Cairns to host world’s top mountain biking event

Crankworx, the world’s most watched mountain bike event, has announced that Cairns will be added to its World Tour in 2022 and will be held for the next two years at the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park.

Becoming the fourth stop for the 2022 Crankworx World Tour, the five-day Crankworx Cairns event is set to welcome around 1200 athletes, 220 volunteers and an expected 34,000 spectators between 5th and 9th October.

Introducing the event, Crankworx World Tour Managing Director Darren Kinnaird said their team had been working with Cairns stakeholders since 2018 to bring the event to Australia.

Kinnaird advised “the collaboration among stakeholders including Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Cairns Regional Council, AusCycling, Yirrigandji Traditional Owners, James Cook University and Cairns Mountain Bike Club has been crucial to bringing Crankworx to Cairns.

“Crankworx Cairns will give our athletes an additional fourth competitive stop and will bring the ultimate mountain biking experience to our fans in Australia while showcasing the Wet Tropics Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef to mountain biking fans around the world.

“The Crankworx festival will feature elite competition, amateur and our CWNEXT next generation racing, Kidsworx events plus a vibrant expo and festival vibe to bring mountain bike and action sports fans together to experience Aussie hospitality at its finest.”

Member for Cairns and Queensland Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy said Crankworx Cairns would bring even more global exposure to Tropical North Queensland, adding “the 2022 Crankworx World Tour coincides with our comprehensive overseas campaign to bring international visitors back to the Tropical North after Covid.

“We’re at the start of a golden decade of opportunity ahead of Queensland’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (and) events like Crankworx Cairns demonstrate our region’s ability to host world-class events and remind international audiences of our stunning visitor attractions and experiences.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive, Mark Olsen said one-quarter of the footage to be televised across the world will be devoted to showcasing Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef to encourage visitation resulting in millions of dollars in publicity.

Olsen noted “this prestigious mountain biking event will be held in Cairns for the next two years positioning the region as an iconic mountain biking and adventure tourism destination and cementing its reputation for hosting international sporting events alongside a stunning reef and rainforest backdrop.

“In addition to an anticipated 31,000 bed nights for our region, Crankworx will deliver a worldwide audience with the global eyeballs on Cairns further driven by a partnership with Red Bull Media House to broadcast five live finals globally and a post event 60-minute telecast to 17.8 million viewers.”

Cairns has a long association with mountain biking, with the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park, set in a spectacular rainforest environment, having hosted four international events dating back to 1996.

The project received grant funding from Austrade’s Recovery for Regional Tourism program.

Crankworx World Tour
Born in the Canadian resort of Whistler in 2004, Crankworx has evolved into a multi-stop international festival series bringing together the best mountain bike athletes to compete in elite-level competitions in a variety of disciplines.

The full 2022 Crankworx World Tour is:

• 15th to 19th June: Crankworx Innsbruck (Austria)

• 5th to 14th August: Crankworx Whistler

• 5th to 9th October: Crankworx Cairns

• 5th to 13th November: Crankworx Rotorua

Images: Remy Morten, Tracey Hannah and Glen Jacobs announce the arrival of Crankworx in Cairns (top) and the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park (below).