It’s been a long wait but the local region will finally get a taste of the 2016 Evocities series next month.
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The track at Geurie was originally meant to host a leg of the rich mountain biking event on September 25 but the incredibly wet winter left the track in an unfit state so it was postponed to an unconfirmed date.
On Wednesday it was announced some of the best riders in Australia and the world would be coming to town for the Dubbo 5 Hour on November 20.
The cancellation and rescheduling caused chaos for the local Dubbo MTB club, whose small group of volunteers struggled to handle preparation a second time around while also organising local club competition.
Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) has stepped in to help ensure the track around the Oaks and Homestead tracks at Geurie will be ready and Dubbo MTB club president Craig Arms said his club can’t wait to finally host the race.
“We’re really proud of our tracks and its always good to have other people come and ride the tracks and see the hard work we’ve done,” he said.
“And we always hope it promotes MTB in the region.”
Arms said there was still plenty of need that works to be done but added he was confident the track would be ready for the November 20 race.
Lynton Auld, the manager of Landcare Services at DRC, confirmed council would be assisting in preparation, with cutting back grass the major job following all the growth caused by rain.
Auld also stated that while DRC was doing the bulk of the preparation work, the local MTB club was still involved in an advisory capacity to ensure all aspects of race day were covered and prepared for.
The Armidale leg of the Evocities series is next up on October 30, and Arms said that will be the perfect lead into the Dubbo race for competitors.
Local competitors will be making the trip for that race, looking to get in top form in the lead-up to the Dubbo 5 Hour.
“Brett Robertson, I think, and Brendan Davies are two strong riders and they’ll be competitive in the Evo race and they’ve been doing really well,” Arms said.
“Neil Diamond and Jason Billsborough are coming third in the Pairs and now they’re at the pointy end of the competition so will be looking to maintain their position and Simone Grounds and Josiah Hoyle are in the Mixed Pairs and are strong riders.
“Marty Tink also deserves a mention because he’s been doing hours and hours of work each week, riding 200km after work, so we expect him to do well too.”