Mountain biking's Enduro World Series visits Australia for just the second time this weekend and once again Derby has been afforded the privilege of hosting rights.
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Director Chris Ball said he had no hesitation in returning the Tasmanian mountain bike mecca to the series' global schedule.
"Derby impressed the world when we were here in 2017," he said.
"The way the community embraced the event and the calibre of its trails was apparent to everyone who was there. The riders loved it, even voting the Detonate track as the trail of the year.
"There was no doubt in my mind that we had to come back here. The facilities, the trails and the local community offer something truly unique and we look forward to another incredible race this weekend.
"If we could bottle up Blue Derby with its extensive trail network and great Tasmania hospitality we would sell it to the world, it would make our jobs so much easier. The local community should be very proud of the complete picture of what Derby has become."
Around 400 competitors representing more than 30 nationalities will compete on Blue Derby's iconic trails with thousands of fans expected to be cheering them on and hoping for better weather than the downpours of 2017.
Organisers this week announced which trails will be used for the round with the newly-built Kumma Gutza and Air Ya Garn hosting Saturday afternoon's opening queen stage before Sunday's action graces six trails including Trouty, Kingswall, Return to Sender and the award-winning Detonate.
The aim of the queen stage is to entice riders who need extra series points.
Saturday will also witness the EWS80 race for amateur riders over 80 percent of the full 40km course and an inaugural women's-only Fox on Rocks Funduro.
Event Management Solutions Australia will again deliver the event that will attract a strong contingent of international media.
"We just love coming to Derby," said event director Ian Harwood.
"Tasmania you did Australia proud in 2017 with spectacular crowds cheering on the international and local stars of mountain biking.
"We encourage as many supporters to come out and cheer on the best riders in the world, competing on our home soil. 2017 saw huge crowds who were not deterred by a few rain drops.
"We anticipate, with the weather gods looking like they will be on our side, it will be an amazing weekend for riders, spectators and the wider community."
A full week of events has been planned to welcome competitors who arrive straight from the first race of the series in New Zealand last weekend.
Visiting Rotorua for the third time, the action took place over a variety of terrain from steep and technical to fast and physical across five stages in the Whakarewarewa Forest.
Belgium's Martin Maes banished memories of an injury-plagued season by stamping his authority all over the race, winning every stage to finish with a 24-second victory over Keegan Wright.
In 2018 Maes had enjoyed back to back wins at La Bresse downhill world cup and the Whistler EWS before suffering a dislocated shoulder at round two in Colombia and then a broken hand in the series finale.
In Derby Maes can expect fierce competition from Perth's two-time world champion Sam Hill and diminutive Frenchman Adrien Dailly who took his first EWS win in Derby two years ago and is back from an elbow injury.
Other contenders to look out for include Frenchman Youn Deniaud, whose standout 2018 season saw him pick up the EWS breakthrough of the year award, and former podium finishers Greg Callaghan (Ireland), Robin Wallner (Sweden), Florian Nicolai (France), Mark Scott (GB) and Jesse Melamed (Canada).
North-East local Miles Smith, who won the recent Tasmania Enduro after coming back from injury, has secured a wildcard to the EWS and will be hoping to make full use of his local knowledge.
With world champion Cecil Ravenal out due to a serious training accident, French compatriot Isabeau Courdurier is the one to beat in the women's category.
Courdurier claimed her first EWS win in Derby two years ago and added her second last weekend in Rotorua where she won all but one of the stages as another Frenchwoman Morgane Charre denied her a clean sweep.
Launceston's multiple national champion Rowena Fry looms as the home nation's strongest hope after finishing 16th, and the highest-placed Aussie, in New Zealand.
They can both expect stiff competition from Scotland's Katy Winton, who finished the last two seasons third in the overall rankings, and Germany's Ines Thoma, who had an injury-hit 2018 but bounced back by winning the NZ Enduro earlier this month and was 13th in Rotorua.
Other podium suspects will be Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau, Anita and Caro Gehrig, Bex Baraona, Rae Morrison, Noga Korem, former UCI downhill world champion Miranda Miller, Jill Kintner, who has competed in BMX at the Olympics and has four world championships to her name and Scottish under-21 world champ Ella Conolly, who graduates to the seniors after winning every round in a perfect 2018 season.
Fry headlined a posse of talented Tasmanian riders across the Tasman which included Launceston College student Fenella Harris who won the under-21 female category.
EWS program
Round 1: Rotorua, New Zealand (March 24)
Round 2: Derby, Tasmania (March 31)
Round 3: Maderia, Portugal (May 11)
Round 4: Val Di Fassa, Italy (June 29)
Round 5: Les Orres, France (July 6)
Round 6: Whistler, Canada (August 11)
Round 7: Northstar, California (August 24)
Round 8: Zermatt, Switzerland (September 21)
Derby schedule
Friday, March 29: 9am-12pm practice; 12.30-4pm practice; 4.30 kids' skills session; 6.30 riders' briefing; 7 XTR'ivia night
Saturday, March 30: 9am-12pm Fox on the Rocks (women's funduro); 12-3.30pm EWS80; 3.30-5pm EWS & EWS100 Stage 1; 5pm EWS80 presentations; 5.30pm Pete Cornelius Band
Sunday, March 31: All day EWS & EWS100 race; 5.30pm presentations; 6.15pm Enduro Tasmania after party