Reef to Reef MTB: Australia's newest mountain bike race
The Reef to Reef MTB Stage Race promises to be one of the most varied and exciting stage races on the Australian calendar.
If you’re looking for the latest mountain bike escape, the recently announced Reef to Reef might be just what you’re after. The 4 day mountain bike stage race is set to land in Tropical North Queensland in August, with four days of vaired riding and racing across the varied terrain between Cairns and Port Douglas.
With four stages between 9 – 12 August 2018, the choice is yours: race full gas or ride at a more relaxed pace to enjoy the trails, scenery and hospitality in our tropical north. “Cairns has invested a lot in mountain biking,” says Ironman Oceania Managing Director Dave Beeche. “The trails up around Cairns are world-class, we saw that with the recent World Championships.”
The new event coincides with the iconic Triple-R (formerly the RRR), the longest running mountain bike race in Australia.
Reef to Reef is set to follow in the footsteps of the amazingly popular Cape to Cape and Port to Port, but with it’s own unique character and mix of trails and terrain. Falling in early August, it also fills a gap in winter where many Australian mountain bikers often had to look overseas to get their racing fix.
“The time of year is great for heading to Tropical North Queensland, as the depths of winter set in for riders from southern climes,” explained Dave Beeche regarding the timing of the race. And we agree – winter is also the dry season in the tropics so you are just about guaranteed fantastic weather. This is the perfect opportunity to build a bit of a winter getaway around a bike trip, and visit the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest – two World Heritage Listed areas.
Reef to Reef brings the popular pairs format as an option to this 4 day mountain bike stage race. That’s the same format as global events like The Pioneer, Cape Epic, Swiss Epic and more. We have never had many pairs races in Australia – but the fun of sharing the highs and lows of a mountain bike race with a mate cannot be under-estimated. If you’re racing, it’s a new challenge as you can use your partnership to your advantage, especially racing against other teams. If you’re taking a more leisurely pace, it’s way more fun to share a joke and a laugh for the whole event – all the way to a relaxing drink after the stage.
“I think a pairs stage race is a great experience. But watching the finish of The Pioneer in 2016, where solo riders in the 3 day event were finishing at the same time as the pairs in the 7 day event, the difference was immense. The strength of emotion and camaraderie of those teams who had got through the race together, and completed the journey as a team, was completely different to those who finished the solo race,” explained Dave Beeche, regarding the option to race as a pair. We think it’s a great step – and hope to see more events adopt the popular format.
But – you can enter solo as well. In fact you can enter the 4 day race solo or as a team, or still just enter the RRR for the 35 or 70km race as a standalone event.
Tell me more about the teams
Teams must ride the whole race together and not more than two minutes apart, this is the same as any other pairs race around the world. Riders in the teams category are eligible for 10 qualifying spots for the world famous ABSA Cape Epic, an eight-day adventure through the Western Cape region of South Africa.
A look at the Reef to Reef course
Think of Tropical North Queensland and you think of rainforests, the tablelands and beaches. And that’s exactly the terrain you will see during the Reef to Reef. Starting and finishing on the Coral Sea, home of the Great Barrier Reef, the iconic world heritage listed region includes the stunning tablelands, a fertile volcanic plateau that is part of the Great Dividing Range.
The four days tackles 4000m, of climbing in about 200km, and you’ll ride through the rainforests, the forests of the dry tropics, along the edge of the Coral Sea and on the ridges of the tablelands. With plenty of singletrack throughout the event, you’ll also ride on double-track and farm trails, and purpose built mountain bike trails.. What’s more many of the trails traverse private land that can only be ridden while racing the Reef to Reef. So it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain access to best riding that Tropical North Queensland has to offer.
“The days are pretty achievable,” Beeche says, “they’re not going to ba a 7 or 8 hour slog. The aim is to have enough time to sit back and enjoy the beach and local area.”
Comprehensive trail marking will ensure that navigation skills are not required, and with multiple checkpoints and aid stations included you will be well looked after. Each day’s racing finishes at the event village with local hospitality making sure you will be sorted out for food and drink. While each day is unique, the final stage into Port Douglas should provide one of the best event finishes on the world, finishing up the hard-packed sand of Four Mile Beach.
Each stage has been designed to provide a different riding experience and at the same time minimising transfers and logistical arrangements.
Stage 1: Smithfield Mountain Bike Park
This stage route will pick and choose the best trails in Smithfield Mountain Bike Park, behind James Cook University. With easy access from either Cairns or Palm Cove via bike lanes and bike paths, the day will have some of the infamous trails of Smithfield – likely more than you’ve seen on TV!
Stage 2: Davies Creek
Davies Creek Mountain Bike Park is near Mareeba and is a relatively unknown Tropical North Queensland wilderness experience. A 45 minute drive up the range from Cairns takes you to a whole other world in the Dry Tropics. The dry and open trail offers a mixture of fire road and singletrack weaving through rocky gullies, open bushland and red rock basalt country
Stage 3: Mt Molloy
This is the most varied stage, with a true mix of dirt road, outback trails and singletrack, traversing both Kuranda and Mowbray National Parks, as well as State Forest and private land. This stage will take you deep into the rainforest on the Twin Bridges trail, plus through remote country trails before bringing you back to Mt Molloy high on the tablelands.
Stage 4: The Bump Track
This point-to-point stage tackles a route that has stood the test of time. From gold mining, to tableland access and for over 25 years – mountain biking! From Wetherby Station you ride through the farmland and enter the Bump Track, a tunnel in a wall of rainforest.
Classed as double-track you’ve really only got one line to ride on this narrow, leaf-littered trail. While you need to pedal early on, when it drops the final 400m vertical you’ll be off the back of your bike keeping it on the trail.
A final push through Port Douglas and onto Four Mile Beach takes you to one of the best finish lines in the world.
But what about the Triple-R?
This one-day race lives on! 2018 will be the 28th year for the event. Riders can choose the either the 70km Endurance or the 35km Classic options. Both races start at Wetherby Station, just outside Mt Molloy.
Want to know more? Head to the event website for full details.
