It might be the toughest mountain bike race in America. After a spectacular premier last October, this unique event is returning to the incredibly beautiful high desert backcountry of the undisputed mountain bike Mecca known as Moab, Utah.

It's the 1996 Newsweek 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Team Relay Race. On October 5-6, more than 200 four and five person teams thrashed themselves and their equipment -- throughout the night -- on a rugged course of Utah's toughest backcountry. It's space-age technology versus stone-age terrain as more than 1,000 die-hard competitors from across the US test their will and stamina in what is becoming one of the best known off-road bicycle races in the nation.

The 24 hour team relay format has been polished and perfected over the past five years at West Virginia's 24 hours of Canann, one of the most popular races east of the Rockies. The events are loosely based on the famous 24 Hours of LeMans auto race. But for off-road cycling, the emphasis is on teamwork, sportsmanship and camaraderie as groups of friends get together to race as a team.

This year racing squads at Moab will compete for an expanded cash purse of $10,000 and $15,000 in prizes. The race works like this: Teams send out one rider on the course while teammates eat, rest, recover and -- if possible -- catch a few minutes of sleep. At the check-in station, a racer completing a lap passes a baton to a waiting teammate, who sprints out onto the 11-mile circuit. For night laps, racers must demonstrate a working, 10-watt minimum lighting system and a backup flashlight. The course itself is unlighted.

The race begins at 12 noon on Saturday with a LeMans-style start as racers sprint for their bikes. "It's a mad dash to be the first on the course", explains race promoter Laird Knight, founder of the 24 hour mountain bike concept. "Any advantage gained early in the event may come in handy at 3 am or by the end of the race at noon the next day," Knight said.

Last year top pro teams from Colorado, California and Maryland battled for the lead position throughout the night -- through rain, sleet, high winds, and even a freak snowstorm. Team Schwinn, which included former world mountain bike champion Mike Kloser and World Cup champion Ranjeet Grewal, completed 21 laps to win the 1995 event.