Bansko Mountain Bike Rally 2011: The Road To Nowhere

Get On Your Bike

Mountain Biking in the Pirin is Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July, with registration open on Friday 29th July. For the first mountain bike event I spoke to James Hughes who gave his views on the event, summer tourism and Bansko generally. This year the mtb rally follows the format of last year. Once again, I expect that the event will again be a huge success.

Routes for 2011 will be the same as 2010.

Registration details can be found via this web-link: https://bansko-mtb.com/en/2​011/04/registration/

Day one will be the reverse of “Perfect Day” plus “Dead Dog”. Day two will be a variation of “Foxy Lady”.

The Program:

Friday 29th July

4pm to 10pm registration in the park.

Saturday 30th July:

8am race day registration in front of the church.

8:30am pre race briefing in front of the church.

9.00am Start with police escort to the edge of town.

Sunday 31st July:

8.00am race day registration in front of the church.

8:30am pre race briefing in front of the church.

9.00am START with police escort to the edge of town.

2pm speeches and prize giving in the Park.

Mountain Biking In Bulgaria

I was recently in Sopot at the Shambhala lift for paragliding and the combination of a lift, and a professional level downhill track, has brought visitors for competitions to this region for some time. There is even a fully stocked mountain bike shop stocking Drag bikes and spares in Sopot town.

The efforts employed by the organisers of the Bansko Mountain Bike Rally for this third year do, however, need to be supported by a bigger investment in infrastructure in Bansko for mountain biking. MTB facilities have to be in place to attract more MTB visitors to the region in the summer months.

I’ve been researching about how mountain biking is organised in other resorts and I was impressed to see how a typical sea side resort, such as Lanzarote island has developed in this regard. A destination more famous for family holidays, is now attracting mountain bikers from all over the world — all year round. Their investment in the MTB  infrastructure, services and along with competitive prices has helped fuel this growth. The variety of terrain has also made it an ideal place for hosting cycling events, including the Ironman – one of the world’s most challenging competitions. I do hope Bansko can learn from other locations to boost this tourism.

So if you enjoy Bansko for moutain biking this summer, check out the cheap flights to Lanzarote for winter mountain biking.

Tip Of The Day:

BA flights are often the cheapest in the summer months.

Bansko VIP Bell Tower Apartment To Rent: bestofbansko.com.