Marlborough fire-risk moves mountainbike event to Nelson

Marlborough's loss is Nelson’s gain after increased risk of fire has forced round three of the National Downhill Mountain Bike Series from Jentree park to Sharlands.

Nelson Mountain Bike Club (NMTBC) will host the event on Sunday February 7 at Sharlands Mountain Bike Park.

The event will run on the Kaka downhill mountainbike track, which has previously hosted national and Oceania events.

Mountain Bike New Zealand President Chris Arbuckle said in a Facebook post about the cancellation that he was grateful to NMTBC, landowners Ngāti Koata, and Tasman Pine Forests Ltd for enabling the last minute change of venue.

“Nelson Mountain Bike Club have managed to get access to the Kaka ... at extremely short notice as the new Round 3 venue. On behalf of MTBNZ, this is just simply awesome.”

He said competitors who had signed up for the event in Marlborough who were not able to make it to the new venue would receive refunds minus $10 for fees, “but we hope the hop over the hill works for most [who] entered”.

In a press release the NMTBC said it would be a “huge task” to pull the event together in Nelson at short notice, but they had volunteers working on the event.

The MNTBC invited spectators to come along for the day, which starts with practice runs at 9:30am. Racing will run from 1:30pm.