November 29, 2007 – Cyprus and the Sunshine Cup are waiting for the pro mountain bikers to arrive. Five races between February 23 and March 16 make up a compact race series, in which racers will find two point-to-point races along with open categories for non-licenced riders. The professional riders will fight for stage results as well as the overall ranking, which boasts a minimum total cash purse of 7215 Euros.

The Sunshine-Cup starts as a point-to-point race at the MTB village of Tochni, located in hilly terrain and scenic landscape. Tochni is a place, ideal for relaxing in a peaceful environment. Traditional buildings, friendly people and Cyprus meze offer a pleasant stay for mountain bikers and hundreds of trails and roads for biking and road cycling.

The second and third stops of the Sunshine Cup station are part of the AFXENTIA O8 stage race in the Macheras Mountains, which are the location of the event is situated in the heart of Cyprus.

The course goes through the typical Cyprus pine forest full of mountain bike trails and roads ideal for MTB. The Macheras Mountains have the right ambiance for mountain biking! Once you’ve been there, you’ll love it forever!

The second stage again is a organized as a point to point race and non-licenced riders are invited to follow the pros. The third stage, also at Mantra in Macheras mountains, is cross-country race in the Olympic format, which only licenced riders will be allowed to contest.

Stage four at Limassol-Yermasogia is organized as a cross-country event. Just outside the city of Limassol, the competitors will find a completely different landscape than at previous races. Rolling hills along the coastline, clear skies and warm weather, with a demanding course offer mountain bikers the opportunity to test their preparation for the season ahead.

The final race is located at Voroklini. A challenging course, it will be a good last test for the riders before they start the world cup season. A fast course with one long climb at the end and medium technical difficulty is located on a hill with a wonderful view of the sea. This race is also open to recreational bikers.

All the races are designated as UCI category C1 and the prize money is set accordingly. Junior races are also offered at all the events. Five one-day races will be compiled (according to points) to give an overall result for which 5635 € (men) and 1580 € (women) will be awarded.

“I think we are offering a attractive package in beautiful locations, which will give the pros a great preparation for their Olympic season,” organizer Michalis Hadjouannou says.

Sunshine Cup 2008
– February 23 – Tochni Village (XCP)
– February 29 – Mantra-Kionia-Mantra (XCP)
– March 2 – Mantra tou kampiou (XCO)
– March 9 – Limassol-Yermasogia (XCO)
– March 16 – Voroklini (XCP)

Winners 2007
– Sunshine Cup 1, Yader Zoli (Ita) and Blaza Klemencic (Slo)
– Sunshine Cup 2, Frederik Kessiakoff (Swe) and Maja Wloszczowska (Pol)
– Sunshine Cup 3, Yader Zoli (Ita) and Elzbeth van Rooy-Vink (Ned)
– Sunshine Cup 4, Andreas Kugler (Sui) and Sabine Spitz (Ger)