Photos: Eurobodalla Council 

After being seriously patient during COVID and then hanging on while extreme weather lashed the east coast, Australia’s mountain bikers are finally set to be rewarded with the freshest race series in Australia. The Quad Crown kicks off SOON on the gorgeous Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, taking in the sweetest trails Tathra and Eden have to offer.

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Over a long weekend between Friday 5 and Sunday 7 August, the Quad Crown Sapphire Coast serves up three full stages plus a sneaky little prelude, which kicks things off on Friday.

What’s the Quad Crown all about?

The Quad Crown is all about making racing possible for everyone, with a huge focus on flexibility and accessibility. Only want to do one stage? You can do that! How about two stages in one day? You can do that too! Want to do the prologue five times? No worries, go right ahead! Don’t want to do it at all? You’re welcome to sit and watch over several beers – we won’t judge!

This is mix and match racing with an emphasis on riding great trails in a friendly environment. It’s perfect for anyone looking to do their first race, or for groups of friends who want a curated weekend away on sweet trails. Of course, there’ll also be a bunch of elite racers burying themselves for a place on the podium, which makes for some great spectating, too.

Oh, and you can't beat the setting!

There are three entry types for all the Quad Crown races:

The weekend pass (from $330 early bird) for the full deal, including welcome wine, beer and event t-shirt, plus an e-bike option.

The Saturday pass ($220), which includes two stage entries for a packed day of riding.

The Sunday pass ($160) for an awesome riding experience and a taste of what you’re missing!

All entry details are on the Registration page of the Quad Crown website.

Let’s take a look at the Sapphire Coast event coming up:

Quad Crown Sapphire Coast

Prelude – Eden – secret location (8–10km / 140m elevation)

First things first – what’s a prelude? Well, it’s a bit like a prologue in that it’s a short stage in time trial format, but way more fun, because it’s completely voluntary and you can do it more than once if you’re not happy with your time, or just really enjoyed your first lap.

Covering around 10 kilometres in a secret location near Eden, the prelude will give everyone a chilled-out taste of the trails to come – although top racers might not be so relaxed as they vie for priority seeding on the start line for stage 1.

This is a chance to blow away the leg cobwebs and burn off the nerves, then sit back and relax while you watch everyone else punish themselves for the fastest time.

Stage 1 – Tathra North (28km / 410m elevation)

Starting and finishing at the perfect location for a bike race – smack in the centre of one of New South Wales’s most glorious beaches– stage 1 kicks off at the at the Tathra Beach Country Club then takes riders into all the greatest trails this sleepy seaside town is known for. Riders will first head up to do a loop of Mogareeka and Moon Bay, before heading back down the coast to take in Tathra’s finest, then returning to the Country Club for a dip and some lunch.

Enjoy the recovery time and don’t eat too many burgers! Stage 2 is following hot on stage 1’s heels – there’ll be just enough time to regroup and lube your chain before you line up again.

Stage 2 – Tathra South (32km / 530m elevation)

This stage kicks off with a little bit of climbing to wake the legs, then takes in the White Rock Road loop both out and back. Riders will then head back into the maze of Tathra’s main trail network, but it’ll be nothing like stage 1, with routes twisted up and back to front to the point that they’ll be totally unrecognisable.

After an afternoon spent on sweet, flowing berms and turns, riders will pop out at the Country Club, who’ll be waiting to sort out the drinks and snacks to round out the day and celebrate – you’re past half-way!

Stage 3 – Eden and Freshwater Creek (28km / 900m elevation)

If you look at the numbers carefully you’ll notice that this stage has about double the climbing of the other two – but never fear! With every metre you gain in elevation, you earn a sweet vertical metre of descending, and if you add all these up to 900, that earns you loads and loads of downhill shredding.

The elevation will also open up sublime views of the stunning coastline and mountain wilderness for those riders with the time and energy to look up and around. The route takes riders on a lap of the town’s western hills, taking in its original singletrack alignments and finishing up at the Eden Gardens Country Club for a luxurious post-race afternoon on the lawn.

AMB’s take on the Quad Crown

The Quad Crown MTB series is reimagining stage racing in Australia, placing a huge emphasis on the fun aspects of racing and making sure there’s an option for everyone looking to get on a bike that weekend. We see this as an awesome opportunity to ride curated trails in cool locations with a super-relaxed atmosphere, so grab some friends or family and book yourself a mountain bike holiday.

Look out for the other upcoming Quad Crown events:

• East Gippsland (9–11 September)
• Sunshine Coast (7–9 October)
• Tasmania (18–20 November)

More information and entries on the Quad Crown MTB Series website.

https://quadcrownmtb.com.au/