---

Are you up for a Fling

Wild Horizons / 10.11.2006

On Sunday 12 November a capped field of 1100 mountain bikers will take off across paddocks and creeks, through forests and down narrow tracks in the 2nd running of the VAUDE Highland Fling. This is a 100km Mountain Bike Marathon race starting and finishing in the village of Bundanoon in the beautiful Southern Highlands, 2 hrs south of Sydney.

Riders will be coming from across Australia and include 35 Elite Men and 10 Elite Women hoping to take out the $1000 cash prizes for their category. With inaugural 2005 winner Peter Hatton injured, Shaun Lewis will be keen to improve on his 2nd place last year but will be pushed hard by the likes of Matt Fleming and James Williamson amongst others. 2005 winner Leonie Aisbett will have much stronger competition this time and will do well to hold off the challengers such as Katrin Van Der Spiegel and Kimberley Fleming. The clock will be watched closely to see if the winning time dips below 4hours.

Whilst the main race is the 105km Full Fling with some 720 riders, around 380 people are taking on the 58km Half Fling and a few good friends enjoying the relay Flinging Threesome.

10 riders are taking on the ultra marathon challenge of the 100Mile Fling. This 160km race was limited to those able to prove they had a chance of finishing within the cut off of 8hours. Averaging 20kmh in this sort of terrain is an incredible tough challenge in anyone\'s book.