The second edition of the Oz Trails Off-Road in Benton County, Arkansas, which serves as the Epic Rides Off-Road Series Championship, boasts a deep roster with talent from 20 US states and 10 countries.
As the championship event, the event offers a double cash purse and points. According to Epic Rides, this makes it ‘one of the richest events in the history of mountain biking globally’.
- US$72,000 in purse money
- US$2,000 for El Yucateco Hot Sauce Pro Fat Tire Crits
- US$60,000 for V8 +Energy Pro Backcountry races
- First place male & female winners each receive US$10,000
- US$10,000 to overall Epic Rides Series winners
Parity cash purse
Paying 20 finishers deep in both the men’s and women’s categories, Epic Rides has paid the two genders equally since first offering a pro category and purse in 2011.
With an anticipated 100+ pro athletes set to descend on Bentonville and Bella Vista for the two-stage race weekend, Friday’s Crits will commence at 17:30 local time, followed by a rest day on Saturday, and with the Backcountry race on Sunday at 08:30.
The pros race the same backcountry trails on Sunday as the amateurs who choose to ride Saturday’s 50-mile course (the longest of the three offered amateur distances).
The Oz Trails Off-Road is the fourth and final race of the 2019 Epic Rides Series. With series winnings of US$6,550 and 55 points so far, Rose Grant (Stan’s Pivot p/b Maxxis) leads the women. Just five points behind, her teammate, Sofia Gomez Villafane holds second place with US$3,850.
Third through fifth are separated by only one point each: the hard-charging Evelyn Dong in third with US$2,400 and 46 points, followed by UCI World Champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM, $7,000) and Olympian Chloe Woodruff (US$6,800).
On the men’s side, with series winnings of US$11,000, Russell Finsterwald (Team Clif) is the overall leader at 69 points, followed by his teammate Benjamin Sonntag with 56 points and US$5,000. Keegan Swenson (Stan’s Pivot p/b Maxxis) sits in third with US$11,200 and 56 points in his pocket. Fernando Riveros Paez (Construction Zone Racing, US$2,950) and Stephan Davoust (Giant Factory Off-Road, US$2,650) are in 4th and 5th respectively.
A well-received addition for the pros in 2019 is the cash purses provided by El Yucateco Hot Sauce in the Fat Tire Crits. Participants compete for US$2,000 in cash, racing mountain bikes on a timed, 20-minute 0.6-mile road loop. It’s positioned as an opportunity for spectators to watch, heckle and enjoy the race.
The 2019 Epic Rides Off-Road Series consists of the following events:
- Whiskey Off-Road: Prescott, Arizona
- Grand Junction Off-Road: Grand Junction, Colorado
- Carson City Off-Road: Carson City, Nevada
- Oz Trails Off-Road: Bentonville, Arkansas
The growing popularity of the Epic Rides Series has ‘resulted in all events filling to capacity in advance, so participants are encouraged to register as early as possible.’ Riders interested in participating in the Oz Trails Off-Road are encouraged to register at epicrides.com. All registrants receive an official event t-shirt, limited-edition poster, goodie bag, and custom finisher’s award.
