Forne is expected to be a top-placed competitor and be part of the NZ team taking on the Australians, in the Woodhill to Whaka Mountain Bike Orienteering Carnival which runs from today to next Saturday.
The Carnival consists of six events taking place around Auckland, moving south to Maramarua, and finishes in the mountain biking mecca, Rotorua. "A combination of brains and brawn is essential to do well at mountain bike orienteering and that's what makes it so fun," said Forne.
The NZ rep is looking forward to the chance to compete against the Aussies and other top New Zealanders at the Carnival on some exciting new terrain. But he knows he will not have it all his own way.
Garth Weinberg is well-known in Rotorua for his impressive record in single speed mountain biking and is a former World Single Speed Champion. He has won multiple New Zealand Single Speed Championship titles and is the current New Zealand national champion.
Weinberg loves any excuse to ride his bike in a competitive environment. "[This carnival] is a chance to prove myself against great athletes in a different discipline and share some ideas with people who are actually experts in mountain bike orienteering."
The home advantage factor of the closing stretch in Rotorua will also give Weinberg an edge. He hopes a bit of local knowledge, and being one of the quickest riders in the field, should see him be very competitive.
The list of World Champions doesn't end there. Forne and Weinberg will be joined by the super-competitive Stu Lynch. Lynch is a top multisporter, another former Adventure Racing World Champion, and an experienced MTB Orienteering campaigner. He is now based in Auckland, having recently returned from living in the United Kingdom, and is looking forward to competing again over the New Zealand summer.
And there's some young blood coming through to take on the old wise heads in the form of rising star Tim Robertson. He was recently awarded Young Sportsman of the Year at the 2013 College Sport Wellington Awards for his Bronze Medal at the Junior World Orienteering Championships and as winner of the Australian Elite Orienteering Sprint title. He is believed to be pretty handy on a mountain bike as well.
The organiser of the Woodhill to Whaka MTBO Carnival, Rob Garden, is thrilled at the quality and number of competitors the event has attracted.
"Six events, great competition in the different age grades, fun activities, and lots of socialising as well - it's going to be a great Carnival," said Garden.
The Carnival includes the Australia New Zealand MTB Orienteering Challenge and this has seen a large contingent of Australians coming over to compete alongside some athletes from Europe.
Garden stressed that while there are some top athletes competing in the elite grades, there are also courses for different age grades, and recreational and family courses.
What is MTBO?
Mountain Bike Orienteering is a sport where riders use a map to navigate a course of trails, forestry roads, or cycle paths, finding a series of checkpoints along the way. Each checkpoint is marked by a large orange and white triangular flag, and a special recording device proves the rider has been to that control site. The goal is to navigate through the course as swiftly as possible, with the winner being the fastest person to get to the finish control. Riders start at intervals, so that they are racing the clock and their own abilities, rather than other riders who may be around them. Because the riding is mostly done on trails and roads, the navigation is reasonably straightforward and so is a great sport for newcomers to map sports to participate in as the level of challenge is achievable for the majority of people.
Woodhill to Whaka MTBO Carnival
When: January 4-11
Where: Woodhill (West Auckland) to Whakarewarewa Trails (Rotorua)
For more info visit: mtbocarnival.com
