The NZ MTB RALLY – What’s It All About?
The highly anticipated NZ MTB Rally 2025 has officially wrapped up, offering an incredible adventure through the breathtaking landscapes of the Nelson NZ region for the second year in a row. With six exciting days of racing, participants experienced thrilling terrain and stunning scenery, further solidifying the event’s reputation as one of the top multi-day Enduro-adventure races in the world.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Ali Jamieson from Trail Addiction, the company responsible for the NZ MTB Rally, who have been running guided MTB Tour packages in the European Alps for decades and are the people responsible for the hugely successful Trans-Savoie Big Alpine Enduro events. In our conversation, we talk openly about the humble beginnings of his career and personal insights into the challenges he faces while running a business such as this, and discover how it has blossomed into one of the most cherished MTB adventure race events in the world.
My mate Ash and I created trailAddiction in the early 2000s as a tour company for mates-of-mates, to take them out to these awesome alpine trails we had discovered. More of a hobby than a serious business at first. I’ve always loved being an MTB guide, and to be honest, if I could do that full time, I probably would!
Let’s start at the beginning — how did Trail Addiction come to life? What sparked the idea?
I always had a mountain bike as a kid, but I went to University in Sheffield (UK) in the late 90’s at the time when Steve Peat and Tracey Moseley – both from Sheffield – were in their prime. The MTB scene was definitely thriving there, and with easy access from the city centre, it was just something I did a lot with my Uni mates.
One of those mates ’ dads had an apartment in Val d’sere (French Alps) and we went out there on our study breaks, generally thumbing a lift or riding up the alpine passes and then riding back down walking trails we found on the map. This was before ‘enduro’ existed, so our cheap student bikes were not up to it with V-brakes, elastomer suspension, and fixed-height seat posts, but we somehow survived it.
I’m also a Chartered Engineer and I had a pretty cool career in Engine Test and Development at Ford Motor Company in my 20s…We got to travel all over the world to perform extreme environment tests and development, but on every trip, I was often more interested in scoping out the local MTB routes and often got myself into trouble by doing late-night and weekend solo mountain missions in unfamiliar territory. As cool as it was, I spent a lot of time at my desk, wishing I was somewhere else.
My mate Ash and I created trailAddiction in the early 2000s as a tour company for mates-of-mates, to take them out to these awesome alpine trails we had discovered. More of a hobby than a serious business at first. I’ve always loved being an MTB guide, and to be honest, if I could do that full time, I probably would! Eventually, by my early thirties, the MTB tour business had grown to be a sizable operation, and I was at a crossroads as to whether I would continue my engineering career or take the leap into full-time MTB tourism. Any MTB guide out there knows only too well that it’s a tough way to make ends meet as a full-time profession, so organising events kind of sprang out of that necessity – and my first ever event, The Trans-Savoie Big Alpine Enduro, was born in 2013.
I was at a crossroads as to whether I would continue my engineering career or take the leap into full-time MTB tourism
Trail Addiction’ – Enduro2 Team Race is another wildly popular format and may be coming to the Southern Hemisphere very soon!
You’ve been running mountain bike adventure races in Europe for years now. How would you describe the evolution of the scene since you started?
Honestly I’m not sure I’m well qualified to answer that, but I can tell you things from my perspective. I’ve never been a serious racer myself – I was more interested in the social aspect of getting people together through mountain biking. I used to race UK events in the 90s and 20th0’s called “enduro” but it was far from what Enduro is today and was more like a gravel race or long XC race with a few technical sections thrown in.
I remember seeing a poster for the MegAvalanche race in a French bike shop in the early 2000s and being totally blown away (and shit scared!) but decided to give it a blast. It was probably a life-changing moment for me, the race was miles ahead of its time and quite an awesome, intense experience.
When I first launched Trans-Savoie in 2013, this pre-dated the first ever Enduro World Series – so it was quite a new concept
I’m super happy to have recently hooked up with Frenchman Quentin Richard who was the main organiser for MegAvalanche for the past 10 years or so – when he heard about NZ MTB Rally he was equally inspired as I was of his event – we got talking, I invited him to Nelson to help me organise Edition 1 in 2025, and the rest is history. Quentin works alongside me full time now as my main man in Europe, allowing me to focus my energies on our NZ projects.
When I first launched Trans-Savoie in 2013, this pre-dated the first ever Enduro World Series – so it was quite a new concept. I raced about 6 or 7 EWS races in those early years, and it was a lot of fun. Fast forward 12 years, and it seems like Enduro on the world stage is losing its way a little. It seems a little too ‘pro’ and too sanitised compared to those earlier days when it seemed to be a lot more about camaraderie and each local race organiser had a lot of freedom to adapt their interpretation of the race to best-fit the local conditions. But I absolutely empathise with the crew running the EDR, this transformation was probably inevitable in the drive to become more professional and more established, with UCI affiliation.
I’m definitely inspired by other multi-day enduro races springing up around the world following a similar format to Trans-Savoie and NZ MTB Rally, and try to make a point of entering at least one of these races each year. Mostly because I absolutely love it (and it’s a real treat to let someone else take care of all the logistics for once!) but also to keep myself on point and in check as the overall standards of such events improve over time, I need to be sure we are still keeping pace with that, at our own events.
You’ve just wrapped up the second edition of the NZ MTB Rally — congrats! What made you want to bring the adventure racing format to New Zealand?
Now a mate of mine, Tim Ceci of Vertigo bikes Queenstown, used to guide for trailAddiction out in France each summer during his NZ winter shut-down. After a few years of bugging me I made a dream trip to Queenstown a reality and took 3 months there around 2014. Before I left NZ I took a road trip up to Nelson – ironically to find some kite surfing rather than biking. While in Nelson I did a couple of rides and decided I needed to come back the following summer to see what else there was here.
During that second trip I had an overwhelming feeling of being at home and saw huge potential for MTB tourism here, especially considering that back in 2014, Nelson was virtually unheard of as a place to ride outside of kiwis-in-the-know. I made a bit of a snap decision to buy a house in Nelson and kind-of go all-in without a specific plan of action, and ten years later it’s finally working out! I was fortunate that Nelson Council and the Nelson Mountain Bike Club are fully motivated to put us on the map as a world-class riding destination so I’ve had some great support there to get my own projects off the ground.
I had an overwhelming feeling of being at home and saw huge potential for mountain biking tourism here
Why New Zealand? What stood out about it as the next chapter for Trail Addiction?
I’ve spent decades working in France and whilst it’s truly a beautiful country, from my perspective, the rumours you’ve probably heard about grumpy Frenchmen and impossible administrative hurdles are certainly true. New Zealand feels like a breath of fresh air by comparison – it’s such a welcoming, positive, can-do-attitude kind of place.
Nelson in particular caught my attention because it was obviously such a great place to ride – and live (in my opinion, the best place in all of the Southern Hemisphere if you like lots of options and big backcountry adventures as well as regular after-work rides straight from your back door). I love the idea of showing people a place or an adventure they might otherwise never have discovered on their own – the same principle that drives me as an MTB guide.
How does the NZ MTB Rally differ from your European events — in vibe, terrain, or logistics?
The logistics of NZ MTB Rally are quite unique – not just for my events, but as fast as I know, for any other event in the world, period. I always start with putting together an event based on amazing trails and beautiful locations, but I realised that NZ MTB Rally could be about a lot more than just the riding.
Pulling together a large vehicle fleet capable of taking on the shuttle roads we need to run was quite a challenge in itself. I doubt you could emulate this in Europe because these kinds of vehicles & trailers just don’t exist/are not commercially available over there. The catamaran boat trip is also quite special – only done by a special commission with a one-off permit to land in a protected reserve. We time it to leave at sunrise from one of NZ’s most awarded beaches to add to the occasion.
I felt like a week spent under canvas was probably not ideal for most people. For that reason, NZ MTB Rally is based around lodges and adventure camps in dormitory-style accommodation
And of course, who doesn’t love a backcountry Heli-drop? The logistics of that are probably more complex than you imagine. For example, each Heli-load needs to be weight-balanced based on individual rider weights, and we need a solid plan B on standby in case of bad weather. Putting all this together into one seamless itinerary that also covers an insane amount of world-class trails was definitely a big challenge for me, even with 20+ years of experience doing similar things in Europe. But the result, I hope, is not only a top-end backcountry Enduro race, but a general adventure showcase of what the region has to offer in addition to its great trails and hospitality.
The Trans-Savoie was built around a moving tent-city set-up, which honestly was a complete nightmare to organise. Being in my mid-forties now, like the typical participant in NZ MTB Rally, I felt like a week spent under canvas was probably not ideal for most people. For that reason, NZ MTB Rally is based around lodges and adventure camps in dormitory-style accommodation. It’s not 5-star hotels by a long shot, but at least you get a proper bed, pillow, and duvet, and proper bathroom and dining facilities.
My most popular event in Europe for the past few years has been Enduro2, which is a 3-day, pairs-format enduro event. Being only 3 days we can stay in the same basecamp for the whole event, and this makes my life SO much easier! I’d love to run an Enduro2 in NZ sometime because I’m 100% behind our pairs format, it really changes the vibe into a full-on good-times party, all weekend, and in that way, the event is way more accessible to people who might otherwise never try ‘racing’ at all. It’s on my to-do list together with a heap of other projects that I never quite get around to…..!
What lessons did you take from the first NZ edition into the second one? Any big changes or surprises?
This is a tough one. Outwardly, I know I can appear quite grumpy at times because in my head I could be running through the thousand possible unfortunate scenarios that may transpire due to external factors outside of my control or a breakdown in comms within my team, and the stress of all this takes its toll after a while! I realise that every participant at our events has invested a lot of time and money to be there, and I can’t accept anything other than delivering the very best that we could manage, for each and every one of them.
What I should have learned is that the event could be 50% less complicated and probably 30% shorter each day, and still be a world-class event. Unfortunately, I can’t stop myself from cramming in more and more into the itinerary, and the net result is a super-intense week that takes quite a toll on me and my crew. Knowing this, will I change things for Edition 3? What’s likely to happen is that I will start by taking out a few complexities that don’t need to be there. But as the event draws nearer, I’ll discover a new route or trail that seems just too good to miss out, and before you know it, we’re back to where we started.
Tell us about the terrain and trails — what can riders expect out on the course in NZ?
Well, it’s certainly not a Bike-Park Tour! We’ve got a few machine-built groomers thrown in the mix, but most of our trails are raw, natural, loamy, rooty goodness. We’ve got some pretty long stages too (over 10 minutes long, up to 800m elevation drop). Our singletrack can feel narrow compared to other places, and tight switchbacks rather than open berms feature heavily.
I for one can’t bring myself to offer any event at all unless I am absolutely sure that the route I’ve chosen really is the absolute best possible round up of all the best possible options in an area. The only way I can do that is to get out there and ride every single trail.
The word “Rally” feels pretty deliberate — is that a nod to a particular style or format of racing?
Absolutely. My first event, Trans-Savoie, was built around a continuous singletrack route that traversed the Alps, point-to-point, and maxing out on the use of ski-lifts across the region. ’Trans-‘ as in, traversing across a region, seemed the right fit. Since then, heaps of other Trans-Enduro races have sprung up around the world and many of them are actually quite different to this original vision in that they’re either based out of the same central location throughout the event (looping out and back each day) or they de-camp by coach to a new location, then ride inside a designated park or area before de-camping again.
So in NZ I wanted to differentiate myself from those formats since the word ’Trans-‘ no longer meant what I understood it used to mean! But more importantly, the word ‘Rally’ to me evokes connotations of motor racing rallies, where there is a cross-journey aspect moving from point-to-point and then timed stages within that. The varied (motorised) transports and logistics of NZ MTB Rally are such an integral part of the event that ‘Rally’ just seemed to be the right fit.
What does it take to pull off an event like this, especially in remote locations, and how do you scout and choose the routes? Is there a secret to finding that perfect mix of challenge and flow?
I made the call when setting up NZ MTB Rally that this event had to have a real kiwi feel to it, and – not being a kiwi myself – this meant working a lot with local providers, most of whom hadn’t dealt with MTB-related logistics before, certainly not on this scale.
It’s not an exact science, but it does take a huge amount of time and dedication. Probably a heap of that is unnecessary, but I for one can’t bring myself to offer any event at all unless I am absolutely sure that the route I’ve chosen really is the absolute best possible round up of all the best possible options in an area. The only way I can do that is to get out there and ride every single trail, including forgotten gems, those lost to forestry or land access issues, etc. It’s not only about asking locals, it’s about scouring old walking maps, strava heat maps, etc and just getting out there and doing it.
At first, there’s no method to it – just literally ride every single trail I can. When setting up the NZ MTB Rally I was initially looking as far South as Christchurch, Craigieburn and Hamner Springs, North to Farewell Spit, as far West as St Arnaud and Westport; and East to Blenheim and Kaikura (that’s about a 6-hour drive radius from Nelson in all directions).
Once I’ve built up a dense network of options, it’s then a case of finding suitable transport options, accommodation, and catering that might fit at each of the possible locations. In parallel, I approach individual landowners and sound them out for getting permission to host an event. This can be private landowners, farmers, forestry, or the Department of Conservation, and generally speaking, here in NZ the response is usually positive, but there are always hurdles to overcome too.
It then just becomes a circular, iterative process to refine and juggle all of those constraints until you have an overall route and logistics that work, and where all the bits of the puzzle finally fit together. However, I must admit, I’m the kind of personality where knowing all the options means I’m always second-guessing my decisions about the trails and locations we didn’t include, and forever going back to double-check to see if and where we could improve things.
You’re working across hemispheres now — what’s it like balancing the seasons and logistics between Europe and NZ?
It’s not quite the rockstar lifestyle you might imagine! I end up spending about 6 months in Europe and 6 months in NZ because this balances the workload I’m trying to cover. It often feels like wherever I am, I need to be on the other side of the world to try to sort out a particular problem at any given moment. I don’t have kids and haven’t ever thought about whether I want them or not – it feels like it’s not really an option so long as I am still doing this for a living. The more I do it, the more the long-haul trip feels like an exhausting drag, and trying to maintain any kind of long-term social life in either place is also not great when I’m not even around for half the year.
I traveled a lot more in my 30s but these days, when I’m in NZ you’ll rarely see me outside of Nelson-Tasman, aside from specific work-related trail-scouting missions. I’d love to take a more active role on Nelson’s MTB Club Committee, for example, but it’s not practical to do so as things are right now. More importantly, my partner Gabi and I both absolutely love dogs and we’d love to have one of our own…but for now, we have to make do with kidnapping the neighbor’s Labrador and/or accosting random dogs in the street, for cuddles.
All that said, it definitely focuses the mind. I remember in my former engineering job, it sometimes felt like weeks blurred into months, which blurred into years. At the moment I have a drop-dead date for every event that simply can’t slip, and on a personal level I know I will be leaving town again every 6 months for sure – so friends and relatives I want to catch up with, or house maintenance tasks – just can’t be put off until later. I think this is probably for the best, if life is about cramming more into it. A final huge benefit is living summer-to-summer; I get long daylight hours, year-round. I rarely wake up while it’s still dark at any time of my year, and I know that’s a huge privilege that few get to enjoy…but I’m only human and I find myself missing winter sometimes, too!
Who’s showing up to the NZ MTB Rally? Is it a mix of local and international riders?
Well, this year we had a heap of Aussies – nearly half the field made the pilgrimage, which was great to see! Typically, though, we have about 20-30% from NZ, 30-40% Aussie, 20-30% North America, and 20-30% Europe / elsewhere. So it’s a nice international mix. What’s encouraging is to see a growing interest from our NZ domestic audience, and this is quite different from what we see in Europe, where, for example, a French-based event would not typically attract a huge French audience.
Nelson doesn’t have an international airport, unlike Queenstown, for example, so that’s an additional barrier to overcome, especially to the Aussie market. However, we make everything else so easy to organise once you get here, that we hope this balances out the extra cost and effort. We work closely with AIrNZ who have been amazing, to make sure that no bikes get lost or delayed in Nelson, and so far we have delivered on that promise 100%. I can’t even imagine how disappointed you would be to show up for a bucket-list race from overseas and realise your bike got left behind – but it happens a lot, elsewhere.
One rider from the USA was caught on camera this year saying “It couldn’t get any better, I’m on an all-time high right now” – hearing quotes like this makes me forget all about the 11 months of stressing out and endless late nights at the laptop that went into pulling this all together.
What’s the rider feedback been like so far, and how do you keep building that sense of community across continents?
We can always do better, and I put a lot of effort into collecting detailed written feedback from as many people as I can. On the whole, I’m pleased to say we are doing pretty well with NZ MTB Rally on that front. I just finished a detailed analysis of this year’s feedback, and I’m pleased to report that average overall rider satisfaction was 4.7/5. 5/5 would be better of course, but I’ve been in the game long enough to know that when you’re along for something as complicated as this event, it’s impossible to make it ‘perfect’ for every single participant because what some people enjoy, others might not.
It’s also important to keep our volunteers and crew motivated and happy – we pull in a heap of dedicated, motivated people from all over the place in order to run this event (more than 50 full-time crew for 120 riders, this year). It’s also absolutely critical to bring the local community along for the ride, too. After all, wherever we go, we are on borrowed trails and borrowed land. I put a lot of effort into giving back to the places we visit either through cash donations, running dig days, sometimes volunteering myself to run the timing at other local events, and most importantly to take as much time as is needed to forever consult with local trail builders and landowners, Iwi (Maori communities) and local government.
As for building community across continents, the old phrase ‘build it, and they will come’ doesn’t seem to work for me. A huge part of my job is spreading the word and trying to get noticed above the noise, which is challenging when you see the kind of budgets that larger events (such as Crankworx) have to play with. But our best ambassadors tend to be people who have done the race and go back to tell their mates all about it, and I admit, I do get a buzz when I hear people enthusing about their experience with us. One rider from the USA was caught on camera this year saying “It couldn’t get any better, I’m on an all-time high right now” – hearing quotes like this makes me forget all about the 11 months of stressing out and endless late nights at the laptop that went into pulling this all together.
He launched himself down the chute with reckless abandon and splashed out into the lake…only to re-appear looking very much in distress.
Any standout stories or moments from this year’s rally?
We were treated to literally the most spectacular, incredible sunrise I’ve ever seen in my life on the boat crossing on Day 4 this year. It brought tears to my eyes, and I was overcome with emotion for a few moments, though that was probably as much about seeing things actually working out, after months of planning. There was also an insane moment on arrival day that is as shocking as it is hilarious. A returning racer making his 2nd consecutive trip over from the UK (now sporting an NZ MTB Rally logo tattooed on his calf!) was first up to volunteer to get the party started on the water slide at camp 0.
To loud cheers from the assembled, beered-up crowd, he launched himself down the chute with reckless abandon and splashed out into the lake…only to re-appear looking very much in distress. It took about 2 seconds for it to sink in what was actually going on here, but luckily I didn’t hesitate too long to be sure about what I was looking at, and dived right in there after him and dragged him out. Turns out he can’t swim – but he just didn’t think to mention it before going in! That’s dedication to the cause, for you! It was all over in a moment with no lasting harm done, but I’m still having ‘….but what if….’ flashbacks!
What’s next for Trail Addiction and the NZ MTB Rally? Are there plans to expand or evolve the format?
The plan has always been to put Nelson on the map as an MTB tourism destination. NZ MTB Rally was just the start, to get your attention! We are working on plans to make a more accessible, non-race format version of the event, but there are still a lot of details to iron out. I also personally want to start running small-group tours around the region, again based on the route knowledge and logistics as showcased in The Rally. Watch this space for new offerings as early as later this year.
One day I’d love to relaunch the Trans-Savoie Big Alpine Enduro…but that kinda depends on Quentin really. I’m not sure he’s stupid enough to take the baton on that monster. Meanwhile, as I mentioned above, the Enduro2 concept is proving exceptionally popular, so I would be excited to find new locations both in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, to expand that – and to keep things fresh and interesting for myself.
Finally, I’m involved in a side-project Gravel Race www.gravelduro.com next month here just outside of Nelson NZ. It’s kind of a fusion between traditional gravel racing and what I have learned from fun-times Enduro racing. It’s sandwiched together with a regular enduro race the following day, and we’ve got a great course lined up, even though the whole thing is quite low-key compared to what I’m used to. As long as people are having a good time, and discovering new places by bike, I’m keen to be involved.
If someone’s reading this and thinking “I want in,” what should they know before signing up?
If you don’t usually race and are concerned about lining up against pros or seasoned enduro racers – don’t let that put you off. If you’ve got no mates to travel with and you are concerned about feeling left out if you travel alone, don’t worry, that’s not at all how it goes! One of the things I’m always most proud and satisfied about is seeing the friendly and inclusive atmosphere from Day 0. That counts for the volunteers and crew as well as the participants.
NZ, on the whole, and especially Nelson, makes you feel at home as soon as you arrive. I know this vibe for myself, too, from my experience of racing other multi-day enduros. Such an intense shared experience – all thrown right in at the deep end all at the same time – means you’ll quickly form new and lasting friendships. Whilst there’s some serious competition up at the sharp end of racing, it seems the majority are there for the experience and to challenge themselves at their own level, rather than to boost egos or stress about the podium. Did I mention we got through 5000+ complimentary beers and ciders in a week?
If you’re moderately competitive, you’ll quickly find your place in the rankings and from that point forward you have the perfect motivation – if you feel like it – to challenge yourself against the next person ahead of you, whether that’s at the top of the field or down at the bottom. The biggest cheer of the week went to a great American guy who managed to get through the entire course – usually the last man finished every day, but with a smile on his face. That’s what the essence of this event is about, in my view.
And finally, a fun, quick fire round to finish it off…
Best trail snack?
Peanut M&Ms
One trail that changed your life?
Peaking Ridge (Nelson). I first rode it then immediately decided I had no choice but to buy a house here and move to NZ. That was 11 years ago….and I’m still here.
Most underrated MTB destination in the world?
3 years ago I would definitely have said Nelson, NZ. But I think that’s starting to change now and the word is starting to get out there – in part this is thanks to folks like you at Tyres and Soles who are helping to spread the good word! There’s still a long way to go, but I think we are on the right track.
The Tarentaise region of The French Alps holds a special place for me due to its vast network of old alpine walking trails that I discovered 25 years ago, compelling me to return from my home in Nelson, NZ. Although I have a love-hate relationship with France, the unmatched riding opportunities and ski-lift infrastructure there make it a standout destination in the world. If you doubt this, let me show you!
Rain or shine — race goes on?
Haha are you kidding? It’s always all or nothing (and ‘nothing’ is absolutely never an option!)
A huge thanks to Ali for spending time answering our questions and being so honest and open with us. We are grateful for all the work that the team at Trail Addiction does to put on such unique events like the NZ MTB Rally.
We encourage everyone to consider adding the NZ MTB Rally to their “MUST DO” list, as it promises unforgettable experiences and life-long camaraderie in the cycling community.
Cover photo: @rorystockphoto
