Want to go to World Championships? Learn more about the new UCI Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series that can earn you UCI points and race entries into the World Cup!
Mt Stromlo has long been home to the pinnacle of mountain biking in Australia, both cross country and downhill. It has hosted the World Cup and World Championships, as well as National and Junior World Series events.
On March 1st and 2nd, 2025, Canberra Offroad Cycling Club (CORC) will host the return of international level racing at Mt Stromlo with the launch of the first two UCI Continental Series races on Australian soil. You can hear more about the series and racing at Mt Stomlo in our recent interview with Bec Henderson. Not sure if this is for you? Read on.
Ready to go? Enter here.
What is the UCI Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series?
The Continental Series is a way for athletes looking to perform at the World Cup to attain some much-needed UCI points. It also forms part of the Auscycling selection criteria for federation entries to the World Cup and the World Championships. The round on March 1st also doubles as a round of the Continental Junior Series.
The continental series features cross country and downhill disciplines, and an opportunity to line up against the best riders in Oceania.
The series gives those riders looking to race the World Cup opportunities, with the top five riders in the overall standings of the Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series earning the right to participate in all rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the following season.
While this seems quite complicated, this specifically means that the Saturday Continental series race sees junior (U19) riders gaining UCI points on the continental series scale. Sunday is a continental series, also featuring a septa UCI junior series meaning that juniors on the podium receive both prizes and UCI points based on the Junior Series scale (which differs from the Continental Series scale).
But what about the weekend warriors, I am not hunting for UCI points?
For those who love to race but aren’t planning on heading overseas to race Nino Schurter anytime soon, the Mt Stromlo Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series races on the 1st and 2nd of March double as rounds 6 and 7 of the AusCycling cross country national series, and round 3 of the downhill series. The national series features categories from U15 to masters 60+ able to earn points in the series. The national series also features a short course cross country (XCC) on Friday 28th February.
For the groms, CORC are also holding support races from the U7 to U13 age groups to get kids out racing, but they aren’t recognised as part of the national series. There are also adaptive categories in both cross country and downhill.
The ‘National Series’ and ‘Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series’ sounds really hard and too fast for me? Is it?
For riders who race in Australia, cross country or downhill, this represents the highest domestic level of racing.
However, age group categories mean that you can enter if you’re reasonably fit and skilled amongst your peers at a local and state level. There are no prerequisites to enter the race. So, If you are a strong local rider who wants to test their mettle, get into it!
The Stromlo downhill course is usually dry, dusty and rocky, weaving from the treeline down to a more open and exposed section of jumps.
The Saturday cross country will use the World Cup course featuring the Cardiac climb and Hammerhead descent, which is quite a challenge even for Bec Henderson, so practising on the course is a must. It’s not unusual for riders to have to unclip or run a section of the Cardiac climb (which is very much acceptable in cross country racing). The Sunday event will feature a more accessible course that tests weary legs and ensures fast and close racing.
I’m fast and fit and dream of winning World Cups, how does the Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series do to help with this?
Taking part in the series is important for World Championships selection and attaining a Federation Entry into World Cups in 2025.
As an extra carrot, a rider finishing in the top five of an Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series event will earn a golden ticket and be eligible to participate in a round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in 2025.
Looking further forward, the top five riders in the overall standings of the Oceania Mountain Bike Continental Series will have the right to participate in all rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the following season.
OK, you’ve sold me I’m going to enter, how do I do that?
Awesome, you can get your enter each round individually, or grab a discount for entering all three. Entries available here.
Getting to Mt Stromlo
Nearest airport: Canberra, Mt Stromlo is a 23min drive from the Airport and 20min from Canberra CBD.
Facilities: showers, toilets, cafe, shuttle services
Course practice: Course practice open from Friday, for specific schedule head here
Things to do: other than hitting up Mt Stromlo, you can get a bit of culture at the National Gallery, or head to the Centenary Trail for an adventure ride. Don’t forget to grab a coffee or cold one at the Handlebar cafe after.
