Date: Saturday 5th April 2008

Location: Daylesford, Victoria

Main Event:

• XTERRA Australia - 1000m Swim / 30km MTB / 11km Trail Run (individual or team event)

Support Events:

• XTERRA Sprint - 400m Swim / 10km MTB / 5.5km Trail Run
• XTERRA Trail Run/Walk - 5.5km or 11km
• XTERRA MTB - 46km

Race Start Times:

• 8:00am XTERRA MTB
• 8:30am XTERRA Trail Run/Walk - 5.5km
• 9:30am XTERRA Trail Run/Walk - 11km
• 11:00am XTERRA Sprint
• 12:30pm XTERRA Australia

Key Features:

• XTERRA Australia offers 34 places to the XTERRA World Championships in Maui Hawaii on October 26th 2008 and a place in the Australia team (main event only)
• Quality race kits including 2XU garment.
• Scenic venue on Lake Daylesford and trails through Hepburn Regional Park and Wombat State Forest.
• Electronic transponder timing and results featuring split times and category placings.

The biggest step for competitors is often how to get started, whether it be to do an event such as a triathlon, MTB or Fun Run. Tri-Alliance, the official training company associated with SuperSprint can help.

Tri Alliance will be conducting 2 clinics:

• Lysterfield in late February 2008

• Daylesford in March 2008

For more information and to express your interest in attending a Mountain Bike and Trail Running clinic,
email info@tri-alliance.com.au

Giant are proud sponsors of XTERRA Australia and together with CBD Cycles have a range of fantastic Mountain Bikes available.

Visit CBD Cycles
50 Bourke Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000
www.cbdcycles.com.au
Ph: 03 9639 2299

Victorian Mountain Biking Destinations

For triathletes and mountain bikers, the best preparation is to get onto a mountain bike and ride some trails.... once you do this, you will discover why XTERRA has become so popular around the world.

Locations:

Lysterfield - located 30km from Melbourne's city center
Click Here for Trail Information

You Yangs Regional Park - Located 55 km south-west of Melbourne and 22 km north of Geelong (Melway ref: Key map 11). Access to the park from the Geelong-Melbourne Freeway is clearly signposted via Little River or Lara.
Click Here for Trail Information

Dandenong Ranges - located 40km from Melbourne's city center (approximately 45mins by car)
Click Here for Trail Information

Trail Running

Fancy a change? Head away from the bitumen for a few kilometers of trail running in the bush, and come home with a whole new view on the activity that you thought you had all down pat. If you haven’t tried trail running before you are in for a treat...

Click Here for the first part in our 3-part newsletter on Trail Running!!!

SuperSprint will be offering US$10,000 prize money to the Pro category of the XTERRA Australia Global Tour Event in Daylesford. Prize money awarded based on current exchange rates.

The Awards Function will be held at Hepburn Springs Golf Club post event!

When: Sat 5th April

Time: 6pm - 7:30pm

Details: XTERRA Australia Presentations! Finger food included and drinks at bar prices!

Who: All participants in the XTERRA Australia event will receive a ticket with their race kit. Family and friends are welcome, as well as participants in the support events at an extra cost - more details available in the next XTERRA newsletter!

SuperSprint recently visited Daylesford to fine-tune the XTERRA Australia course! Course Maps have subsequently been drafted, and incorporate some exciting adventure racing!

Course Information

1km Swim - Lake Daylesford

An exhilarating rectangular swim in freshwater lake

30km Mountain Bike

A looped course following rugged terrain south west along the famous Great Dividing Trail (includes creek crossings)

11km Trail Run - 2 laps

A challenging looped course winding around Sailors Creek (includes creek crossings)

Team Entries

A swimmer, a mountain bike rider and a runner

+ Click Here for Detailed Course Maps

Entry Fees & Dates

Entries are now open via the SuperSprint secure online entry system.

Includes Technical t-shirt, Awards Function, opportunity to represent Australia in the XTERRA World Championships, and USD$10,000 prize money!

• AU$142 (TA member)
• AU$150 (Non TA member)
• AU$160 Team (Swimmer, MTB, Runner)

Entries Close - Monday 24 March 2008 (or when field limit of 350 reached)

+ Click Here to Enter

XTERRA World Championships Qualifying

XTERRA Australia has 34 places to the XTERRA World Championships to be held in Maui Hawaii on 26 October 2008. Competitors securing one of these places will also be in the Australian team to race in Maui.

Click Here for more details and to view allocation of the 34 places over all categories

Course Details

400m Swim

A freshwater swim in Lake Daylesford.

10km Mountain Bike

A scenic course on rugged terrain along the Great Dividing Trail (including creek crossings)

5.5km Trail Run - 1 lap

An adventurous looped course winding around Sailors Creek (including creek crossings)

+ Click Here for Detailed Course Maps

Entry Fees and Dates

Entries are now open via the SuperSprint secure online entry system and include XTERRA t-shirt!

• AU$73 (TA member)
• AU$81 (Non TA member)
• AU$90 Team (Swimmer, MTB, Runner)

Entries Close - Monday 24 March 2008 (or when field limit of 100 reached)

+ Click Here to Enter

Mountain Biking is far becoming an increasingly popular adventure sport! Daylesford boasts some of the best trails in Australia, offering an exhilarating Mountain Bike experience not to be missed!

Course Details

46km Mountain Bike

A looped course starting through the town center and on to tracks in the Hepburn Regional Park and Wombat State Forest featuring 4WD tracks, creek crossings, single track, firebreaks and a railway line cutting. A spectacular course!

+ Click Here for Detailed Course Map

Entry Fees and Dates

Entries are now open via the SuperSprint secure online entry system and include XTERRA t-shirt!

• AU$55 individual

Entries Close - Monday 24 March 2008 Don't miss out on this exciting and picturesque course!

+ Click Here to Enter

.

Course Details

5.5km (1 lap) or 11km (2 laps)

Run or walk this adventurous and stunningly beautiful trail around Lake Daylesford and into Hepburn Regional Park along Sailors Creek.

+ Click Here for Detailed Course Map

Entry Fees and Dates

Entries are now open via the SuperSprint secure online entry system and include XTERRA t-shirt!

11km Trail Run/Walk

• AU$42 (TA member)
• AU$50 (Non TA member)

5.5km Trail Run/Walk

• AU$37 (TA member)
• AU$45 (Non TA member)

Entries Close - Monday 24 March 2008

+ Click Here to Enter

.

Travel Information

Daylesford is an award winning tourist location famous for its natural springs and spas, its small historic township, restaurants, alternative therapies and surrounding natural beauty including lakes, forests and trails.

Location: Daylesford is located just over 100km from Melbourne, about an 1 hour drive from Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine.

How to get there:

• Air: fly to Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne Domestic Airport or Avalon Airport (Domestic Only) and hire a car or book a bus transfer (see below)
• Car: car-pool, or hire a car (from the airports or city)
• Train: V-Line Train to Ballarat or Bendigo, followed by Bus Transfer
• Bus: Bus transfers available from Ballarat, Bendigo or Melbourne

+ Click Here for information on Transport Options to Daylesford

Accommodation

Daylesford is a popular weekend destination so it is important to book accommodation well in advance. There is a wide range of accommodation from 5 Star hotels, affordable motels, to bed and breakfasts.

+ Click Here for more information

The 2008 XTERRA Global Tour will also visit the following countries:

• Argentina
• Austria
• Brazil
• Costa Rica
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• USA
• United Kingdom

Click here for the full Global Tour Schedule

XTERRA Rotorua will be held on Saturday 12th April 2008, one week after XTERRA Australia.

For details on these New Zealand events visit www.xterranz.com

XTERRA Australia will attract a number of international competitors from USA, Asia, New Zealand and Europe as many plan to race in Australia on the 5th April before traveling to compete in XTERRA New Zealand on the following weekend of 12th April.

We are featuring a number of competitors who may be racing in Australia in these newsletters, last month was "Seth Wealing - USA", this month, Australia's own "Luke Bell"!.

Luke Bell - Australia

PERSONAL: Born on 21 April, 1979 in Melbourne and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado USA. When not on the pro circuit, Luke is a secondary PE and science teacher.

RACING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: A regular on the International Ironman circuit, Luke's top 5 performances include:

1. Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championships 2003 USA – 5th
2. Ironman Brazil 2006 –  2nd (PB)
3. Ironman Australia 2005 AUS –  2nd 
4. Ironman Lake Placid 2004 USA –  2nd 
5. Ironman Australia 2003 AUS –  3rd 

XTERRA AUSTRALIA: An Australian ironman sensation, Luke will take on his first XTERRA event in Daylesford - and isn't afraid of the challenging rugged terrain!

In upcoming XTERRA newsletters we plan to feature entrants who are doing their first XTERRA event and we would like to hear from entrants about why they entered, whether they have ridden a mountain bike before and what training they are doing. We would also love to see a photo or two! Please email info@supersprint.com.au with your story.