2015 Enduro National Champs head to Cairns

Following up from much earlier announcements, MTBA have confirmed that the inaugural Enduro National Championships will be held in Palm Cove this October.

The two-day race stands apart from the 2015 Enduro Series and will be run on the Smithfield Mountain Bike Trails, under the guidance and hosting of the Cairns Mountain Bike Club, with the event hub located at the iconic palm fringed beach location of Palm Cove. This is the first time a National Championships race will be held for the Enduro discipline in Australia, and the event will see riders return to the amazing venue that hosted a round of the 2014 UCI World Cup.

MTBA President Russ Baker welcomed the choice of Cairns to host the country’s first Enduro National Championships.

“October will be a big month for Queensland and for Australian mountain biking, with several national events in that period,” he said.  ”Cairns, with its world-level history and future, is a fantastic location for our first National Enduro Championships and I thank all those involved in setting up and supporting this prestigious event in the newest discipline of our sport.”

CEO of MTBA Shane Coppin echoed this sentiment and said he is excited to see Enduro racing gain more recognition in Australia.

“Gravity Enduro is one of the most talked about race activities on the mountain bike scene,” he said. “The discipline has seen significant growth in recent years, combining the thrills and excitement of downhill, with the fitness elements of cross country racing.

“We are very pleased to be working with Cairns Regional Council, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Cairns MTB Club on this event, and I personally look forward to watching the growth of this exciting and popular discipline”.

The event is expected to attract a large number of domestic riders and their families, injecting sports tourism and spending into the area.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning also welcomed the announcement and the impending descent of riders on the city.

“We’re very much looking forward to hosting the competitors and support crews of this international-level event here in Cairns,” Cr Manning said. “The sport of mountain biking is growing here in Cairns and our spectacular natural rainforest terrain provides an ideal backdrop. I congratulate and thank Mountain Bike Australia and the Cairns MTB Club for bringing this event to Cairns.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Officer Alex de Waal welcomed the addition of the 2015 Enduro National Mountain Bike Championships to Tropical North Queensland’s growing list of must-do mountain biking events.

“Through our Ride Cairns brand we are building Tropical North Queensland’s profile as a mountain biking destination for recreational riders with more than 550km of trails throughout the region,” he said. “A National Championship of this calibre will further draw attention to the excellent mountain biking in Tropical North Queensland and support TTNQ’s events strategy to further diversify our calendar of sporting, cultural and lifestyle events for the region.”

Australia boasts the reigning Enduro World Champion and World Series Champion, Jared Graves of Toowoomba Queensland, and he will definitely be one to watch this October. The 2015 Enduro National Mountain Bike Championships will be UCI Cat. 3 listed and modelled on European events like the Super Gravity Enduro in Finale Ligure, Italy.

Further information on the event, including schedules and entry information, will be available in the coming months via enduronats.com.au.

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