Central Australian Bike Challenge - NE

Alice Springs, NT, Australia, May 13-19, 2006

2005 results Schedule Preview Past winners

Schedule

Prologue - May 13: Alice Springs Prologue, 6km
Stage 1 - May 14: Chambers Engineering Ridge Trail - Asprint Hill Sprint, 37 km
Stage 2 - May 15: The Rhodes Contracting Big One, 90 km
Stage 3 - May 16: The Aurora Ultimate Ride, 39 km
Stage 4 - May 17: The Gorey & Cole Drillers Track, 46 km
Stage 5 - May 18: Top Gear Car and 4WD Centre Route, 31 km
Stage 6 - May 19: THE Neata Glass Time Trial, 18 km

7 Days In The Desert

The outback of Australia again plays host to one the world's great mountain bike adventures with the Central Australian Bike Challenge starting at Alice Springs.

The race has been moved to later in the year to take advantage of the cooler conditions and more notably a lack of flies and fewer "prickles", the infamous tyre piercing thorns of the outback. This decision has also encouraged greater entries with the challenge attracting 158 riders from all across Australia and New Zealand. Winning the prize for longest traveled are "The Fat Monkeys", five ex-pats of various nationalities who live and ride the around the steep hills of Hong Kong. They should find the flatter profiles of the territory easy going.

The race takes place over seven days in and around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Alice Springs started as an outpost for the first telegraph service and has grown into a large town thriving on tourism and servicing the mining industries and cattle stations.

The stages are between 6km in length for the prologue and one epic stage of 90km that takes riders from the Ross River homestead all the way back to the Alice. The terrain is dry, rocky and sandy, making for fast but punishing racing.

Cannondale/Maxxis team rider Aiden Lefman and the in-form Matt Fleming who comes off a win at the Dirtworks 100km race headline the elite end of the field. They will have stiff competition with the Scott/Flight Centre team headed by U23 national champion Mark Frendo.

Matt Fleming's better (and almost as fast) half Kimberley will be looking to thwart Katrin van der Speigel's women's title defence. Alice Springs local Nicole James has put in much work since last year and will be hoping for a hometown win.

The race is well supported by the NT government, local business and riders and there will be a big contingent of locals out riding the event. Race organiser Jack Oldfield says, "Mountain biking is one sport where the elite riders appreciate and recognize efforts put in by the average rider who gets out and has a go. The CABC is a good opportunity for the more casual riders to ride with the best - and feel good about it."

Past winners

2005 Jaap Viergever          Katrin Van der Spiegel
2004 Chris Jongewaard        Jackie Bower
2003 Chris Jongewaard        Jill Burston