Wild mountain bikers get cranking for 2023

l CAIRNS

| NICK DALTON

THE elite mountain biking event, Crankworx, is returning to the Far North after a successful debut last year.

The Smithfield Mountain Park Bike Park will be the second stop on the Crankworx World Tour from May 17-21, 2023.

In 2022, Cairns made its mark on the world tour as ‘The Paradise Edition’, with the world’s best mountain biking athletes making their way across the globe to experience the Reef, wildlife, and adrenalin activities that the region offers, while also sending it on the world class tracks.

It injected an estimated $7.7 million into the economy last year.

Cairns MP Michael Healy said Crankworx Cairns was backed by the Palaszczuk Labor government because it brought thousands of interstate and overseas visitors to Cairns.

“It’s fantastic to have Crankworx back in Cairns for 2023 after last year’s hugely successful Australian debut in Tropical North

Queensland. We know many visitors here for Crankworx in 2022 extended their stay to explore more of Tropical North Queensland’s unforgettable tourism experiences.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said Crankworx was a gamechanger that would position Tropical North Queensland as an internationally renowned mountain biking destination.

“The inaugural Cairns Crankworx last year showcased the destination and its world-class mountain biking infrastructure to hundreds of thousands of people around the world,”he said.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the athletes and their fans back to Cairns to enjoy mountain biking in the world’s oldest rainforest and a holiday taking in the Great Barrier Reef and our ancient Indigenous culture.”

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said he was looking forward to seeing Crankworx Cairns return in May.

“We are expecting 12,500 attendees from international, national and local markets to descend on Crankworx Cairns for a week of world class racing, with riders bringing even more excitement to the region with their array of aerial acrobatics,” he said.

The top 16 slopestyle athletes in the world will be competing, offering the only chance for

Aussies to see these elite athletes in the flesh as they pull out all the stops for precious Crankworx points.

Riders and sports fans will enjoy watching athletes such as Caroline Buchanan, the Queen of Crankworx title holder from 2022 who said: “I am hyped for 2023. The Crankworx World Tour is my main passion and love.

“I am most excited to compete on Aussie soil again in Cairns and see all the kids back competing in Cairns who were taking it all in this year and inspired to compete at their first Crankworx. Inspire and be inspired. Let’s go,” she said.

Events in the works include slopestyle, downhill, dual slalom, speed and style, pump track, and whip-off, among others.

For more information and to buy a festival pass go to: www.crankworx.com/cairns

“We invite competitors to join in the action, whether as an athlete participating for Team COUCH in Ironman70.3 Cairns, joining in the 5km COUCH charity fun run during Ironman Festival Week or by volunteering,” she said.

“Funds raised from your participation and fundraising activities will support the health and wellbeing of Far North Queenslanders impacted by cancer.

“We appreciate this opportunity to be associated with such an incredible event, and the support that is shown to us by the Ironman Group team.

“They truly do care about our region and giving back to the community. It’s not just the economic benefits they bring through sport tourism, but their incredible philanthropic values.

“We are so appreciative of this opportunity to be their charity partner. They go above and beyond to ensure we can maximise our fundraising potential and exposure.

“They also organise the COUCH charity fun run, which takes place as an official Ironman Festival event on the Friday morning of race week (June 16).”

Ms Dent said each year COUCH was allocated a certain number of team and individual “fundraising entries” to the event.

“This year, we are doing things a little differently. We are offering free registrations to our fundraising individuals and teams if they sign up before Monday, March 6 and commit to raising a minimum $2000 as an individual participant and $3000 as a team,” she said.

Taking part again is Adhesive director Vanessa Allen.

“I started 2022 wanting to set a goal that was going to be difficult to achieve, and given that I have never been a runner and not even athletic when I was at school, I thought, what better than to set a challenging fitness goal,” she said.

“The other motivation is that I would get to help COUCH by fundraising along the journey.

“The feeling of crossing the finishing line with my team was incredibly uplifting and emotional ...”

Jo Brierley of Team ‘First at the Wrong End’ is also back again for the fifth time.

“This is the fifth year that I have been part of a COUCH team, I am humbled by the donations from family and friends and knowing that every time I do up my laces for this event will help so many other people,” she said.

To get behind Team COUCH as a sponsor or volunteer, or to participate in the Ironman 70.3 Cairns for COUCH email Ms Dent at info@couch.org.au