James Kirkham, MAGS’ 2016 AKSS Mountain Bike and NZSS Multi-Sport Champion, has just returned from Europe where he spent seven weeks racing for New Zealand in the Mountain Biking World Cup through Switzerland, Germany and France.
The series included a 77km marathon in Germany against 1000 other mountain bikers, where James finished 15th.
He also rode the famous Tour de Mont Blanc hiking trail, covering 170km around the Mont Blanc range through France, Italy and Switzerland. James also competed in the Swiss Bike Cup and the UCI MTB World Cup in Switzerland.
“The learning and the experience I gained was the most valuable part of the trip,” says James. “It was a great experience – it taught me a lot about myself, gave me new perspective and an insight into how the rest of the world lives, works and plays.”
James is now at Auckland University studying for a degree in Engineering.