Wheel meet again, mate
CYCLING Australia chief Nick Green (right) and Trinity Beach’s Tyler Deed, 8, get into the spirit of the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship. It is just under 12 months until the showpiece event is held at Smithfield and the Far North shines on the world stage.
MORE than 300 mountain bike riders from 35 countries will be battling it out on the Smithfield trails this time next year but one name will be on the lips of local fans.
Tracey Hannah will be vying for the title of downhill queen at the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and Cycling Australia CEO Nick Green has urged the community to get around the hometown hero to give her the best chance of knocking off British star Rachel Atherton.
The 28-year-old is in Italy this weekend for the 2016 world titles, coming off a second-place finish in the most recent World Cup round in Vallnord, Andorra.
Green hoped the comforts of home could help Hannah fly the flag in 12 months’ time.
“An athlete’s preparation is always searching for the ultimate run and race and clearly she’s racing against one of the absolute legends of downhill racing and so Tracey will have to bring her A-game,” he said.
“In a competition like this you just can’t make any errors so elite competition is about limiting the amount of errors on her downhill run and I dare say that’s what she’s preparing for every day.”
Green said international cycling officials and teams were already looking forward to the season-ending event.
“The riders that come here are going to have a fantastic time while they’re here as well as having some of the toughest races they’ve ever had on the world circuit,’’ he said.
“It’s such a dangerous sport for the downhill riders who go at breathtaking speed downhill and there are some crashes and injuries that do occur, so we will continue to make sure we improve the course to make it great for the riders.’’