MOUNTAIN bikers from around Australia and overseas are flooding into Tasmania for Australia's premier cross-country mountain bike stage race, the Pure Tasmania Wildside MTB, which starts tomorrow at Cradle Mountain Chateau.

Almost 500 riders will complete seven competition stages and six cruising stages before finishing at Strahan Village on Tuesday.

About 300 of the riders are from interstate, with all states and territories represented, and riders have come from Switzerland, France, Columbia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore and the UK.

The elite field is one of the strongest in the event's 10-year history, with four-time winner and Olympian Sid Taberlay the men's favourite.

Canadian Max Plaxton will be his biggest threat.

The women's field suffered a blow this week with the withdrawal of the 2008 Wildside winner, Launceston's Rowena Fry, due to her national team commitments.

This leaves the winner of the last national series event, Jenni King, of NSW, a clear favourite.