This years World MTBO Champs are to be held over the week of 10th – 15th August near Tel Aviv in Israel. The week comprises of a Long Qualification, Middle Distance, Sprint, Relay and Long Final races in the forested hills surrounding the event centre at Ben Shemen Youth Village.
Competitors are facing high temperatures, the fact that the organisers are insisting on the carrying of at least a litre of fluid on most races, an indication of how much it will affect them.
Punctures from the many thorns and sharp stones are also thought to be a major issue, raising the old Tubes vs Tubeless debate amongst Team GB members. For my part (already tubeless) I will be adding ‘slime’ rather than the usual latex ‘milk’ in a bolt and braces attempt to avoid time loss.
The team are flying out British Midland on Saturday 8th August from Heathrow, the airline kindly increasing our baggage allowance in order that we can take the bikes free of charge.
Another first for many GB team members is the fact that Israeli MTBO rules state that riding off of tracks is allowed, meaning you can cut through the forest between tracks. This brings a very different approach to some route choices and is difficult to practice for in the UK.
Full details can be found at the WOC website http://www.nivut.org.il/mtbo/