Big things expected from the Port to Port MTB

Over 300 recreational and professional mountain bikers will stream into Northern New South Wales for the inaugural Port to Port MTB in one week’s time.

Big things are expected from the inaugural race, to be held over four stages in Newcastle and The Hunter Valley from Thursday 29 May to Sunday 1 June, 2014. The Port to Port MTB is the sister event to the successful Cape to Cape MTB, which has celebrated exponential growth in Western Australia in the six years since its inception.

With a strong selection of elite riders participating in the Port to Port MTB, including Cape to Cape MTB champions Jenny Fay and Andy Blair, both riding for the Swell Specialized MTB Team, it’s sure to be a tight scramble to the end.

Andy Blair will be in good form after competing in several major races in his attempt to be selected for the Commonwealth Games. These races include the first two XCO World Cup races in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) and Cairns, where he had a notable performance, finishing 28th against the best XC racers in the world.

Port to Port MTB will be Jenny Fay’s last race in Australia before she heads to Europe and sets her focus on the European XCM Championships.

Also taking on the race is a massive 10 strong elite team from TORQ, with some young guns lining up alongside their more experienced racers. Expect the TORQ team to work together to bring in some big results. Look out for Mark Tupalski (4th at 2013 C2C MTB), Chris Hamilton (9th 2013 C2C MTB) and Ben Forbes (top 20 2013 C2C MTB).

Yet it is not all about the elites. Joining the field for his first ever stage event is Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability winner Michael Milton. The 11-time Paralympic medallist has always loved mountain biking while also pursuing a hugely successful career as an alpine skier, track cyclist and triathlete. He’s also Australia’s fastest ever skier and the world’s fastest with a disability, clocking an amazing 213.65km/hr! Michael has raced in the Mark Webber Challenge, a five-day adventure race in Tasmania, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, completed the 293km long Coast to Coast Kokoda Challenge and holds a marathon world record.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Andrew Stoner, said he looks forward to welcoming participants and guests to Newcastle and the Hunter Region of NSW for the inaugural Port to Port MTB.

“The Port to Port MTB is an exciting new addition to the NSW Events Calendar, and the Government is proud to have secured it for the State over the next three years through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW,” Mr Stoner said.

“Competitors from across the world are sure to love this magnificent part of NSW, which is easily reached from the international gateway of Sydney and is home to many natural attractions, fantastic local restaurants, renowned wineries, and galleries and museums.”

The Port to Port MTB begins at the idyllic Nelson Bay Marina, where riders are greeted by four days of sandy tracks, fire trails, testing hill climbs, fast single tracks and steep descents through the Hunter Valley and Newcastle Region. Some notable sections include the testing hill climb of Mount View on Day 2, and the historic embellishments along the way on Day 3. The Super Sunday ends the race, comprising the world class track that is the Glenrock MTB Trail, which then descends along the spectacular Merewether coastline, before finishing up at Newcastle.

all images courtesy of FLOWMTB.com