Chain reaction in the borders; It will be a real case of 'on your bike' at Kielder this weekend, as GORDON BARR finds out

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 14, 2008

Byline: GORDON BARR

SPENDING a gruelling hour racing over Alpine glaciers and snowfields is just one of the career highlights of professional mountain biker Clive Forth.

So a spring ride through Kielder Water and Forest Park might seem a soft option?

Think again.

Clive, who has been a pro for 20 years and rides with the endurance ironhorseextreme.com team, is working with the Forestry Commission to bring one of Europe's top off-road competitions to the 155,000-acre Border wilderness.

Months of hard work will pay off this Saturday and Sunday with the staging of the Saab Salomon Avalanche Trophy 2008. It's the first time the event has been held in England.

Kielder is the second leg in a five-stage European competition.

Other exotic venues include Alpe D'Huez in the French Alps and Brixen in the Italian Tyrolean mountains.

"The event is huge and being selected to stage the competition is a massive feather in the cap for the Borders," says Clive.

"What the venue lacks in sheer altitude it makes up for in really good terrain, which is perfect for endurance events.

"Around 300 professional and amateur bikers will be taking part."

The race is run through a series of time trials, a bit like car rally racing.

Alex MacLennan, Forestry Commission recreation and tourism manager, adds: "We'll be using sections of the new Deadwater Trails, which peak at 2,000ft, making them the highest in England.

"Massive investment has gone into creating bike routes in Kielder."

Kielder Castle car park will be turned into a buzzing bike village with trade stands, bike demos, barbecue and a host of other bike-themed events for the public.

Events get underway at 9am on both days, with a top prize of a new Saab car for the rider topping the list after this year's pan-European Avalanche competition.

The big bike weekend at Kielder continues with a 31-mile border raid to Newcastleton in Scotland, sponsored by the Kielder Bike Place.

Visit www.thebikeplace.co.uk or call (01434) 250 457.

CAPTION(S):

BIKE COMPETITION - The breathtaking views from the 2,000ft Deadwater summit in the Borders; CYCLE CHALLENGE - Clive Forth, professional endurance mountain biker