With only a few days to go before race kick-off, the town of Bendigo is set to welcome hundreds of mountain bikers from all across the country to the Goldfields region this Sunday the 26th of April.
The Golden Triangle Epic will be celebrating its 10th year in 2015, and this years event will no doubt be the biggest and best yet. As one of the largest club-run mountain bike events in Australia, the Golden Triangle Epic is unique in that all the money raised from entry fees will go straight back into local trail development.
Competitors can expect a brilliant course for 2015, which includes freshly revamped singletrack that the Bendigo MTB Club has been building as part of its ongoing trail development program in Spring Gully, located just 5km from the centre of town.
Vice President of the Bendigo MTB Club, Rim Martin, has been spearheading the Trail Development Committee, which is responsible for developing sustainably built trails for the local riding community.
“We have identified Spring Gully as the priority area for MTB trail development in Bendigo”, said Martin.
“There’s already lots of great singletrack in and around the forests of Bendigo, but the emphasis with the Spring Gully Trail Network is to build sustainable, purpose-built trails that are inclusive of all rider types.”
Hand built by volunteers from the Bendigo MTB Club, the new Green loop is only 65% complete but has already become a roaring success for the local riding community.
“We have been working within Zone 1 of the study area to develop a beginners Green loop. This trail is already open and is receiving an average of 300+ riders a week,” staid Martin.
Longer term, Martin expects that Bendigo has the potential to develop as a mountain biking centre to rival those of the Alpine regions.
“The intention is that the Spring Gully Trail Network will form the northern entry point to the Goldfields Track; a 210km off-road trail that goes all the way to Ballarat. The really exciting part of the Goldfields Track is that it will connect five mountain bike hubs along its length through Central Victoria with Spring Gully being a key component of this.”
President of the Bendigo MTB Club, David Macauley, is excited about the clubs trail building plans, which are turning into a reality thanks to the 2015 Golden Triangle Epic.
“The money we raise from event entries goes straight into developing the Spring Gully Trail Network” said Macauley.
“We have completed Stage 1 by hand with volunteer labour from our members. The next step is to get a proper trail Master Plan developed for the whole area.”
As for this Sunday, Macauley is looking forward to seeing new riders turn up to experience the fantastic riding that Bendigo already has to offer, including those who are choosing to do the full 160km course option.
“The 100 miler was unique when we launched it. Luckily there were a couple of crazy guys who were willing to give it a go the first time. This year there are over 20 men and women having a crack at it, which is amazing!”
But if racing 160km off-road doesn’t float your boat, competitors also have the choice of competing in the 15km, 50km or 100km categories. The cash prize pool has now topped $10,000 thanks to the generous support of the event sponsors, including Andy’s Earthmovers and Isuzu.
Along with spot prizes from TORQ, Birzman, Maxxis and Frameskin, every competitor who enters into the Golden Triangle Epic will have the chance to win a Trek Superfly FS 8 thanks to Cyclescape Bendigo.
So get amongst it! If you’re still yet to get your entry in, registration on the day is fine.
Event Details:
· Date: Sunday 26th of April 2015
· Location: Spring Gully, Bendigo, Victoria
· Distances: 15km Pioneer, 50km, 100km, 160km (100 Miler)
· Entries: www.mtbbendigo.com