Shimano Cycling Australia works closely with a dedicated team of cycling enthusiasts, to promote the enjoyment of nature through cycling. This makes Shimano Cycling the ideal partner for Cape to Cape MTB, as our riders navigate some of the most beautiful natural terrain in Australia.

Event Director Chris Heverin commented on the signing of Shimano by saying “We are delighted to welcome Shimano in to our fold of event partners in 2012. Shimano have long been recognised as the global leaders in their field of bicycle component manufacturing and their ongoing commitment to developing MTB products is clearly evident. Shimano are a welcome addition to this year’s event which we hope will continue well into the future as they become an integral part of the event’s support structure”

Cape to Cape MTB could not be more pleased to team up with Shimano Cycling Australia for 2012. What better way to ride than with the help of Shimano Cycling. For more information about Shimano Cycling Australia visit their website http://www.shimano.com.au/

Q: The BIG question everyone wants to know.  What course changes are planned for the 2012 event?

JD: We have just submitted our course changes to DEC and the Shires for approvals.  Each year we are motivated to make each stage a little different from the year before and improve the course in areas where we need to make adjustments with the ever growing ride numbers.

Stage 1 we have tried to add in a bit of distance around the Telstra Tower and an extra bit of trail that will take us back over the coastal ridge for another look at the spectacular coastline over the Skippy Rock area.  We have also been in discussions with a private property owner who literally holds the key to the big farmland between Cosy Corner Road and Hamelin Bay.  It look like we may have got the green light to get across that land which will keep riders off the busy Caves Road section in the last quarter of Stage 1.

Stage 2 will not have a lot of changes.  There will be some slight realignments to the trail network in Boranup Forest and some cleaning up to do after the bulldozers widened some of our sweet firebreaks for a planned burn off that never eventuated.  But we have a lot to work with in this area and we have come up with a new plan that will offer a heap of sweet trails and more amazing scenery.

The start of Stage 3 saw a big bottleneck eventuate in 2011 for the middle and back half of the field.  We have some other ideas to fix this but have also realigned the start to take riders through a series of testing hill climbs around some of the back roads around the Margaret River before we hit the single trail sections.  I reckon this will sort out the field nicely and get some spread before we hit The Pines.  Once into The Pines we are going to design a different combination of the trails this year that will break up two loops with a run out to Burnside Road again.  There also looks like there could be a little new trail added through some sections of The Pines just to keep things interesting.

For the final stage we will again fly up to Dunsborough along a crazy network of trails, road, back tracks, farmyards and anything we can find in between.  The alignment is pretty similar to get to Meelup with a couple of changes made to make it even quicker.  Once we hit Meelup we are again working with the Meelup Park Committee and the Capes Mountain Bike Club to come up with a sweet finish into Dunsborough.

Even with these changes the distances will be similar. At the moment it looks like Stage 1 will be a bit over 40km, Stage 2 around the 60km mark, Stage 3 a bit longer at about 55km and Stage 4 a bit over 65km but will still be nice and quick!

Q: Have registrations opened and how many riders are you expecting this year?

JD: Registrations are open for four day entries only and the early take up has been way ahead of last year (which was huge). Each year of the event our rider numbers keep growing and we have again decided to enforce a cap again in 2012. At this stage we are keeping entries to those that want to ride all four days.  Due to demand and administration this is likely to remain the case as we are on track to probably have to cut off entries by September if not earlier. If any interested riders are not sure they want to ride all 4 days they can still sign up and chose to ride the days they want to during the event.

Q: Are there many interstate or international riders travelling for the event again this year?

JD: There seems to be a much larger contingent of international riders coming again this year.  We have already had interest from many areas of Asia, South Africa and New Zealand.  Cabin who rode for the AvantiPlus team last year did an awesome job on publicizing the event back in New Zealand through his newspaper column and magazine article.

Interstate registration are already high and the word from our team on the eastern seaboard is that many are planning to come back for another crack at the Capes challenge.  A big contingent of the elite teams are signed up from over east and the defending male champion Andy Blair is already committed.  We are hopeful that some of those riders that missed last year like Josh Carlson and 2010 winner Dan McConnell will return this year.

With Giant and Shimano on board as major event partners we have also had commitments from the majority of their riders including a much larger contingent from the elite women.  All of these pro riders have Olympic aspirations right now and we will be interested to see who makes the final cut for London.

Q: With the increased number of riders what plans are in place for timing and stage starts in 2012?

JD: Well the increased numbers keep presenting a challenge to event management but we are committed to finding answers.  We have had a few meetings now with a company who is working with us to provide an electronic timing solution.  This would be the ultimate solution to the increased numbers if we can be confident it will work smoothly into registrations and over all four days of the event.  I hopeful we can get this company on board and then it will also open up some other options.  We would use Stage 1 as a seeding stage and then implement staggered starts for the following stages to break the field up further.  The discussions we have had with the timing company may also present some cool result communication ideas and some links into online and social media.  We will update more on this soon.

Q: The Red Bull Shootout was a great addition last year.  Can we expect to see that again?

JD: Yes we have been in discussions with Red Bull and the Shootout looks set to happen again in 2012.  We will make some changes to the course layout and a few changes to the setup to make it even more exciting and give everyone a chance to get up close to the action.  The plan will also be to add in some time credits for the overall race for the top riders to shoot for, another reason to get onto the podium after the Shootout. We are hoping the Local Legends will start the afternoon off again and the fancy dress might get even crazier. Again we hope to invite some of the states best young riders to race too, and we might bring a box with some spare shoes in case Jongerwaard forgets his again?

Q: Will the documentary from last year be playing anywhere soon?

JD: I think are large number of riders got a taste for the doco via the SBS Cycling Central program that ran at the end of last year. We had an awesome response to the great work done by Spektrum Daz and the crew. The full doco has been playing all over the world on the Australia Channel and Sky Sport over the past two months.  It has since played on Foxtel a few times on Eurosport and I know the guys at Fuel TV are looking to play it in June.  We will release more details to the database soon once we have dates confirmed.

When asked why he was so eager to return to Cape to Cape MTB, Andy replied, “The Cape to Cape is more than a race, it is a journey that takes you through some of Australia’s most beautiful country and share that experience with old and new friends. There is something for everyone with cool trails, fast racing and plenty of beer and wine!”

The Cape to Cape team are extremely excited to have Andy back amongst our elite riders for this year’s event. We are sure Andy will not disappoint.

Rider Profile

To follow Andy’s mountain biking exploits, be sure to check out his blog at http://andysracingblog.blogspot.com

Giant’s commitment to the event is a welcome addition with Event Director Chris Heverin stating “Aligning Cape to Cape with such a strong, recognisable, quality brand like Giant is seen as a significant coup and highlights the attractiveness of the event to draw such companies into our fold of event partners”.

Over the last four decades, Giant has grown well beyond its manufacturing roots to become the world’s leading brand of quality bicycles and gear. With more than 12,000 retail partners worldwide, they aim to inspire adventure in all riders, from casual to competitive.

Giant’s Brand Manager, Alistair Wilson highlighted the company’s decision to partner with the event in 2012 by stating “The Cape to Cape mountain bike event has established itself as one of the top mountain bike events in not only Australia but also internationally. Giant Bicycles Australia is proud to be involved as a major partner of such a successful event in one of the most picturesque locations in Australia. The terrain of Margaret River and its surroundings presents itself as a perfect proving ground for our 29” Maestro mountain bikes and we look forward to giving participants the opportunity to try them.”

Giant aims to be a trusted friend on every road, path and trail that unfolds at the 2012 Cape to Cape, and we are excited to welcome them onboard for the event. For more information about Giant visit www.giant-bicycles.com

Registrations are open now for four-day entrants only on the Cape to Cape Registration page. A four day registration is $410 and included in the registration cost is a Cape to Cape MTB 2012 T-Shirt.  Rider jerseys are also available to pre-order at the same time as registering.

Rider numbers will again be capped for the 2012 race, so riders are encouraged to get their registrations in nice and early to avoid missing out!

All MTB skill enhancement clinics are presented by a team of knowledgeable MTB Coaches who have many years of competitive MTB riding experience and coaching.

Clinics are aimed at the following riding levels:

FUNDAMENTALS

Recommended for both newbies and those that have been riding for a few years. A must before doing the MTB Intermediate Clinic.Max group size 20 riders

INTERMEDIATE

For the more experienced rider/racer who wants to master cornering race lines,climbing and clearing obstacles at speed. Max group size 8-10 riders

ADVANCED

For competitive riders who want to race and improve their speed and performance.Max group size 6 riders

Click here to download a flyer with the full set of dates for clinics.
All Clinics comprise of a Theory and Practical session. The Theory evening is hosted at AvantiPlus Cannington with the Practical Riding Day at Langford Park, Jarrahdale.

To reserve a place, please email kerrynl@iinet.net.au or contact the store on 9451-2222.

Delirium will be held on the weekend of the 21-22nd April 2012, in Cowaramup in the heart of the Margaret River Wine Region, with all proceeds from the race going back to the community and towards the Lung Institute of WA.

Teams of 6 are $720 and  solo riders can register for $140. Spaces are limited. Visit www.24hrcycleracing.com for more info and to register!

Johnny has ridden in every Cape to Cape MTB since the events inception in 2008, and has become a good friend to the event staff and riders alike, bringing Joy to the event for the first time in 2010. The pair have become a part of the Cape to Cape family, and those at the Xanadu Winery function in 2011 will likely remember Johnny’s heartfelt proposal on the evening.

On behalf of the entire Cape to Cape family, we congratulate the couple and wish them all the best in the future.

Held at the Palandri Winery on Bussel Highway, Cape to Cape sponsors Colonial Brewery will feature as one of the brewers, as will familiar Cape to Cape face Mike Brooks with his brewery Bootleg, plus 10 other breweries from the region.

Happening on the 25th & 26th February, tickets are just $25 pre-sale or $35 on the door. Visit www.swbeerfest.com.au for the details and to get your tickets now!

The footage shown will be a slightly shortened version of the full length documentary, which will be available for purchasing off our website early 2012.

The full 52 minute version is also expected to play nationally on Foxsports and Fuel TV in the new year and internationally via The Australian Channel, SkyTV in New Zealand, Eurosport Asia/Pacific and Setanta Sports channel in Europe and the Middle East.

A 26 minute highlight package of the documentary will also screen over the coming months, so keep your eyes on the website and facebook page for future dates!