Kindree and Shulz aim to defend titles against tough competition
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Catharine Pendrel at the Nimby Fifty(Image credit: Todd Hellinga)
A rider at the NIMBY Fifty(Image credit: David Steers)
Racers roll out at the NIMBY Fifty(Image credit: David Steers)
Racing at the NIMBY Fifty(Image credit: David Steers)
A racer at the Nimby Fifty(Image credit: Todd Hellinga)
Max Plaxton (Specialized)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Max Plaxton and Catharine Pendrel top the list of favorites at the third annual NIMBY Fifty marathon mountain bike race in Pemberton, Canada coming up on May 26.
Racers will cover 37km with 4,500 feet of climbing and 90 percent singletrack. The NIMBY Fifty is a true test of one's skill, fitness and mental focus. It's been dubbed a mountain biker's mountain bike race, and has become a draw to Canada's best, as word of the course has spread and prize money grown, totaling CAN$3700 this year.
Former Canadian junior national champion, Neal Kindree, made his comeback at the first annual NIMBY Fifty in 2010, placing third. Kindree went on to win the event in 2011, and calls it "the most savage race course I've ever ridden".
2011 Canadian National Champion Paxton, who had a breakthrough 10th place finish at last weekend's World Cup in La Bresse, France, has confirmed he will race while Kindree will line up to defend the men's title.
2011 World Cup Champion Catharine Pendrel, who took the win at NIMBY Fifty 2010 but missed the 2011 event, will also start this year after finishing fourth last weekend in La Bresse, while Jennifer Shulz will return to defend the women's title.
The NIMBY Fifty is now the second largest single day mountain bike race in British Columbia drawing 300 racers in 2011. According to organizers, this year’s race is expected to reach the cap of 400 riders
Apart from the course, what makes this race unique are an equally epic down-home after party. Live music and plenty of local gourmet food are provided as racers relax on the lawn of Mayor Jordan Sturdy's Farm, situated at the base of 8.000-foot Mount Currie.
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New for this year is a downhill stage of NIMBY Fifty - a race within a race. The male and female competitors with the fastest downhill on the time section will each win $250.
For more information, visit www.nimbyfifty.com or email bikerace@nimbyfifty.com.
