aptly named Playdirt.

Members qualify for great offers, event discounts and prizes. They might even strike it lucky and hit Playdirt, a Dirtopia initiative aimed at building a stronger mountain bike trail-user community who contributes to, and benefits from, the construction of single-track trails on primarily private lands.

Costs to enter the festival will range from R15 for a fun event to R450 for a DirtPass (all camping, events, T-shirt etc. included for the entire four-day weekend!)

Don’t miss this action-packed extravaganza. Camp for four days of festival fun or pop in for a day. For more information and online entries, visit www.dirtopia.co.za, email theteam@dirtopia.co.za or call the Dirtopia Trail Centre on 021 884 4752.