Barrichello swaps F1 for pedal power

Not a Honda RN01
By Phil Huff
May 15 2007

Honda Racing F1's Rubens Barrichello is swapping his Formula One car for a bicycle this weekend, as the Brazilian joins the G Cross Honda team in Portugal for the Lisbon Downtown urban mountain biking event. The world cup winning downhill mountain biking team are aiming to win the sports equivalent of the Monaco Grand Prix.

The spectacular non-championship event, held on the historic cobbled streets of Portugal's capital, Lisbon, will see the team showing off the Honda RN01, a custom designed downhill mountain bike. Downhill racing typically takes place on snowless ski slopes or other downhill courses, with racers competing against the clock, reaching speeds of up to 80km/h. Due to the extreme ruggedness of the courses, the machines must be highly rigid and durable.

Team G Cross Honda, comprising of Greg Minnaar from South Africa, Matti Lehikoinen from Finland and Brendan Fairclough from the UK, are currently lying third in the 2007 world championships.

The event takes place this Saturday, 19 May.