Hannah thrilled to show off craft

CAIRNS’ own world champion in downhill mountain biking has given a resounding thumbs up to the prospect of an international spectacle coming to the tracks of FNQ.

Tracey Hannah was overjoyed at the announcement that renowned mountain bike event Crankworx will bring a stage of their world tour to Smithfield Mountain Bike Park in October.

“Oh my gosh – it’s really hard to put into words because Crankworx, from a rider’s perspective, is the event that you go to have fun, to ride with your friends,” the 33-year-old said.

“It’s a huge event, you have a lot of different disciplines ranging from pump track all the way up to slope style.

“The variety of riders in the Crankworx competition is huge and I think it will blow some peoples’ minds when they see it in real life.”

Trails in Cairns are no strangers to international bikers, with the region most recently hosting a leg of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2017.

However, Hannah said the variety of races covered by Crankworx will have all facets of the FNQ biking community excited.

“I think Cairns will get a better understanding of just how insane Crankworx is,” Hannah said.

“Definitely now you can see it on TV and get an idea of it and we’ve had world cups and world champs (here) but this is a whole new level.

“This is just a whole new skillset of riders that can do the most unbelievable things on their bikes and I think it will really encourage a lot of younger people to get involved in mountain bike.”

Hannah, above, is among the most successful sporting exports from FNQ. She was the first Australian woman to win the UCI World Cup when she did it in 2021, adding to her immense tally of 28 race victories.

She expected the humid, unforgiving and unyielding tracks of Cairns are expected to give any home riders an extra edge.

“I would say most things about Cairns gives local riders and edge,” she said. “One: overseas people hate Australia because of the spiders and snakes, so you just throw a few fake ones in bushes and trees and that’s one advantage.

“And then you have the heat and humidity – to us October is perfect weather but for people coming from cool and dry environments they really struggle.

“I think that gives Cairns locals an edge, but just being comfortable at home knowing the conditions will always give local riders and edge.”