Promoted as “an eMTB challenge series for all abilities”- two competition categories ‘Amateur’ and ‘Advanced’ – the fifth edition of the Bosch eMTB Challenge hits Scotland’s Tweedlove Bike Fest this September.

Following the success of Bosch’s debut year at the TweedLove Bike Festival (official website) in Innerleithen, Scotland in 2019, the Challenge will return to the festival on 18th September in 2021.

This year’s challenge once again offers six stages – a mix of uphill and downhill sections ridden against the clock, with ‘transfers’ in between. The Challenge is set to test the climbing and descending of participants, alongside their orientation skills. It won’t just be about who has the best electric mountain bike; the rider is still the biggest part of the racing result.

Between the tapes but having fun

Two categories of competition

From this season onwards, the eMountain bikers will start in two competition categories: In the ‘Amateur’ category, the technical difficulty is somewhat lower so that newcomers to the sport with some MTB experience can participate. The ‘Advanced’ category is mainly intended for experienced mountain bikers who will be tasked with two additional, more demanding stages. They will also be required to ride a larger loop – a test of both their fitness and technical skills, where smart battery management will also be essential.

eMountain bikers can look forward to varied trails against an impressive scenic backdrop. On average, the riders will have to cover some 35 kilometres and ascend around 1,000 metres. Riding technique will count just as much as orientation, fitness and intelligent battery management. The stages, which offer a mix of uphill and downhill sections, are ridden against the clock without any prior training runs. In the transfer stages, the emphasis is on good orientation rather than just speed.

Individual and team rankings

The rider who reaches the finish in the fastest overall time is the winner. In addition to the individual rankings, this season there will be series rankings with a point system covering all five events. In each category, the rider who obtains the most points will be declared the series winner. Furthermore, there will be a gender and category team ranking. A team can comprise between three and six members from the ‘Amateur’ and ‘Advanced’ categories. The three fastest stage times for each team will then count in the overall rankings.