As the mountain bike Enduro World Series visited Australia for the first time it emerged that local government support was the pivotal factor in Derby securing the privilege.
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Now in its fifth year, the series has staged 32 events with Derby becoming its 22nd different venue, and second of this year’s eight rounds across Oceania, Europe and North America.
Torrential overnight rain and persistent falls throughout Sunday tested the resilience of Tasmania’s many mountain bike fans.
With spectators spread all over the Derby forests, organisers said it was difficult to put an exact figure on the size of the crowd but estimated it between 2000 and 3000.
Those that did brave the elements were treated to spectacular action as the 300-strong field from more than 20 countries attempted to tame the many trails of Blue Derby.
The series is scheduled to return to Australia in 2019 with Derby among several venues seeking to host it but race director Ian Harwood said the area had put itself in a strong position through its willingness to adapt to requirements.
“It was a hard sell because it was up against places like Bright, Adelaide, Cairns and Toowoomba, but Derby just had no road blocks,” he said.
“They have been really supportive and understanding of what was needed. I’ve been doing large scale events for 20 years and have never received the support we have had from the Tasmanian Government and Dorset Council.
“From concept through to delivery we’ve really enjoyed the process.”
The Tasmanian Government paid $100,000 and Dorset Council $25,000 plus the trail modifications to attract the event and Harwood said the investment was paying off.
“It was a two-and-a-half year bidding process to get an EWS race to Australia and we scoured the country for the right place.
“There were a lot of great venues but Derby just had something else. The trails are great but there is also a willingness from council to take on our feedback about what was needed.”
Premier Will Hodgman said hosting the EWS was “a huge vote of confidence” in the Blue Derby trails.
He said more than 26,000 riders have experienced Blue Derby since the trails opened in 2015 and mountain bike visitor numbers to Tasmania increased by 50 per cent in the last year.
Dorset Council Mayor Greg Howard said the EWS would showcase the North-East to the world.
“The Blue Derby mountain bike trails are without doubt an international sensation, and the holding of such a prestigious sporting event demonstrates their undeniable quality,” he said.
- EWS reflection: The Shaw Thing in The Examiner on Tuesday