Ever fancied doing something like the TransAlp or TransRockies stage races, but don’t want to travel quite so far? August 2006 sees what could be just the event for you – the UK’s first seven-day MTB stage event.

It’s called TransWales, and is the brainchild of the people behind the ever-popular Merida MTB-Marathon events. The format is a little different from TransOtherPlaces races. Rather than a straight race from A to G via B, C, D, E and F, TransWales will be a little more like a motor rally – there’ll be timed “special stages” on purpose-built singletrack, linked by natural routes across the scenic Welsh countryside. The link stages have a time limit with penalties for being too slow, but there’s no benefit to being really fast. Indeed, go too fast and you’ll wear yourself out for the special stages, which are where the winners will win.

Riders will compete in teams of two. You’ll have to ride together on the link stages, while some special stages will be run as relays – one rider for the first half, the other for the second. That’ll introduce an element of team tactics, as some special stages will be predominantly up hill for one rider and down for the other. The special stages are actually optional, but obviously if you want to win you’ll need to do them, and do them fast.

You’ll have to use the same bike for the whole thing, but you won’t have to carry tons of kit – you’ll be issued with a big holdall (one per rider) that’ll be taken to the end of each stage, so you’ll need to get your tent and spare kit in there. The entry fee is a not-insubstantial £400 per rider, but given that that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, all camping, facilities and service stations, map and course material, event jersey, gear transport between stages, parking for the week and of course that big event holdall (which, allowing for the goodies that you’ll find within, is worth £150 on its own) it doesn’t look at all bad.

There’ll be four categories – Male, Female, Vets (40+) and Mixed. There’ll be stage and overall winners, with leader’s jerseys being issued throughout the event and a £15,000 prize fund (£10,000-worth of product prizes and five grand of cold, hard cash). Registration, gear checks and so on will be on 12 August at White House Farm, Builth Wells, and the first stage will kick off from there the following morning. So if you fancy it, block out that week in your diary and head over to www.mtbtransuk.co.uk for more details and an entry form. Or send an SAE to: Mountain Bike Events ltd, 3 Belmont Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 3PB.