Mountain bikers by a church in Cyprus.(Image credit: Bikin' Cyprus)
Cyclists racing at the Aphrodite Trophy in Cyprus.(Image credit: Bikin' Cyprus)
The central Pro Team of Olympic champion Sabine Spitz will take part in the premier edition of the Aphrodite Trophy in Cyprus on March 21. In the week before the race, Spitz will also lead a ride for mountain bike enthusiasts.
In previous years, the mountain bike competition of the Aphrodite Trophy was known as the Tochni-Kalavasos race. The course has changed slightly from the past years, so it is more suitable for recreational riders, but it remains a rough ride through an impressive landscape past the Kalavasos dam.
The central Pro Team boasts World Cup winner Elisabeth Osl, who will join Spitz in racing the Aprhodite Trophy. Osl may in fact be the team's best hope for the win as Olympic Champion Spitz will be in her first competition after two recent operations to address a groin problem.
Riders will get a taste of the culture of Cyprus, too, as they will have the chance to see how the famous Halloumi cheese is made.
"Besides the beautiful nature and the attractive mountain bike trails on Cyprus, I think we are offering an interesting week in Tochni," said the organizer of Aphrodite Trophy, Mike Hadjoannou.
One day prior to the mountain bike competition, a running competition will take some through the narrow roads of Tochni village and the surrounding area. The 6.2km course will start just a few meters from the Tochni village old church.
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
