With all of the nine qualifiers for this year's AR World Championship already held all the attention now is focussed on the 5th November start for the ARWC in the central mountains of Portugal.

2009 has been the year of all contrasts and surprises. After many uncertainties and a reasonable despair here we are touching the critical mark of success - Fifty-eight international teams are entered and soon will be marking their way to Portugal.

"If somebody six months ago, in the middle of the depression, told us that we will reach 50 teams by the end of regular registration period we for sure would smiled with a nervous tone and we would say something to disguise the fact that we were at the edge of a very high cliff.

But we are adventure racers ourselves, so reaching the finish line is our lighthouse and the wish to always improve our fuel. Thus, against all odds we maintained course and today we can say that we prevail by managing to join together the most complete and competitive start list of the planet.

The seventh edition of the Adventure Racing World Championship in Portugal will be, with any doubt, the most disputed ever with the presence of almost all the TOP THREE TEAMS from the World Series events.

Time will judge our capacity and the one of the teams to fully withstands the challenges of the race in The Land of Light, our amazing Lusitanea." Released by ARWC Portugal

WHO WILL BE THE WORLD CHAMPION TEAM

In just a couple weeks we will be crowning a new World Champion team - yet it seems to be only a short while ago that Orion Health (NZ) were declared the Champions in Brazil. The teams face a totally different climate and country when they leave the start line in Portugal.

Ahead of them is the chance to explore the Lusitanea area and discover many of Portugal natural and cultural heritage, ranging from the Jurassic era to the Paleolithic, Roman, Arabic, Medieval and Modern times. This edition of the ARWC will have Check Point's in Dinosaurs Monuments, in Stone Age Sanctuaries, in Roman Gold Mines, in Moorish Fortresses, in Templar strongholds, in Medieval Bridges, Churches and Castles and in the new Wind Power Generators.

The line up of teams is incredible again - every team has been in at least one ARWorld Series race before, and the winners of each of Series races is on the start line in Portugal.

Outdoor Experiences (Estoril Portugal XPD 2008),
Blackheart.com.au (XPD Australia 2008),
Buff Thermocool (Huairasinchi 2009 Ecuador),
OpavaNet/Tilak/Merida (Bergson Winter Challenge 2009 Poland)
Multisport.fi (Bimbache Extrem 2009 Spain),
Quechua (Raid In France 2009),
Lundhags Adventure (Explore Sweden 2009),
ATP / Salomon (Untamed New England 2009 - USA)
Orion Health ARWC 2008 Brazil

Check the full team list at http://www.arwc2009.com/en/teams.php

TRIATHLON
Hewitt primed for attempt at World Chamionship title
Her thoughts are with those at home but the devastation in Canterbury after the earthquake has to be put to one side this weekend for Christchurch triathlete Andrea Hewitt as she heads into this weekend’s ITU Dextro Energy World Championship Grand Finale in Budapest knowing a world title is within her grasp.

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

CYCLING
Subway – Avanti's Vink makes world champs team
Subway – Avanti’s Michael Vink has been selected in the New Zealand cycling team for the road cycling world championships being held near Melbourne later this month.

Monday, 6 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
NZ Mountainbike Team, World Championships Final Day Wrap
Downhill competition filled the race programme today at the Mont Sainte Anne World Championships in Quebec, with the Junior and Elite Mens and Womens Championship races taking place.

Monday, 6 September 2010

CYCLING
Latham podiums on final day of French road cycling tour
Te Awamutu’s Pete Latham has finished third in the final stage of the testing As-en-Provence Tour that finished in France today.

Monday, 6 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
UCI Mountainbike World Championships, Mont Sainte Anne, Canada
NZ MTB Team Competition Days Three and Four - Wrap.

Monday, 6 September 2010

CYCLING
New Zealand cyclist gains Pro Tour contract with Radioshack
World track cycling medallist Jesse Sergent is the latest BikeNZ rider to secure a Pro Tour contract.

Sunday, 5 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
Patagonia takes on title sponsorship for challenging Queenstown 8hrs@jacks event
The multi-lap relay mountain bike event, 8hrs@Jacks, scheduled for October 23, has attracted leading outdoor sports company Patagonia as its head sponsor and the event is expected to attract a large field keen to compete on the challenging and scenic Jack's Point course overlooking Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu.

Saturday, 4 September 2010

CYCLING
BikeNZ team takes surprise lead in French cycle tour
Commonwealth Games bound cyclist Pete Latham takes the leader’s yellow jersey into the second day of the AS-en-Provence Tour in France.

Saturday, 4 September 2010

CYCLING
Powerful BikeNZ team for road cycling world championships
BikeNZ has named a powerful team built around their Pro Tour riders to make one of their strongest squads ever for the upcoming UCI World Road Cycling Championships in Melbourne.

Friday, 3 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
UCI Mountainbike World Championships, Mont Sainte Anne, Canada NZ MTB Team Competition Day Two - Wrap
Samara Sheppard was a black and silver Cross Country mountainbike machine today at the Mont Sainte Anne World Championships in Quebec today.

Friday, 3 September 2010

MOUNTAIN BIKING
UCI Mountainbike World Championships, Mont Sainte Anne, Canada Sept 1st to 5th 2010
NZ MTB Team Competition Day One - Wrap.

Friday, 3 September 2010

RUNNING
Marc Ellis Takes up Wanaka Marathon Effort for Charity
In 2009 New Zealander Mal Law made history by becoming the first person ever to run NZ’s seven Great Walks in just seven days – a total distance of 360 kms in the longest week of his life.

Thursday, 2 September 2010

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