UNITED KINGDOM: Wales hosts the bizarre sport of mountain bike bog snorkelling

While England played host to the Tour de France, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix over the weekend, the tiny Welsh village of Llanwrtyd Wells made it's contribution to a great weekend of British sport by staging mountain bike bog snorkelling. Around thirty foolhardy competitors braved the special two-metre deep trench cut into a peat bog specifically for this event. Participants had to complete two lengths (about 15 metres) of the bog using snorkels to ensure they were able to breathe properly and prevent inhalation of the foul-smelling goo. The boggy water was also very cold with wetsuits highly recommended. A specially modified bike, used by all the competitors, was designed with lead in the frame and water in the tyres to reduce its buoyancy and help the riders stay firmly on the bottom of the trench. The course may not be long but cycling through deep water is certainly exhausting in a sport that has been likened to cycling through treacle. Speed is of the essence, but care is needed entering the bog to avoid disaster. Once in, a steady pace is advised, using a low gear. Carrying extra weight also helps. The bike becomes totally submerged in the depths of the trench but most competitors just manage to keep their snorkel and helmet above the water. Visibility is almost non-existent but riders must aim for a pole at the far end of the trench, manoeuvre around it and make it back to the finish post as fast as they can. Mountain Bike Bog snorkelling may not have thousands of adherents but what supporters lacked in numbers on Saturday (July 7) they made up for in enthusiasm, even with competitors emerging from the water with a rather unpleasant odour. This year's winner was Bryan Evans. The 40-year-old powerhouse from Bridgend, South Wales scooped a beer tankard and the world title after completing the race in a time of one minute and one second. Evan's time was four seconds outside the world record set in 2003. Unsurprisingly, there was no great rush to embrace the winner as he emerged from the pungent bog.

ITN Source | July 13, 2007

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