Desert racing: ICME starts 19th May
Alice Springs is right in the middle of Australia.
Alice Springs is right in the middle of Australia. You could say it’s a long way away, but it’s equally close to just about every Australian state Capital. The MTB community in Alice is very strong, with incredible work done by the Central Australian Rough Riders in running events, and getting people in mountain biking.
What a lot of people don’t realise is how good Alice Springs is for mountain biking. Yes, it gets hot in summer. But that’s why the night riding is so good. Best of all, you can escape a cold or wet climate between March and October and have temperatures in the mid to high 20’s, low humidity, and just about zero chance of rain. So, perfect mountain biking.
Add about 300km of singletrack accessible from the network of cyclepaths in town, and you’re set to go.
On May 19th, the Ingkerreke Commerical MTB is starting – it’s a five day stage race that includes 7 stages. From a 300m long sprint to an 80km outback odyssey, this race uses a lot of the great trails in Alice Springs, with plenty of time each day for a post race 2nd breakfast or early lunch in the Todd Mall, if you didn’t eat enough Subway cookies and sandwiches at the end. Subway Mt Gillen are a huge supporter of mountain bike events in Alice, they keep you well fed!
James Downing, of the Sugoi-Cannondale Team, will keep AMB readers upto date via AMBmag.com.au all week, plus you can follow him on twitter: @jdowning26
Day ones report is here:
