And it didn’t take long for a couple of standout features to swiftly become the talk of the North-East town.

The aptly-named Trouty trail which passes Derby’s well-known painted fish provided some of the most photogenic locations but there was no doubt which hazard most captured the imagination.

On the upper reaches of the Blue Derby Detonate trail is a treacherous chasm that descends between two giant boulders offering riders just a few centimetres room for error.

Most riders took it slowly as they rode the feature for the first time but on Sunday they will tackle it at full speed on the second of the race’s seven stages.

Even the handful of home-state riders seemed surprised by the latest challenge Derby had thrown at them.

“It was a bit narrow,” said Longford’s Ewan Ferrier, 18.

“You’ve got to anticipate it and commit and if you stick to your plan you can breeze through.

“I think generally the riders like it. The general vibe is that it’s pretty sick.”

Perth’s Dylan Calow, 24, added: “It’s OK as long as you keep momentum and don’t bump your bars.”

Edwina Hughes, 33, of Hobart, described the feature as “incredible”.

“It’s unlike any other trail here,” she said. “The first time I saw it my heart was in my throat but then I realised it’s not too bad like most things on the course.

“”But I’ve put narrower bars on for the weekend to minimise the risk of getting trapped.”

Course designer Glen Jacobs, whose World Trail company built the Blue Derby network, explained the creation of the feature.

“It was actually Ryan de la Rue, who is riding the event this weekend, who found it,” Jacobs said.

“We walked all over these hills and he said he had found a tunnel. I went and checked it out but it was just too tight for handlebars to fit through.

“Then he said there was a split rock nearby and I went and had a look. We measured it and it was about a metre wide. Most handlebars are about 80cm.

“We thought it’s going to be tight but we can ride it so let’s get a trail through here and the rest is history.

“It’s pretty scary stuff but the riders love it. The scary part is that it’s so steep.”

Jacobs was in no doubt that the feature would become the iconic image of the Derby mountain bike network but added: “All trail networks have an iconic feature but in Derby we have about 10.”

Riders will spend Saturday continuing to learn the trails which they will race from 8am on Sunday.