Garmin MTB Academy: Last rider of the series takes the win!

The final rider to enter the Garmin MTB Academy series this summer has booked her place on the Academy roster at Queen Elizabeth Park, Hampshire. With it comes a choice of Garmin GPS product, a Commencal Super 4.1 bike and the final place in the Garmin MTB Academy with previous series winners Matt, Adrian and Grant.

Ahead of Natasha Litherland, the Queen Elizabeth Park winner is a weekend riding with 2 time World Cup Winner, 7 time British Champion and all round MTB legend Dr Steve Peat. Steve has just set off for the World Champs in Australia but on his return will be hooking up with Matt, Adrian, Grant and Natasha for a weekend of fun and riding as they challenge themselves to take their skills to the next level powered by the Garmin Dakota, Edge and Oregon series products.

For the final place in the academy, Natasha had to negotiate her way around an orienteering-based course designed to test all entrants and their Garmin Oregon units to the limit. They had to collect up to eight stamps across a tasty mix of twisting climbs, forest track and fast rocky descents, with added points for speed. Natasha, from Milland, got round the 7.3-mile course in just over 49 minutes despite being tired from racing the day before, and managed to beat second-placed James Lakeman by just a few points.

We'd like to say a huge thanks to the huge numbers who participated inthe Garmin MTB Academy challenge this summer. We guarantee your riding wont be the same again without a Garmin GPS and hope to see more of you at the amazing mountain bike locations the UK has to offer.

Stay tuned for more on the Garmin MTB Academy weekend as Steve Peat puts our series victors through their paces.