TOP athletes will put the pedal to the metal as more than 1500 mountain bike riders descend on Lake Macquarie for the GWM Mountain Bike National Championships in March.
The 2024 Championships, held for the first time at the Awaba Mountain Bike Park at the foot of the Watagan Mountains, will include downhill, adaptive, cross-country and pump track disciplines.
AusCycling chief executive Marne Fechner said the event will be bigger and better than any previous contest held at Awaba, with riders across all categories, including world-class athletes bound for the 2024 Paris Olympics and UCI World Championships.
"The GWM Mountain Bike National Championships are recognised as the premier event on the Australian mountain bike racing calendar," Ms Fechner said.
"In each event, first-placed riders are acknowledged as the National Champion for that discipline, so there is a lot at stake, and it takes months and years of training to reach that level.
"This competition is also key to qualifying for the UCI World Championships."
The event is expected to welcome some of the world's top mountain bike riders, including multiple World Cup winner Rebecca Henderson, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zoe Cuthbert and multiple World Championship medallist Troy Brosnan.
Among them will be local competitors like 17-year-old Bella Schofield, who's one of a few women brave enough to tackle downhill racing.
"It's a more difficult version of Enduro, you get shuttled to the top and then timed on the way down, it can be a bit scary," she said.
"There's no off season, people train all year to compete at a national event, you need to get road riding in, a lot of pedalling and time on the bike.
"There's been more girls come into it recently, I think there's a bit of a fear factor in a male dominated sport, it's scary being out there but there's definitely been some improvements."
A number of top international competitors are expected to be confirmed closer to the event.
Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said it's an enormous windfall for the city, and the Hunter region.
"It's not just the 1500-plus competitors, more than half of whom will be from outside the region, seeking places to stay, eat and socialise outside the competition," she said.
"It's also their families, friends and support staff.
"Those five days of competition will provide a massive boost to our tourism industry, and it will also draw attention to the incredible mountain biking we have right here on our doorstep."
What started as a fringe sport in California in the 1970s has grown to become a multi-billion dollar recreational and sporting pursuit worldwide.
An estimated 342,000 Australians participate in mountain biking, spending more than $630 million a year in the process and supporting 6100 full-time jobs.
Hunter Mountain Bike Association president Josh Bridson said Awaba Mountain Bike Park provided plenty of options to create challenging courses for all riding styles.
"Our downhill mountain bike track, known as 'The Monkey', is famous for being one of the toughest in Australia," he said.
"Winning on this track takes a mix of skill, bravery and a bit of luck.
"Hosting this event is a fantastic opportunity for the HMBA community to showcase our trails and help deliver a top-notch event for riders from all over the country."
He said it's also a chance to highlight Lake Macquarie as a destination, with the event expected to provide an economic boost to tourism and hospitality vendors across the city.
Each discipline in the championships requires different skills and training.
Cross-country sees competitors race through sections of uphill, downhill and flat terrain in the fastest time possible, navigating anything from winding, narrow 'single-tracks' to open fire trails.
Downhill is a more extreme form of the sport, where riders descend steep terrain, often over boulders, tree roots and jumps in a timed race to the finish line.
Pump track competitions require riders to speed around a short, undulating course, using only their momentum and gravity for speed, rather than pedal power.
Adaptive mountain biking focuses on riders who have limitations riding a standard mountain bike.
For more information visit auscycling.org.au.
