Race For Rainbows | Masters Worlds is headed back to Cairns

Rounding out its two-year tenure, the UCI Masters MTB World Champs returns to Cairns for a frankly massive week of racing, offering glory or redemption to the 35+ racing contingent. The majestic tropical rainforest is beckoning you May 14th-18th — will you heed its call?

Glory or Redemption | Who can race?

At the time of writing, over a hundred racers are signed up to compete across the XC and Downhill offerings, doing battle between the tape at Smithfield in stunning Tropical North Queensland, with around double that expected. Humidity and immense scenery are guaranteed, but the winners are far from pre-determined.

Related:

• Countdown To Crankworx | Riding and Exploring Tropical North Queensland
• Flow’s Ride Guide | Smithfield, Home of Crankworx Cairns
• Flow Destination Hub | Cairns, QLD

Did you race last year and sip from the bitter goblet of defeat? Now’s the time to regain your honour in front of a roaring crowd on the hallowed soil of the beautiful rainforests of Tropical North Queensland.

Once again doubling up with the UCI Masters MTB World Champs and Cairns Crankworx the week following, those racing can expect the world-class infrastructure shared across each, and race courses lined with throngs of frothed up spectators ready to gee up battling riders. Perhaps you should be one of them?

Open to riders over 35, last year, there were a handful of absolute legends competing in the DH 70-74  age group and XC 80-84 category!

Fun in the Jungle | What does the schedule look like?

With the 2024 edition of the event narrowly avoiding cancellation thanks to brutal tropical storms lashing the area in the lead-up, organisers have their fingers crossed for smoother sailing ahead of this year’s race. Here’s hoping for a less slip-n-slide feel to the race courses.

Athlete registration will commence on Wednesday, 14 May, and the DH track walk will start the same day, giving riders the chance to scope those cheeky line choices and figure out the all-important track taping puzzles.

Training will begin for both XCO and DHI from 9am Thursday May 15 and will be repeated on Friday, allowing competitors a lengthy window of opportunity to refine lines and shave precious seconds off in finals.

The first rainbow jerseys will be handed out on Saturday with practice, seeding and finals for all age groups. XCO will follow on Sunday with racing happening all day.

Fresh Lines and Ol’ Classics | Tell us about the courses

Flow reached out to Nathan Bassett, Head of Event for both UCI Mountain Bike World Champs and Crankworx Cairns, for confirmation on changes to the Downhill and XC courses for the 2025 UCI Masters MTB World Champs. He promises the track is in the best condition since the 2017 Championships.

“It’s seen significant upgrades and enhancements, including the re-establishment of Mick’s Drop, and The Generator and Ronnings Ramp have been modified to allow for extra speed and rider control,” says Bassett.

Hell yeah, trail crew! But that’s not all…

“The Switchbacks at the top of the course saw some extra time from the trail builders, providing smooth flow and some tweaks to the Whoops and Rock Garden has the track riding as good as ever,” he continues.

We’re not sure about you folks, but we’re getting the impression the course is going to be in mint condition come race time.

But what of the XC track? Working firmly on the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, model Bassett explains, “The 2024 Championships saw the race management team develop a first-class cross country course, with significant trail upgrades provided by the Contour Works team, showcasing some of the highlights of the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park.”

With the opening section featuring a combination of winding trails and climbs through Wallaby, Cadels and Whiskers trails, the course connects to the flowy descent on the refurbished Centipede trail featured in last year’s epic race. The course then connects under the DHI Worlds Bridge into the newly upgraded Wobbegong trail climb and descent, launching weary riders into the wide rolling trails of Greenfields.

In Bassett’s words, “The course provides a wide variety of high quality trails which combine techy climbs, flowy descents and plenty of openings for race strategy and overtaking.”

All signs point to hard-charging racing, then.

History in the Making | How do you sign up?

Some riders in attendance may even claim to have been present in the glory days of Smithfield MTB Park’s rich history — hosting the UCI MTB World Championships, with classic races taking place as far back as 1996 and more recently in 2017.

AusCycling’s Sarscha Huntington excitedly explained that international racers signed up to partake would also include a nationality not often seen on the World Champs circuit.

“We even have a competitor from Iran who’ll be racing this year! They’ve had to go through a strict approvals process and obtain a visa just to come and take part,” Huntington says.

Now, that’s dedication to the cause!

So, if you fancy slinging some new tyres on the race rig for another shot at a rainbow jumper in one of the most stunning environments on the continent, now’s your chance. Head to the UCI Masters MTB World Champs website to sign up, and set about lining up your dream trip.

What else is on? | Atmosphere and Expo

As in previous years, attendees can expect a festival vibe in the expo area packed with brands like SRAM, Maxxis, DHaRCO, Shimano, CLIF, FUNN, Granite, Kenny, NVRLOST, Ultime Velo, and more. For those who are thirsty and partake, a bar will be on-site to satiate spectators for post-race humidity-busting refreshments. We’re getting hot under the collar just thinking about it.

Of course, if you’re already in the area and have spent the week racing, it’d probably be a good idea to stick around for the Crankworkx Cairns madness from the following Monday. Tickets for the event are available now on their official website, so whaddaya waiting for?