MOUNTAIN Bike Champions welcomed the community to the official opening of Dyfi Bike Park.

The park near Machynlleth is the idea of Dan,Gee and Rachel Atherton, the most awarded three siblings in international sport.

Between them the family have amassed eight World Championships and 49 World Cups but they have always been equally passionate about encouraging others to try the sport they love.

Dan, the eldest of the three siblings, is as renowned for his trail building skills and ‘creative genius’ in sculpting mountain bike tracks.

He and Rachel have been based in the Dyfi Forest for the past five years and they are passionate about the community that exists in the area.

Dan said: “I had always dreamed of finding a forest with this much potential.

“For the past four years the Dyfi dig crew have worked tirelessly to create four black trails that offer the most diverse and exciting riding we could imagine.

“We have an amazing blank canvas here with 650 acres of forest, the land falls from a 666m peak at Tarren y Gesail almost to sea level, on the south side of the mountain we have mellow gradients and amazing dirt, perfect for our jumpline ‘50 Hits’ and on the north, slabs of bedrock, roots and rocks create the perfect natural terrain for the downhill tracks.

Cutting a red ribbon at the stunning start ramp to the trails Rachel Atherton said: “It’s amazing how much appetite there has been to come and ride, we’re over the moon.

“We couldn’t have achieved any of it without the support of the brilliant community here that have welcomed us with open arms, that’s what today is all about, saying thank you to the people who have supported us.

We’ve only scratched the surface here, there is so much potential, expect to hear a lot more from us.”

Further inquiries contact gill.harris@athertonracing.co.uk