Riders set to sink teeth into challenge
THE world’s best mountain bike riders will hit the road today for the opening stage of the Crocodile Trophy.
The international event has attracted another crack field of talent from around the globe.
Riders will endure eight gruelling legs across eight days, encompassing the hardest terrain in the Far North.
And it won’t just be the riding that presents a challenge.
For many competitors, communication can be tricky.
Czech Republic mountain biker Milan Damek said he struggled to speak and understand English.
“It can be very difficult to understand,” he said at the Cairns Aquarium on Thursday. “A lot of us don’t speak very good English so we have to concentrate really hard on instructions and directions.”
Today’s first stage will start at McKenzie Street Reserve in Cairns at 9.30am and riders will head straight for the Tablelands and Lake Tinaroo.
All up, the competitors will cover more than 700km and 15,000m of climbing in the eight days of racing.
In a first for the long-running event, the Crocodile Trophy will set up camp in Herberton for two nights.
Day three will feature a marathon circuit through the Herberton National Park.
The race will finish in Port Douglas next Saturday.