Get down and dirty at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Cairns
Nestled away in the far north region of Queensland is Cairns, a city well known for its lush natural scenery. The tropical atmosphere, dense rainforests and crystal clear waters are stunning at any time of the year, but from April 25-27 it's set to be a scene of high-octane action as Round 2 of the 2014 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup Series comes to town.
The UCI is the governing body that oversees a variety of high-speed competitions for everything from BMX to para-cycling. For this year's Mountain Bike World Cup event, riders from all around the globe will compete on the challenging Smithfield Trails in the Smithfield Conservation Park. Each part of the route has already been assessed by the World Trail crew to ensure it will be ready to accommodate the upcoming onslaught of mountain bikers.
There are sure to be plenty of thrills and maybe even a few spills along the way as competitors race to claim the top spot and the honour of being crowned champion for 2014. The three-day event is being called the 'Rumble in the Rainforest' and is an official competition presented by Cycling Australia.
"World Cup event, riders from all around the globe will compete on the challenging Smithfield Trails in the Smithfield Conservation Park."
In 2014 a total of 121 teams have registered to take part in the gruelling contest, with New Zealand and Lesotho entering teams of their own for the very first time. Teams compete in a mix of endurance (cross-country) and gravity (downhill) races that will truly pick out the leaders from the group. Cairns last hosted mountain biking on a global level in 1996 when the Mountain Bike World Championships were held.
It's been a long wait since then, but now mountain biking fans have a chance to catch all of their favourites live on the trails. To secure your own spots by the finish line, make sure you have your holiday accommodation organised.
Mantra has you covered with a range of options in Cairns such as Mantra Esplanade on the waterfront, complete with gym, pool and spa. Alternatively, Mantra Trilogy complete with a beachfront lagoon style pool with picturesque ocean views.