Reef to Reef 2022 Day 3 - Mount Molloy Mayhem
Day 3 of the 2022 Reef to Reef was back on the tablelands, starting and finishing in Mount Molloy.
Day 3 of the 2022 Reef to Reef MTB stage race also happens to be a Saturday – what could be better? After the singletrack sojourn at Smithfiled on Day 1, and the drifty dirt at Davies Creek on Day 2, today the race would start and finish at Mount Molloy, up on the tablelands above Port Douglas.
Mount Molloy has a history of copper mining and timber, with countless superfeet of timber being felled and milled at the large timber mill in town, which burnt down for the final time in the 60s. There's now a fig tree growing out of the stack near a boiler, a somewhat fitting tribute to the forest trying to stake a claim and regrow. Much of the area is cattle farm, including the iconic Wetherby Station which the race would pass through today.
A cool fog sat at the sports field which was race central, but as 8am dawned we were all ready to ride, taking to the highway for a neutral start about 1.5km down the road. Today we started as two groups, not five, so it was a little more hectic than other days, including having solo riders in the mix with teams. Through the undulations of the dirt road the group splintered a little, but really only split as we entered the canefields, with some riders pushing wide and down an embankment (towards a barb wire fence) before we crossed a ditch and got into the farm trails.
These trails were double track on occasion, singletrack at other times, ruts at others, twists and turns through lantana-filled gullies, or short and sharp drops into flowing streams. From downed trees to wash outs and wheel traps, you had to stay in your toes. But it was fast!
And it was fun as well. While the front group was splitting up, with strong roaders pipped and capable mountain bikers moving up, much of this was ridden in groups with a few teams and a couple of solo riders.
The course exited onto a gravel road near a farm entrance, before climbing into one of two National Parks we would traverse. The rainforest on the range here was cool, like entering an airconditioned tunnel. The terrain was fast, with red dirt packed hard beneath our tyres and towering rainforest on each side of us. The calls of cat birds, wompoo fruit doves and more could be heard. You might even spot a ulysees butterfly if you stopped. The terrain edged towards rolling hills, putting pressure on some riders more than others as the kilometres ticked past 30. But at the feed zone 40km in, a fast front group was still together, turning onto Black Mountain road and out of the dense fdorest to climb towards the finish. This last climb may have felt like death by a thousand cuts for some. A steep ramp would be followed by a relatively flat section, before another steep ramp in the sun. And repeat.
The descent was fast, coming down next to an open paddock with views towards the top of Mossman Gorge to the right – did you have time to look?
From here racers powered to the finish, and in open men the leading teams of Tasman Nankervis and Alex Lack, and Jon Odams and Brendan Johnston came in together, as Tas and Alex defended their lead.
Mixed Pairs leaders Em Viotto and Karl Michelin-Beard won the stage, just ahead of a storming Peta Mullens and Jarrod Moroni, with Holly Harris and Mitch Docker in 3rd. Open women's leaders Anna Beck and Karen Hill were hot on their wheels as women's stage winners.
Today was totally distinct to the past two days. We rode rough trails, fast forest road in the rainforest, and through farm roads and cattle country. It was a super fast day, with the opporunity to push hard and force mistakes from your competitors. There's a lot of terrain to explore up in this part of Queensland, and a lot of the area is still pretty wild. We had to miss the Twin Bridges trail this year as it's not in good shape. But it's there for another year.
Tomorrow, we exit as we finished today's stage and loop back towards Black Mountain Road before embarking on the Bump Track. It's downhill, but not right away once you cross onto the bump. There are climbs, a deep creek crossing to clamber through, and then after the bullock's rest it's an elevator shaft to the bottom. Manage your brakes! You'll scythe through cane farms, jet through the backstreets of Port Douglas, and come out on the beach for a drag race up the firm sand to the finish arch at the surf club. Bring it on!
