The south east region of Australia hosts a new ultra endurance mountain bike event this Easter. The Monaro Cloudride 1000 is an ultra endurance bikepacking event where riders compete against the clock riding solo, self supported, self timed, navigating over a prescribed off-road route on fire trails and forest roads for 1000 kilometres before arriving back in Canberra. There is also 21,000 metres of vertical climbing along the way.
The field, comprising twenty riders including several from overseas will leave Canberra at 8.00am on Easter Saturday and make their way over to Bungendore before heading south through national parks and state forests via Numeralla to their first food re-supply opportunity at Nimmitabel 190 kilometres into the 1000 km long course.
There are no required checkpoints or designated rest periods however riders are permitted to use the commercial services in the towns they pass through for food, lodging, laundry and mechanical repairs. They must not seek or accept any outside support from the general public or other riders.
It is expected that the leading riders will complete the course in a little over four days however the majority will most likely take six to ten days for the epic.
USA rider Calvin Decker at age 22 is the youngest in the field however he is very experienced and finished second in last year’s 4,400 km US Tour Divide that runs from Canada to the Mexican border. Canberra rider Daniel Spasojevic and Canadian Rod Atkinson have both completed the 12,000 km Tour d’Afrique that runs from Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa.
The toughest section of the course will undoubtedly be the crossing of the Victorian Alpine Park via Mt Tingaringy. This section comprises brutally steep unridable fire trails and could take riders 10-14 hours to cover the 70 km before crossing the Snowy River and commencing the 11 km climb up the Barry Way on their way through to Jindabyne.
From Jindabyne the riders make their way through to Cabramurra, Batlow, Tumut and on to Wee Jasper for the final 100 km push over the Brindabella’s and into Canberra to complete the course. There is no prizemoney, no medals just the satisfaction of completing the course.
Full rider profiles, bike and equipment choice can be found on the event website
Riders will be tracked 24 hours a day from the start via the race tracking website.