OUR PARTNERS

INDISPENSIBLE TO OUR OPERATION

A WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF NELSON (OUR REGION’S CAPITAL)

Welcome to Nelson, the mountain bike capital of New Zealand and now the home of the NZ MTB Rally. We look forward to this inaugural event and are excited about what you will experience.

As well as the stunning scenery as you fly, drive, and of course, ride across Te Tauihu, the top of the South Island, you will also have an opportunity to feel our manaakitanga – a warm and generous welcome to a city that has a lot to offer.

Cycling is in Nelson’s DNA. We are proud to have more cycling commuters than anywhere else in New Zealand. That, along with the wealth of mountain bike tracks near the city centre, Tasman’s Great Taste Trail and other coastline tracks, make Nelson a must-do for cyclists.

It has been wonderful to be part of the development of mountain biking across New Zealand since the 1990s as the Minister of Conservation. I led changes from mountain biking being considered a road activity to be banned from national parks to a welcome new way in which to enjoy the great outdoors. It was great to be involved in developing iconic multiday enduro rides such as the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa Track and opening up the Heaphy in winter – all accessible from Nelson. It’s a logical step for Nelson City Council to be a major sponsor for the NZ MTB Rally.

We look forward to seeing you in March 2024.

Hon Dr Nick Smith Mayor of Nelson | Te Koromatua o Whakatū

Quintessentially Kiwi and with a pioneering gearbox-based design, there was only ever one option for our preferred weapon-of-choice. Thousands of hours in the backcountry scoping out routes for The Rally mean we can attest first hand: if you want bombproof reliability paired with otherworldly suspension sensitivity and a near-silent ride experience, you need a Zerode.

And before you ask; no, the gearbox isn’t draggy; yes, it actually shifts easier and faster than a derailleur, and no, it doesn’t need any maintenance at all…not even oiling your chain (because it doesn’t have one).

As a natural progression to our partnership with Zerode: What’s good enough for their factory team riders, is more than good enough for us!

SR SUNTOUR know that proper suspension can make or break a big backcountry mission – and The Top of the South is exactly the kind of place their kit was made for.

From world-cup tracks to week-long adventures like the NZ MTB Rally, they’ve built a reputation for super reliable, easy-to-live-with forks and shocks that just get on with the job, day after big day in the hills.

Nestled in the heart of Nelson, The Rutherford Hotel stands as the prime choice for both leisure seekers and corporate gatherings.

We’re excited to be working with The Rutherford as our central logistics hub, and as the meeting point for all our Nelson-Based Race Days. Not only that, but you’ll enjoy a Rutherford Hotel breakfast to get you started, each day! Just don’t forget to wear your best shirt-and-tie riding gear for the occasion!

We’ve already hyped our region as having the best craft breweries. Now we’re going to prove it to you. McCashin’s; brewed right here in Stoke (Nelson) since 1981 and opened by none other than the then Prime Minister, this is seriously good drinking. You’d better prepare your tastebuds for thirst-quenchingly-good times and as good a reason as any to finish the last stage in your quickest possible time (…to get a cold one of these beauties into your hand!). Craft Beers, Apple and Fruit Ciders, Ginger Beer and non-alcoholic options). You like it? We’ve got it! Included with your entry, of course. Cheers, McCashin’s!

You can’t run a Heli-enduro without a Helicopter, that’s for sure. Step-up Helicopters Nelson who have been the region’s premier operator since back when we were still running V-brakes and wearing body armour over the top of our lycra bib-shorts. These pilots have the skills to set you down safely on a narrow suspension bridge over a deep Gorge if they have to (but don’t worry, we’re not going to such extremes). When they’re not flying luxury charter services and customised tours to some of NZ’s most stunning remote locations; they’re on call for NZ Fire and Emergency and responding to all manner of situations. We’ll be using two Airbus AS350 machines each with six leather-bound passenger seats and custom-made bike racks. So you’d best pack your favourite army camouflage and perfect your “GET TO DA CHOPPER”! action hero one-liners.

A family-owned business, Wilsons have been running cruises into the Abel Tasman Marine National Park since 1977. Today, Wilsons offer a huge variety of family and adventure-based packages including kayaking, hiking, seal-watching with superb cuisine and overnight luxury lodge accommodation. We’re literally ‘pushing the boat out’ with a one-off custom charter not available outside of The Rally in Wilsons’ 140-capacity ‘Vista” Catamaran luxury cruiser.

We’re going properly off-road, and our tracks can be steep, loose, and rough! Not only that, we’ve got to haul 120 bikes around behind us. Luckily, Houston Motor Group have just the tool for the job. The All-New Triton launches in NZ in early 2024, and with Houston representing Mitsubishi right here in Nelson, our timing couldn’t have been better. What an opportunity to showcase what this thing can do! A fleet of three Tritons will take the lion’s share of towing up to 30 bikes at a time, through all extremes of terrain and gradients over our full week of shuttling. The Triton probably won’t even break a sweat (although you almost certainly will!)

Born in Nelson-Tasman, New Zealand; Kinetrix is performance fuel for athletes who don’t back off when the pressure builds. Powered by honeydew honey sourced from Aotearoa’s native forests, Kinetrix energy gels deliver steady, sustained energy without the harsh spikes and crashes of traditional gels. Built by athletes and backed by science, Kinetrix is designed for long rides, hard training, and real competition… when reliable fuel matters most.

Given all this, it was an easy choice to partner with Kinetrix as our provider of energy gels at our feed stations throughout the week.

OUR NUMEROUS LOCAL PARTNERS

THE NZ MTB Rally is possible only through the generous support of countless volunteers, professionals, landowners and local organisations that have worked together for years to make this region such an incredible place to visit and to ride bikes. We’d especially like to thank Nelson City Council, Ngati Koata and all Iwi and ancestral landowners, Nelson Mountain Bike Club, Golden Bay & Marlborough MTB Clubs, Nelson, Tasman & Marlborough District Councils, Ross, Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve, The Department of Conservation, Greg & Wairoa Gorge Team, Richard, Marty, Shannon & all at Cable Bay Adventure Park, Gravity Nelson, MyRide, Scottish Adventures, Wilsons Abel Tasman, Scott, Shontelle and Rhonda at McCashins Brewery, Thomas and all the legendary pilots and crew at Helicopters Nelson, Alexander & The Rutherford Hotel, Mike & Prince Albert Backpackers, Evan & Deville Bar, Michelle & Dave at Under The Hood BBQ, Howard & Blake at The Vic Bar, the staff at Bridge Valley & Bethany Park, Whare Iti Cabins, The Baker’s Cafe & The Wakefield Bakery, Margaret at Paretai Lodge, Nelson Airport & Hayley at Air New Zealand, Peak Safety, Any Mech & More & their amazing go-anywhere Rainbow Buses, Belinda Crisp & The Cycle Trail Trust, Craig Skillicorn & Bryce, Karl Thompson, Martin Croft, Paul Jennings, Kurt & Ian, Mel Barker, Jeff White & FENZ, Andrew Norris & Andrew Stoddart at Houston Motors, Rebecca, Alex, Fiona and the team at NRDA, Nelspecs, Bare Kiwi, Jay French, Dom Blissett, Blake Pickup, Cam McKenzie, Todd Couper, Rory, Mikhail, Matt Beer & Pinkbike, Rich Payne & GMBN, Quentin (in France !) and all the talented media crew who have contributed to this project. Last but not least, Glen Buckley, Ally Mackay, Alex Roberton, Rachel Stone, Jamie Roberts, Ico, Jason, Erica of Adventure Safety Solutions, and all the 100+ crew of talented volunteers & trail builders who have helped us to bring our vision to life and work tirelessly behind the scenes, year-round.

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