Timaru will serve as the second venue to host New Zealand's South Island Mountain Bike Cup this weekend. Located conveniently in the center of town, Centennial Park will host Sunday's cross country race, the X-Scenic event, involving multiple laps on the park's trail network.
Brendon Sharratt will be the rider to beat in the elite men's field after a stunning win in the Otago Peninsula Challenge last weekend. Sharratt's competition is likely to come from within a group of five U23 riders in the elite field, with Nelson's George Bennett eager to continue his strong road cycling form in his first national level mountain bike event this summer. Carl Jones is also in good race form after a run of injuries in 2008, and he knows the importance of leading the U23 riders across the finish line against the established elites.
