Race the Mountain Bike enduro series that rocks!
(last updated: Thu, 12 March, 12PM)
The SHIMANO MTB Grand Prix Series is in its seventh year in 2015. Under the patronage of SHIMANO Cycling Australia and with its host of major sponsors and supporters it has grown to one of the major cross-country endurance racing series in Australia. It will be the third time that this event will be hosted by James Estate and the race organisers from Rocky Trail Entertainment.
Round one of six races will take you to the James Estate Winery’s trails in the Upper Hunter Valley and their fantastic network of so unique mountain bike trails!
Compete for four or seven hours solo or ride the awesome course in teams – the choice is yours! Experience a fantastic endurance race and that signature Rocky Trail event atmosphere. Great for spectators to see the mountain bike racing action up close – entry is free for them. Explore the beautiful James Estate Winery and surrounds and get a taste of their delicious wines!
The Shimano Mountain Bike GP is also hosting the official JetBlack NSW/ACT Bike Shop Trophy – customers and bike shop staff can ride for a designated bike shop and go into an additional ranking over the entire series. With kids races and music, the event centre will be pumping.
Share your race experience with us – use the official event hashtags:
#rockytrailracer #shimanomtbgp
>> New age groups and general classification in 2015
We want to reward as many riders as possible with prizes across the series. We will be looking after and welcoming our elite racers as we have in previous years and our focus in 2015 is to deliver a series that is less of a winners-only-focused competition, but a positive and inclusive experience for all participants.
What you race for:
- GC podium places will receive a certificate and a prize
- Age category podium places will receive a certificate of achievement
Series rewards:
- Series GC podium places will receive a special trophy and certificate
- Series Category podium places will receive a special trophy and certificate
Find out more about it on our website.
>> Click here to register!
- Online registration closes on Friday, 13 March by midday.
- Age determination day is December 31 of the current racing year, meaning how old you are at the end of the year determines which category you can race.
- If you are racing in a team where riders fall in different age groups the following rules apply:
- If all team riders are over 19 years old then the youngest defines the age group.
- If one team rider is under 19 then the average age will define the age group.
- Each rider needs to agree to our General Race Rules
- Each rider needs to sign our Race Waiver; parents or guardians needs to sign on behalf of riders younger than 18 years (bring signed copy or sign on the day) – download here (PDF).
- Every entrant to a race needs an MTBA racing licence or purchase a $20 day licence with Rocky Trail (available online through sign-up process).
>> Results and Rider List
We won’t be able to have live timing at James Estate, because the reception in the event centre is not sufficient (we are communicating among the crew via radios). You can visit our website for the Rider List and we’ll try to get a final version up by Friday evening.
After the event by Sunday evening, a detailed set of results will be online. – Check the event NEWS section regularly also as we might be able to push it online earlier on the run. Thanks for your understanding – from the Awaba Round onwards, we’ll be able to offer live timing.
>> What’s included in your race entry
- Complimentary bottle of James Estate wine
- Free rider photos by OuterImage.com.au
- I am a #rockytrailracer wrist band
- Ticket for your chance to pick a sponsor prize from the Rocky Trail bazaar OR to go into the draw for a major prize
- Free camping at James Estate (possible Fri, Sat, Sun nights)
- Entry for spectators and camping is free.
Rocky Trail Entertainment also offers free kids activities on race-day with games, colouring-in competitions and a kids race.
>> Full event schedule
>> How to get there
Location: http://jamesestatewines.com.au/
James Estate Winery, 951 Bylong Valley Way, Baerami NSW
The beautiful vinyards and cellar door of James Estate Wines are located in the Upper Hunter Valley, about 2 hours West of Newcastle. Coming from Newcastle, we recommend that you take the National Route #15 towards Maitland and after Branxton continue on the Golden Highway #84. Go through Jerry Plains and Denman and stay on #84 (Unless you want to come up close with cattle and other creepy crawleys on the side roads as the GPS suggests… nice views, but the road is quite windy and small.) Just before Sandy Hollow you turn left onto Bylong Valley Way and soon you’ll be driving through the James Estate Gates.
>> About the race track
Graeme Scott, avid SHIMANO MTB GP racer and General Manager of James Estate and his team have been extending the trail network and there will be even more singletrails this year. There are a lot of nice and rocky sections with log roll-overs and the singletrails will lenght-wise be at least half of the race track, time-wise probably more than 2/3 as you will ride from the event centre across fire trails to get to the bushland and on the way back race straight through the vineyards, past vines and with an amazing view of the surrounding Upper Hunter Valley. – This is the map of the 2013 race track, which is also on our website; we will post the final track by Friday.
>> Want to know even more?
Check out this video about the James Estate trails that Flow MTB put together for our JetBlack 12 Hour race, which is also held at James Estate.
>> Camping and accommodation nearby
You will be able to camp on-site before and after the event right at the event centre. There will be toilets, showers and you can bring camper vans or trailers. The sites are not powered but there will be a community power board if you want to charge your phones or cycle computers. Please note that phone reception is not good at the camp site – near the Cellar Door, depending on your operator, you might be able to get signal (about 300m away).
The best thing: camping will be free! There will be James Estate wine specials on that weekend. So free camping is almost like a further discount on wine.
Accommodation nearby – we can recommend the nearby towns of Sandy Hollow (5 min) and Denman (15 min) or Musswellbrook (30 min drive).
>> Food
Food and drinks will be available all day including deliciously invigorating coffee, hot and cold drinks, yummy snacks and hearty pasta meals. We will also ask near-by cheese and olive-oil makers to let us have a good taste of their fares throughout the day. For people camping overnight on Saturday, we recommend bringing breakfast.
Water – will be provided on-site.
>> James Estate – more than just a winery!
There is a nice ridge walk on the property too and you can explore the beautiful Upper Hunter Valley on your way home – don’t forget to taste some of the yummy and award-winning James Estate wines!
Further information:
- Free kids race will be happening around midday and there will be a Kids Club to entertain the munchkins between 10am and 2pm
- Results will be displayed on PC’s in the event centre and regularly uploaded to our website
- Pink First Aid will be looking after us
- Cell Bikes will have their Awaba 2.0 demo fleet for you to test.
- Flow Bikes will offer tech support. While you are there check out their Mondraker range of bikes that they bring into the country.
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