We have been lucky enough to get Moa as our official post race beer. Moa Beer is produced of entirely natural New Zealand ingredients in Marlborough by keen mountainbiker (and Skins Alpine Epic racer) Josh Scott. Moa is unique as it is fermented in the bottle, like champagne.

The range of Moa beer is wide and the taste fantastic, I can vouch for this after sampling a few over Christmas. Check out them out on www.moabeer.co.nz, and look forward to a cool Weka, or Moa Harvest at the prizegiving in Tekapo.

We here at Skins HQ hope your training is going well for the Skins Alpine Epic. Check out the new Skins cycle range online at R&R Sports www.rrsport.co.nz and take advantage of the 20% discount for Skins Alpine Epic entrants and those on the mailing list. Online orders only, promo code = Alpine Epic.

Wearing Skins means you will feel the benefits before you even step on your bike for the Skins Alpine Epic. Skins compression garments have proven technology that improves your performance, not only helping you recover better but now to help your improve your performance on racing as well!

It’s also important to make sure you have your Sport Skins in your race bag for recovery. Putting on your Skins for recovery each night will mean you’ll make the most of the next day’s riding. The above R&R Sport offer also applies to the Sports Skins.

This offer is valid from now until 25th February. Good luck with your training for the Skins Alpine Epic...

The crew from Skins

A few things for those in the race in response to some questions:

1. If people from down south are interested, we can offer transport from Tekapo to Mt Somers early on the morning of Wednesday 25th. Please let us know if you would be interested and we will arrange a vehicle to suit.

2. We've had a few questions about the menu. At this stage it is looking like....

Breakfasts: mixed spreads and toast, muesli, cornflakes, Weetbix, fruit, tea, coffee and Isofuel.

Supplementary snacks on course will be a mix of seasonal fruit, assorted muesli bars, biscuits, Isofuel and water.

Dinners:

Wednesday 25th - Roast pork, red pepper and cashew nut loaf, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, red pepper and brown rice salad, coleslaw. Apple crumble and icecream.

Thursday 26th - Beef and spinach lasagne, vegetable lasagne, gourmet baby potatoes, vegetable stirfry, carrot and raisin salad, garden salad, beetroot and apple salad. Custard and apricot short-cake.

Friday 27th - Chicken casserole, roast vegetable pasta salad, steamed white rice, brocolli and cauliflower medley. Chocolate goo and icecream.

Saturday 28th - Roast beef stuffed with spring onions and horseradish sauce, roast pork and apple sauce, Egyptian roast chicken, red capsicum stuffed with portabello mushrooms, garlic and breadcrumbs, baked potatoes, honey glazed carrots, green beans, garden salad, waldorf salad, rice salad. Sugar roasted seasonal fruits with passionfruit, mixed cheesecakes, icecream.

We'e got a few people entered but for various reasons still needing a team-mate, if you're keen to ride and thought you had missed out you might be in luck. Let us know and we will give you the contact details for either;

• Nicky Edwards, from Christchurch, who is happy to ride in a womans, or mixed team; or
• Chris Walters, from Wellington, who is just keen to ride.