24hr European Championship - 2014

After it was announced that last year’s 24hrs of Exposure would be the last we were all left wondering what would happen to the European Championship. The speculation is now over, the World Endurance Mountain Bike Organisation (WEMBO) is branching from out from organising and promoting the World Championships and has announced it’s first Continental Championships, and this year it will Europe. This is very good news and has caused a fair bit of excitement. It’s great to see an organisation like that taking it on.

The race will be held on 30-31 May at the rather spectacular course at Finale Ligure, high up in the cliffs of the Italian Riviera looking down on the Mediterranean. This is the venue which hosted the 2012 World Championship and is without doubt the best race track I have ever been to. It will be great to go back, I can’t wait.

This gives me a little less than five months to improve my Italian considerably. I managed fine at the race last time, whenever people of that many nationalities gather together chances are the lingua Franca will be English, but it would be helpful to be able to speak more of the local language when I’m out and about before and after the race.

Entries opened today Friday 10^th January, at 9am our time. I got my entry in at 1pm and was already the 86^th person to do so!

The European Championship, which is of course for solos only, will run from noon on Friday 30 May to noon on Saturday 31 May. The team (non-championship) event will get underway at 2pm on Saturday 31 May and, you’ve guessed it, finish at 2pm on Sunday 1 June. Hmmm,30hrs of racing in the space of 50hrs. I wonder if I can find three other people daft enough...

Both events can be entered through the 24hrs of Finale website.