First Trans Oz bike race will take riders 2,000 miles across Australia
£5,000 prize for winner of epic challenge
Published:
After cycling solo across Australia earlier this year, British explorer Mike Laird has decided to organise an epic amateur bike race that will follow a similar route.
The first Trans Oz Bike Ride will cover 3,374km (2,097 miles) in 17 stages, with competitors starting in Melbourne and riding north through Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to finish in Cairns.
The race in May 2011 will include road, dirt road and hill stage, and riders will need to average 198km a day to be in with a chance of winning the £5,000 prize.
Early stages of the route will retrace the steps of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition of 1860, when seven men died attempting the north-south crossing on foot, camel and horseback.
The Trans Oz will surely prove more successful, although competitors will still face hazards including extremes of temperature and the local wildlife – Laird encountered redback spiders, brown snakes and giant lizards on his journey.
“This truly was an experience of a lifetime and I’m delighted to be able to open this up to other people with an appetite for adventure!” said Laird, who lost 21lb during his ride across Australia due to the gruelling terrain and scorching heat.
“We’ve planned and researched every element of the race to ensure that the Trans Oz Bike Ride runs as smoothly as possible. We’re looking for people with a serious passion for cycling to become involved. Anyone with determination, bags of energy and a decent bike should reach the finish line.”
Mike Laird celebrates the end of his epic solo cycle ride across Australia earlier this year in Normanton, Queensland
Laird, 41, is a seasoned traveller who took part in the BBC’s Castaway 2000 TV programme alongside Ben Fogle. Since that time he has led and joined expeditions in remote locations as diverse as Ethiopia, Bolivia, Mongolia and Alaska.
In 2007 he joined the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan as a photographer. He is CEO of the charity Marocaroundtheclock as well as a trustee of the UK Scientific Exploration Society and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.
To find out more about the Trans Oz Bike Ride, visit www.transozbikeride.com or email info@transozbikeride.com.
Race stages
|
Date |
Activity |
Distance covered |
|
9 May 2011 |
Stage 1 – Melbourne to Bendigo |
148km |
|
10 May |
Stage 2 – Bendigo to Swan Hill |
188km |
|
11 May |
Stage 3 – Swan Hill to Mildura |
222km |
|
12 May |
Stage 4 – Mildura to Broken Hill |
265km |
|
13 May |
Rest day |
|
|
14 May |
Stage 5 – Broken Hill to Packsaddle |
209km |
|
15 May |
Stage 6 – Packsaddle to Tibooburra |
127km |
|
16 May |
Stage 7 – Tibooburra to ‘the bush’ |
142km |
|
17 May |
Stage 8 – ‘The bush’ to Noccundra |
141km |
|
18 May |
Stage 9 – Noccundra to Eromanga |
180km |
|
19 May |
Stage 10 – Eromanga to Windorah |
250km |
|
20 May |
Stage 11 – Windorah to Stonehenge |
171km |
|
21 May |
Stage 12 – Stonehenge to Longreach |
220km |
|
22 May |
Rest day |
|
|
23 May |
Stage 13 – Longreach to Winton |
180km |
|
24 May |
Stage 14 – Winton to Hughenden |
206km |
|
25 May |
Stage 15 – Hughenden to ChartersTowers |
243km |
|
26 May |
Stage 16 – ChartersTowers to Ingham |
246km |
|
27 May |
Stage 17 – Ingham to Cairns |
236km |
Authors
BikeRadar provides the world's best riding advice. We're here to help you get the most out of your time on the bike, whether you're a road rider, mountain biker, gravel rider, cycle commuter or anything in between. You can expect the latest news and features, in-depth reviews from our expert team of testers, impartial buying advice, how-to tips and plenty more.
