Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region to welcome Crankworx mountain bike festival

The Crankworx World Tour, a multi-stop series of mountain bike festivals, bringing together the best mountain bike athletes to compete in elite-level competitions in a variety of disciplines, is being held in Cairns from 17th – 21st May 2023 on the Smithfield trails.

Competitors from around the world are making their way to Cairns to compete in the event which is known as ‘The Paradise Edition’.

Hosting the world’s most watched mountain bike event, provides incredible exposure for Tropical North Queensland with the tour having a global audience of millions and during the five days of competition in Cairns, more than 550 competitors will showcase their skills and over 9,000 spectators are expected to watch the action trackside.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning shared “last year’s inaugural event was an incredible success, and we are expecting a similar response this year. Hosting the world’s most watched mountain bike event, provides incredible exposure for Tropical North Queensland.”

The Smithfield trails are unique in the way they wind and twist their way through the rainforest, over and through streams and gullies, and along ridges that showcase views of the Great Barrier Reef.

Crankworx Cairns Event Director Callum Ray shared “the course build project is the real hero of the Crankworx Cairns event. The trail builders draw inspiration from the uniqueness of the Cairns landscape and surrounding environment. The overall goal is to get more people frothing over the trails and getting out there riding, as well as setting a benchmark for Australian mountain biking.”

With around 5,000 visitors expected to the region, staying more than 34,000 visitor nights, the Crankworx World Tour is expected to deliver an $8 million boost to the local economy.

The Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, is supporting this event as a feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.

It is the second year Cairns has hosted the event, after it launched there in 2022.

There will be 10 hours of live globally broadcast content across 30 countries through the Red Bull Media House broadcast which could reach 17.8 million people.

Local State Member for Cairns and Assistant Tourism Minister Cairns Michael Healy notes “Cairns is the perfect host for this event.

“What a spectacular backdrop for competitors to ride right alongside the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and through the Wet Tropics and I know competitors and spectators go home from this event, with incredible memories.

“It’s a win for our local businesses too with hotels and restaurants filling up, transport services busy and our tourism operators taking visitors out to explore this beautiful region.”

QLD Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe added “this is one of Tropical North Queensland’s biggest events and for a second year running the community and businesses of Cairns are keen to welcome competitors and fans back for the event.

“I know many of them will take the opportunity to get out and explore the many wonders of the region and immerse themselves in the incredible visitor experiences while they’re here.”

Callum Ray acknowledged and thanked Building Better Regions Fund from the Federal Government along with their strategic partners for their collaboration on this course build project including Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Cairns Regional Council and Cairns Airport adding “we are looking forward to welcoming the world’s best athletes to the region over the next few days to ride this world class course whilst showcasing the Wet Tropics Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef to mountain biking fans around the world on Red Bull TV.

“Thanks to support from the Queensland Government, we’re also excited to extend our Community Program aimed at getting people excited to get on their bikes and experience these trails for themselves. This year our programs will include Kidsworx, visits to local schools, Indigenous Youth Program, Women in Cycling and adaptable ride programs”

Images. Credit: Crankworx