Cycling fanatics will brave the elements at the inaugural Norpine Fat Bike Classic in Lutsen on January 6 – 7, 2017. Riders will compete for the chance to win a cash prize in the 24-mile-long course or a top finisher award in the 16-mile short-course. The race course will take place on cross-country ski trails, requiring racers to be on 3.7- inch or wider tires.
The Norpine is part of the 45NRTH Great Lakes Fat Bike Series, which showcases the best fat bike races in the Great Lakes Region. The events include seven mass-start fat bike tire races that take place in three states – Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Riders compete to earn points in each event and establish standing in the overall 45NRTH Great Lake Fat Bike Series.
“We’re thrilled to have this event elevate Cook County as a true biking destination,” says Linda Jurek of Visit Cook County. “Not many places in the United States can say that they host events representing four different disciplines of mountain biking in all four seasons.”
Cook County currently has three other established annual bike races: the Lutsen 99er (mountain biking in the summer), the Le Grand Du Nord (gravel riding in the spring) and the Sawtooth Mountain Challenge (single track in the fall). The Norpine will be Cook County’s go-to winter bike race and its fourth race discipline.
The Fat Bike Classic route begins at Superior National Golf Course and will take riders on the Norpine Trail System through the Boreal Forest and along the rugged ridgeline of the Sawtooth Mountains, with a view of Lake Superior. The long course will take riders all the way to Cascade River State Park.
The top male and female riders participating in the long-distance race will compete for cash. The first place male/female finishers will receive $250. Second place in each division will receive $100 and third $50.
Top finisher awards will be given to the top three overall male and female athletes in four age groups.
Lutsen Resort will host the post-race party from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., which includes live music, complimentary BBQ, and beer from Castle Danger and North Shore Winery.
For additional information on the Norpine Fat Bike Classic, please visit http:// www.visitcookcounty.com/ entry/norpine_ classic/.
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