Enduro riders, prepare yourselves for a Highland Clan battle!

Scottish Mountain Bike Enduro event organisers, Muckmedden Events, are inviting mountain bike riders from all corners of the UK and further afield to take part in Clans @ The Croft, a new epic Enduro battle at the Comrie Croft Trails in Highland Perthshire on Saturday 04 April 2020.

Inspired by the Enduro World Series’ (EWS) Trophy of Nations event earlier in 2019, Muckmedden’s Clans @ The Croft will give Enduro riders an exciting opportunity not only to race Solo but also to join forces with other riders to race as a ‘Clan’ in the event’s special team category.

Event organiser, Aaron Gray of Muckmedden Events, explained why the new team element promises to add such an exciting twist to the Enduro event format: “We’re delighted to be returning to The Croft with a brand-new event for 2020!  After watching the inaugural EWS Trophy of Nations this year, I just knew we wanted to have our own Team Enduro and The Croft’s legendary trails and camp site combine to make the perfect venue for it.  Racing as a team adds a whole new level of strategy to an Enduro race, as riders have to use their combined strengths to their advantage on each stage.  The best thing about it for me is that not only do riders get to represent their Clan in the team category, but they will also get their individual solo times too.  What’s not to like!
 
“The EWS Trophy of Nations was very interesting to watch as the strongest teams on paper didn’t actually win the tournament in the end.  It just took one mechanical or mistake and the whole tournament was turned on its head.  It was so exciting to watch it unfold and I think both Clans @ The Croft riders and their supporters are going to love this new format!”

The first of two Mountain Bike Enduros from Muckmedden in 2020, Clans @ The Croft, heralds a much-anticipated return of the Muckmedden team to Comrie Croft, the award-winning outdoor adventure destination, for the first time since Cream o’ the Croft, a multi-event mountain bike festival aimed at whole family in 2018.

Aaron Gray added: “When I knew we definitely wanted to run a team category at Clans @ The Croft, I spoke to Chris Ball from the Enduro World Series.  He admitted it wasn’t easy for some of the riders to get their heads around the team format.  Mountain bike racing is essentially a solo sport and racing as a team is completely alien.  However, Chris said that once riders got out on the trails and started racing in close-formation, they really got into it and started to use different tactics on each stage depending on the terrain.”

The second Enduro on the Muckmedden roster in 2020 is the renowned Fair City Enduro, staged in Perth on Saturday 31 October.  The annual Halloween mountain bike race has been selected as Scotland’s only Enduro World Series Qualifier event for a third year in succession and is now widely regarded as one of the top Mountain Bike Enduros staged annually in the UK.

Chris Ball, Director of the Enduro World Series, said: “Fair City Enduro is everything we love about Enduro racing.  The Muckmedden team have put together a safe, fantastically organised event on amazing trails, that above all else, is just really good fun.  Scotland’s mountain biking is famous around the world and we’re delighted that Muckmedden and the Fair City Enduro are back on the Qualifier calendar for 2020.”

Combining world-class Enduro racing with outlandish Halloween fancy-dress, it was first elevated to EWS Qualifier status in 2018, providing a fantastic opportunity to promote mountain biking in Perthshire, and the event itself, to a wider UK and international audience.

For the second year running the 2019 event sold out months ahead of race day with a record 460 sign-ups from all corners of the UK and beyond.  It attracted riders from as far afield as Hungary looking to collect those vital points for qualification to the Enduro World Series in 2020.

Aaron Gray was keen to point out that despite gaining EWS Qualifier status for a third consecutive year, the fun and family focused vibe of Fair City Enduro will always stay the same: “It’s such a privilege knowing that Fair City Enduro has been chosen as Scotland’s only EWS Qualifier again in 2020, but as always the event will stay true to its fun-focused ethos.  Whilst we now welcome some very high calibre Enduro riders competing for valuable EWS points, it is also great to see the number of riders in fancy dress, out to have as much fun as possible, increasing every year.  Last year we had Mr Happy, a couple of Mermaids, some Deliveroo riders and even a giant Seagull shredding the trails!  It’s just hilarious to watch!”

In addition to hosting their own ‘Muckin’ Good’ Events, the Muckmedden team will be touring festivals and events across Scotland with their fantastic mobile bike track.  Suitable for riders of all ages, from novice to advanced, Muckmedden can deliver “plug and play” biking activities at almost any indoor or outdoor venue and can incorporate bike hire and skills coaching sessions into any hire.

*Earlybird discounts, offering 15% off race entries to Clans @ The Croft and Fair City Enduro, are available from 14 December 2019 until 14 January 2020.  Subject to availability.

For further information on Clans @ The Croft and Fair City Enduro and to buy race entries go to www.muckmedden.co.uk/our-events