LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – The CARR-Alice Springs Mountain Bike Club’s annual mountain bike stage race is less than two weeks away. Running over Easter, the race comprises three stages.
Around 150 riders will take part, coming from the Northern Territory and all over Australia.
The race has one of the highest interstate participant rates of all mountain bike races in Australia with around half of the riders coming from interstate, accompanied by family and friends.
It also one of the highest participant rates for women.
Saturday’s race is also round three of Mountain Biking Australia’s Marathon Series and will be hotly contested by some of Australia’s best mountain bikers.
Current Australian Champion Brendan “Trekky” Johnston will be racing former champion Andy Blair, with local riders Luke Pankhurst and Ben Gooley in top form to further challenge.
Regular visitor to Alice Springs, James Downing will return and is always in the mix. First timer Justin Morris is another rider who could mix it up.
In a strong women’s field we have locals Georgina Landy and Nicola Jelenik, who will challenge former National Champion Jenny Blair, recently returned to training after having her first child and up and coming racer Briony Mattocks.
All riders will go on to ride the next two days, riding 75 km, 24 km and 36 km each day, totally 135 km over Easter.
Easter is about participation and fun. For riders who are not so fit, there are easier options.
Easter Mini is an introduction to stage racing with courses of 20 km, 13 km and 23 km each day. Riders can also opt to ride any two of the stages by entering the single stage’and get a two-for-one bonus.
Paul Darvodelsky
CARR-Alice Springs Mountain Bike Club
Thursday, April 25, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Well done Paul D and CARR for the staging of yet another Easter mountain bike multi-stage event here in Central Australia.
The fact that it is once again attracting class interstate riders is clear testimony of the esteem that the general mountain bike community has for this promotion.
The fact too that for the serious riders this event is part of the national MTB series speaks volumes of its quality.
In general cycling in The Centre, by locals, is experiencing a healthy rise in numbers, whatever the flavour. For example the Alice Springs Cycling Club is attracting very good home grown numbers for its annual recreational three day ride set down for the Labor Day long weekend in May.
This year for the first time it is venturing out through the West Macs instead of the usual King’s Canyon Cruise.
Moreover, it is also attracting interstate entrants plus a decent sized squad from Darwin.
This has come about because of the newly sealed section of road from Ntaria to where the junction is with Namitjira Dve.
This new piece of bitumen should be a boon for tourism in this part of the world.
NT Tourism, in my view, should be making more of the cycling situations available in The Centre.
International visitors come to trek the wonderful Larapinta Trail.
Well, the mountain bike trails are wonderful too and for road hounds the sights and quiet roads are also a real treat.