A much-loved race will return with a fresh coat of paint later this month.
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Launceston Mountain Bike Club's King and Queen of the Mountain event at Ben Lomond will take place for the first time since 2021 on February 18 - featuring a brand-new course.
With the original bush and forestry trails no longer available, the race has a new lease on life as a gravel one - with club treasurer Jerry Holder explaining there is a gap in the calendar.
"There's the Mount Wellington one but there's nothing in Northern Tasmania that's a hill climb race," he said.
"There's the Devils Cardigan, which is out of Derby and is a big race but there's no other races that are off-road that go uphill like this.
"People really like it because they can test themselves and benchmark their fitness from one year to another.
"There's no hiding, there's no excuses - it's just an uphill race so it's mind over matter."
Starting at the Ben Lomond Base, the track is 17.7 kilometres and runs to the top of the mountain's day shelter.
With professional cyclists Nathan Earle and Nicole Frain winning the event in 2021, this year's edition has already attracted some big names.
National champions Sam Fox and Cam Ivory have both registered, while it is understood that 2020 Tour de France podium finisher Richie Porte is interested.
Holder spoke glowingly of gravel racing - describing it as the "growth area" of cycling.
"You're getting a lot of road riders that want to try something different and get away from the traffic and see a bit more of the bush and farmland," he said.
"Gravel bike sales are really strong, you talk to any bike shop and they'll say that's where their growth area is.
"People from a mountain bike background can easily get into it and people from road-riding background, you don't need a high technical skill - you're not going over drops and rocks, so it's a bit safer than mountain biking."
The race starts at 9.30am for e-bikes and the breakaway group, with the main categories getting underway at 10am. Prize money is on offer - with $500 each for first male and female as well as $300 for junior winners.
To enter, visit https://entryboss.cc/races/19012.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
