A week long Mountain Bike festival will be held in Townsville two years in a row following a successful bid by the Townsville North Queensland Bid Fund.

The festival will be held in April/ May 2017 and 2018 and encompasses a number of events including

• A down hill race down the iconic Castle Hill
• The XCM (Marathon) National Championships
• A staged race which will cater for bikers from amateur to elite level

Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) Chief Executive Officer Shane Coppin said Townsville was chosen to host the national event due to its diverse landscape and experiences on offer for visitors.

“This event is all about offering something for everyone. As a destination, Townsville has an incredible amount to offer mountain bikers of all levels including sensational views, all within a beautiful tropical location. The views you get riding along the cliff’s edge at Pallarenda overlooking Magnetic Island are fantastic and having Castle Hill right in the centre of the city provides an event opportunity that could be something very special, and even iconic in the sport of mountain biking. This event is not just about the racing – this festival is based around a destination, and maximising the region’s natural beauty and landscape to provide mountain bikers and their families and supporters with a unique mountain biking experience and holiday. MTBA are very appreciative of the support and investment from both Townsville Enterprise and Townsville City Council to make this opportunity now a reality.

“Townsville is also blessed with a very strong local Mountain Bike community led by the Townsville Rockwheelers. We look forward to working closely with them to ensure we deliver a top class event.”

Townsville Enterprise Chair Kevin Gill said the event will attract over 300 competitors to the region and provide an opportunity for the city to be marketed across the country.

“This event offers the opportunity to be crowned the Australian Marathon National Champion and will have mountain bike enthusiasts following the competition from across the country. I’m a keen mountain biker and I know from experience that once you’ve experienced a great track you go and tell all your mates and family.

Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and enhances this city’s destination attractiveness and position as an events hub.

We have an opportunity through this event to transform Townsville into the top mountain biking destination in the country.

“To have the launch event staged on Castle Hill will see images of our destination showcased across social media and in magazines across the country and this is a great opportunity to put the region on show for the hundreds of visitors in the region who will tell their family and friends about their experience and potentially attract additional visitation.”

This event has been secured through close collaboration with Council which responded quickly to ensure that the event was secured.

Mayor Jenny Hill said hosting the national event will help to cement Townsville’s reputation as the events capital of regional Australia.

“This is the second major event the Bid Fund has secured in a week. It’s proof that the collaborative efforts of city leaders and the tourism and events industry through the Bid Fund is working and I look forward to more events being announced in the future.

Townsville City Council has also committed $50K to support Mountain Bike Track development

“Townsville City Council has also committed $50K to support Mountain Bike Track development in Townsville as part of this event initiative so this project is a win win situation for visitors and locals alike. We look forward to working with the expertise in the Townsville Rockwheelers to ensure investment is made into the right tracks and areas.”

The event is estimated to inject over $700K into the local economy each year.

Source
Townsville Enterprise News