Bella Vista enduro to return July 21

The second Bella Vista Enduro is later this month, scheduled for Sunday, July 21, with a practice day Saturday, July 20.

It's the third race in this year's Arkansas Enduro Series and will take riders through the Back 40 trail system with an anticipated five or six stages.

The race will include a ride throughout the trails, but riders are strictly timed on sections called stages, with lowest overall times winning.

The trails will not be closed for the event and riders have been isntructed to watch for other trail users.

Candice Kozark, development director with the Bike Alliance of Northwest Arkansas, said that there's not much different from last year though the stages will likely be different.

The course map won't be issued until the Friday evening before practice to ensure that nobody gets excess practice time and locals don't have a major advantage over visitors.

New this year are categories for E-bike riders, whose bikes have electric assistance, as well as riders with adaptive equipment for disabilities. The goal is to allow more competitors with different physical abilities.

The previous two events sold out early, Kozark said, and this one -- which is capped at 200 riders -- is expected to as well.

Residents can expect to see entrants Saturday and Sunday, and the first riders are expected to finish around 1:00 p.m. Sunday.

The course map should also be available on the event's website, https://www.arkansasenduroseries.com/bellavista, and social media pages, she said, for anyone who may wish to spectate.

While Bella Vista's trails cross several roads, Kozark said the race stages do not include any intersections and riders will not be racing across them.

"They know once they come up on a road they're supposed to be watching," she said.

One entrant, Dakota Falcon, will be riding with the Mojo race team and works at Mojo Cycling as a mechanic.

"I'm excited, getting prepared, preriding the trails and deciding what bike I want to use," he said.

He participated last year, he said, and the big challenge in Bella Vista is the loose surface.

"Worried about how loose and rocky it's going to be, and it's going to be pretty tight as far as trees and the competition as well," Falcon said.

General News on 07/10/2019