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Vail Rec District announces 2016 Vail Mountain Bike Series dates

The Eagle Ranch Classic returns this year May 25 as part of the Vail Recreation District Mountain Bike Town Series.
Daily file photo |

VAIL — The Vail Recreation District has announced the dates for the 33rd season of its Mountain Bike Town Series. The Spring MTB Short Track Series kicks off the season on Wednesday. This is the sixth year for the short track racing series, which will include three races. The short track series will be followed by the Athletic Club at The Westin Mountain Bike Series, presented by East West Destination Hospitality and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, featuring seven cross-country races at locations around the Eagle County. The action wraps up in the fall with two cyclocross races to finish out the season.

During the short track races, racers will compete on a condensed dirt loop, with racers completing as many laps as possible in the allotted time. Youth riders will race for 10 minutes and adult racers will compete for 20 minutes. An average lap will take approximately two minutes to complete.

Town Series Race Director Beth Pappas said she is looking forward to the racing season.



“The Spring MTB Short Track Series is a great opportunity for younger riders to get a feel for mountain bike racing. The short track series offers racers a fun, adrenaline-pumping way to get back in biking and racing shape after a long winter,” Pappas said. “Short track is a perfect introduction for younger athletes and beginner racers to race shorter, less challenging courses. Overall, it’s great preparation for our Athletic Club at The Westin Mountain Bike Series.”

Three races will return to the Town Series lineup after a number of years off the schedule. On June 8, the Hammer in the Hay race will take racers through 4 Eagle Ranch, near Wolcott, for the first time since 2012. The Camp Hale Hup is back after a two-year brea, and will feature a similar course of double track and single track along the Continental Divide Trail. Introduced in 2010, the Boneyard Brawl course makes a comeback to the popular single- and double-track trails on the East Eagle Trail, Bellyache Road and the Boneyard Trail.

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Details for individual events can be found at http://www.vailrec.com.

Spring Short Track Series dates are:

• Wednesday: 4 Eagle Ranch.

• May 4: Eagle County Fairgrounds, Eagle.

• May 11: Maloit Park, Minturn.

The Mountain Bike Series dates are:

• May 25: Eagle Ranch Classic, Eagle.

• June 8: Hammer in the Hay, 4 Eagle Ranch, Wolcott.

• June 22: Berry Creek Bash, Edwards.

• July 6: Davos Dash, Vail.

• July 20: Camp Hale Hup, near Red Cliff.

• Aug. 3: Boneyard Brawl, Eagle.

• Aug. 24: Beaver Creek Blast, Beaver Creek Mountain.

The Fall Cyclocross Races dates are:

• Sept. 7: Maloit Park, Minturn.

• Sept. 14: Eagle County Fairgrounds, Eagle.

In an attempt to simplify categories and accommodate the growing number of younger racers, slight alterations to the categories have been made based on last year’s races and participant feedback. In the adult series, the veteran, master and grand master titles have been dropped but the age and skill designations have not changed. An 18-and-younger sport category has been added, allowing younger competitors to race longer and more challenging courses with their peers. Finally, significant changes have been made to the Larkburger Youth Series categories, which will now offer beginner and sport categories for all age groups, giving kids more options to race at their comfort and ability level. A full list of categories and rules is available at http://www.vail rec.com.

Short track races cost $15 for adult early registration and $20 on race day. Youth short track racers can register early for $5 per race or $7 on race day. Discounted series registration is available for both youth and adults. For the Athletic Club at The Westin Mountain Bike Series, individual adult races cost $26 for early registration or $37 on race day. Racers can also register for the entire race series for $155 by May 12 or $170 after May 12.

Teams of up to 25 riders can compete for the overall series title as well. The Larkburger Youth Series (ages 8 to 18) costs $60 for the entire series, $10 to register early for individual races or $15 on race day. Online registration is now open, featuring a new registration system, allowing users to sign up the entire family for races, camps and more under one account. All users must create a new account and registration is available at http://www.vailrec.com/register.

For more information or to become a race series sponsor, call 970-479-2280 or go to http://www.vailrec.com.


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