Singlespeed worlds set to attract 1000 riders | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

This year's world singlespeed championships in Rotorua looks set to be the biggest international mountainbiking event New Zealand has held.

The one-geared offroad championships will take place on Labour Weekend. Already New Zealand resident entries - which were capped at 500 - are closed, while overseas numbers are in the 400s, and stretch across 27 different countries and include two Israeli riders.

Last year's championships in Durango in the United States attracted the highest amount of entrants to date with 1000, but they weren't spread across as many countries.

Rotorua hosted the world MTB championships in 2006 when almost 700 riders competed on Mount Ngongotaha in the sport's various disciplines.

The singlespeed (one gear) championships will be held on the Whakarewarewa Forest trail network.

Rotorua organiser Graeme Simpson said the interest for the singlespeed event had been outstanding and another big boost for New Zealand's best known mountainbiking city.

"It's awesome to have 500 Kiwis and four to five hundred internationals," he told The Daily Post. "It's going to be the biggest international mountainbike event to be held in New Zealand.

"New Zealanders are a bit notorious for leaving it to the last minute to enter ... this gives us a chance for forward planning," Simpson said.

 He believed the strong international entry confirmed the reputation of Rotorua as a place for mountainbikers to visit.

"It shows an awareness of the interest in the mountainbiking audience of Rotorua as a riding destination," he said.

According to the entry information, the majority of entrants are over 35 years and most of the overseas competitors will be in New Zealand for more than a week.

Many will ride the Whakarewarewa 100km race the Sunday before the world event.

Simpson admitted there would be some challenges with the numbers for the world championships but there was plenty of time to get the logistics right.

"Somehow we've got to accommodate them all at the start and on the singletrack during the race, while making it as enjoyable as possible."

Not that a lot of the details will be public, given the singlespeed championships always have a twist for competitors, bikes in piles or up trees at the start, and the course isn't revealed until the race.

 World champions Heather Irmiger and Ross Schnell of the United States are expected in Rotorua.

Both are professional team riders who Simpson said will add some real racing class but not at the expense of the mellow singlespeed culture.

"Heather raced the ICU world champs but she'll race in a wig. They're great and embrace the humour of it - they get the whole singlespeed culture." he said.