Member for Port Stephens, Craig Baumann yesterday launched the Port to Port MTB (Mountain Bike) Classic to be held for the first time from 1-4 May 2014.
The event will attract top Australian riders, as well as a selection of international riders and is open to all serious recreational riders from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Set in the Newcastle and the Hunter amongst some of the most iconic and beautiful scenery in Australia. Riders will enjoy the best roads, tracks and trails the region has to offer, as they wind their way from Port Stephens to the Newcastle finish line.
“The 2014 Port to Port MTB Classic, supported by the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and the City of Newcastle, will bring to NSW, and in particular Newcastle and the Hunter, an international stage mountain biking event like no other,” Mr Baumann said.
“Our local communities will benefit from the economic impact that the 2014 Port to Port MTB will bring, and, with the NSW Government continuing to promote Newcastle and the Hunter region, this will be a boon to both the local economy and lifestyle.”
Event Director, Chris Heverin, was excited to announce the Port to Port MTB at the official launch.
“We are very excited to be bringing Port to Port MTB to Newcastle and the Hunter”, he said. “Mountain biking is a growing sport and this four day stage event will provide a great challenge for riders of all standards. The Port to Port MTB course is amazing, with some of the best trails in Australia. As a sister event to the fabulous Cape to Cape MTB in Western Australia, we will be giving riders another outstanding MTB stage event.”
Minister for Major Events and Tourism, George Souris said: “The annual calendar of events that has been secured for Newcastle and the Hunter includes international surfing competitions, international rugby, World Cup Soccer qualifiers, many other top sporting events and the nation’s biggest international country music festival.
“Securing and developing events such as the Port to Port MTB is delivering strong results for the region. In the past 12 months, events and festivals are estimated to have been worth about $700 million to the local economies of Newcastle and the Hunter regions,” Mr Souris said.
“During 2012, the Hunter Valley attracted more than 2.2 million domestic and international overnight visitors who spent a combined $1.0 billion in the region during their stay, enjoying the best food and wine the Hunter Valley has to offer.”
Destination NSW CEO, Sandra Chipchase said: “The 2014 Port to Port MTB will not only be a world-class sporting event, it will also showcase to the world the idyllic scenery and world-class riding trails of the Newcastle-Hunter region and boost the local economy.”
