For many years already, the Roc d'Azur and the Roc des Alpes has supported the Mountain Bikers Foundation, which works all year round for sustainable and responsible mountain biking.
WHAT IS THE MBF?
- A Board of Directors which represents the mountain bike industry (manufacturers, federations, monitors, iconic athletes, organisers, developers, bikers, clubs, shops).
- A network of members across France consisting of individual bikers and clubs.
- Sponsors who support the Foundation throughout the year, including Amaury Sport Organisation.
THE ROLE OF THE MBF:
- To be a national resource centre for the development of sustainable and responsible mountain biking areas.
- To communicate good practice to all mountain bikers and institutions.
- To bring together mountain bikers into local “Brigades Vertes” to carry out fieldwork (collecting rubbish, trimming trees, maintaining and developing tracks).
- To participate in local meetings on managing the natural environment (Conseils Généraux, urban areas, town halls, tourist offices, etc.).
- To centralise information from the field communicated by members, so that the network and the MBF can benefit from this expertise to ensure the sustainable development of mountain biking.
Created five years ago, the Mountain Bikers Foundation has significantly grown over this period. A new team was elected at the end of 2013 for the next four years (with a new President, a committee, a Board and an employee). Building upon the work of the previous team, the action plan for this second phase was developed: the first phase enabled the MBF to consolidate its expertise, its operating methodology, its documentation and its network of members across France. The second phase will be devoted to communication and spreading information about its techniques, in order to reach the widest number of bikers and to raise the awareness of institutions of the sustainable and responsible development of mountain biking. The second major focus will be on strengthening local support.
FIELDWORK:
This work is conducted under the name of the “Brigades Vertes”
- Collecting rubbish, maintaining tracks, signposting and development.
- Publishing fact sheets which are short and easy to use, and act as a reminder for all fieldwork activities.
- Call for projects: bringing together local stakeholders to develop activities.
- Promoting the Brigades Vertes on the national level (sharing good practice and expertise across the network).
- Training for Brigades Vertes. We are now affiliated with the IMBA Europe, and several joint activities will take place.
No tracks mean no MTB! Roc Series is committed to the MBF, what about you? Don’t hesitate to sign up for only €15! Visit www.mbf-France.fr
The environmental charter comprises eight commitments that can easily be applied at the event, demonstrates our desire to protect the environment during the Roc d’Azur.
