Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro
Riders heat up the Red Centre at the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro
Press Release / 09.05.2013
The five day, seven stage Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro is set to heat up the mountain bike trails of Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory next week, Monday 13 to Friday 17 May, 2013.
Now in its’ sixth year, the distinguished off-road stage race will see 200-plus riders take to the single tracks, dusty trails and endless blue skies on offer at one of Australia’s mountain bike hot spots.
The event has attracted everyone from top tier riders to those simply out for an adventure experience in the breathtaking landscapes of the Red Centre, with over 70% of riders coming from interstate across Australia.
Participant numbers are 15% higher than in 2012, with many riders returning to the event due to the quality of the mountain bike trails in the area, and the friendly camaraderie out on the course.
In the men’s category, Andy Blair returns for a third year to defend his 2011 and 2012 Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro titles. The 2012 National Marathon Champion will have some tightly fought stages to contest as he goes head-to-head with 2010 National Marathon Champion Ben Mather (TAS) who also has an Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro title to his name (2010).
South Australian Ben Hogarth is looking to redeem his 2nd place to Blair in 2012. Hogarth will no doubt provide some strong competition to both Blair and Mather after placing 8th at the Oceania XCO Championships last year.
The women’s field will be equally as strong and should provide some quality racing amongst some of Australia’s top female mountain bikers, despite the absence of defending champion Melissa Anset.
Tasmanian Rowena Fry has adjusted her focus back to the mountain bike after a year on the road with Orica-GreenEdge-AIS. The 6-time National Champion across short track, XC and marathon racing will have her work cut out for her with Swell-Specialized team rider Jenny Fay, and the 2012 XC National Champion Jenni King hot on her tail.
Local rider Jess Harries of Alice Springs is also expected to be amongst the top female contenders after a respectable performance in 2012.
A large contingent of Territorians from ‘DORC’ (Darwin Off-Road Cyclists) will travel down from Darwin to contest the epic stage race, led by President Chris Hanson.
DORC was formed 2006 by a group of enthusiastic mountain bikers in the Darwin area, and are long-time supporters of the event.
“We’ve got close to 30 riders from DORC riding this year and just love coming down for the week. The tracks are naturally formed so offer some superb riding; it’s just awesome!” said Mr Hanson.
Other local riders include Michael Smith of Alice Springs who will tackle the full week for the first time, after dabbling at a single stage in 2012.
Anthony Pyne of Fannie Bay moved to the Northern Territory in 2009.
“I moved to the Northern Territory in 2009 and had a riding renaissance. I now live in Darwin, but am back to get stomped in the old grounds,” said Mr Pyne.
Interstate attendance is up on last year at over 70%, with many riders making the journey to Alice Springs to add another experience to their mountain bike repertoire, and to see for themselves just how good the ‘red centre’ is for single-track riding (and site-seeing!).
Julia Jago is from Mt Stuart in Tasmania. The mother of 4 claims to be more a roadie than a mountain biker, but cannot wait to experience riding around Alice Springs for the first time. Michael Chaffey of South Australia is leaving the kids at home to “experience the fun of Alice Springs single track… bring it on!”.
Many competitors have ridden the Ingkerreke Commercial previously and are back for more cranking trails.
54 year old Paul Verheijden of Victoria has been a veteran racer for over 10 years and is one a few returning to ride in Enduro number six. Andrew Goldsworthy of Howard Springs (NT) says he is well and truly addicted after 2012 and is back for a “second year with a number of races and many hours of training later, and hoping for a better result this year.”
The Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro kicks off with stages one and two on Monday 13th May, the Subway Mt Gillen 42km course in the morning, followed by the Ingkerreke Commercial 300m hill climb in the afternoon.
Rapid Ascent Adventure Event Management, the event organisers, encourage the local Alice Springs community to cheer-on riders during the opening stage between 8:50am and 9:00am as they make their way as a single peloton through central Alice Springs, escorted by local police. The ride will begin at the Chifley Alice Springs Resort and ride up Leichhardt Tce and along Wills Tce (Undoolya Rd) before turning left onto the Stuart Highway – a great spectacle that kids and locals have enjoyed in the past.
The ANZAC Hill Sprint begins at 4:30pm that same afternoon and is also a great spectacle with people lining either side of ANZAC Hill to cheer on competitors as they ride up the 300m hill as fast as the can!
THE STAGES
- 13-17 May, 2013 - Alice Springs, Northern Territory
- www.ICME.com.au
- Full Course Description and Detailed Maps
- 5 days, 7 stages:
- Subway Mt Gillen Stage 1 (Monday AM): 42km
- Ingkerreke Commercial Stage 2 (Monday PM): 45second, 300m Hill Climb
- Lasseter’s Casino Stage 3 (Tuesday): 49km
- NT Major Events Stage 4 (Wednesday): 88km
- Schwalbe Stage 5 (Thursday AM): 23km Individual Time Trial
- Cyclecover Stage 6 (Thursday PM): 23km Night Race
- Chifley Alice Springs Resort Stage 7 (Friday): 40km
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