Cairns to host the UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championship in two-year deal

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the city of Cairns, Queensland has been chosen to host the 2024 and 2025 UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championships. The Championships will feature the mountain bike formats of Cross Country Olympic and Downhill.

In conjunction with the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland, Cairns Regional Council and Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the 2024 edition of the event will be held in May.

In a major coup for the sport and the region, the event is set to attract hundreds of the world's best masters' mountain bike riders, their families and thousands of spectators to the famed Smithfield Mountain Bike Park.

AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner said the two-year deal adds to the multiple state, national and international events the regional city has previously hosted.

“Cairns has proved itself as a major attraction for mountain bike riders in recent times. The trails are iconic and so is the scenery and we can’t wait to welcome the many national and international competitors who will compete and enjoy their stay in a truly beautiful location,” she said.

The last time Cairns hosted a UCI World Championship was in 2017.

Member for Cairns and Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy said locking in the UCI Masters for 2024 and 2025 confirmed Tropical North Queensland as an international mountain bike destination.

“The two-year deal for the UCI Masters is a wonderful addition to Tropical North Queensland’s line up of world-class events and highlights the global standard of the region’s bike infrastructure,” Mr Healy said.

“As host of the World Championships, Cairns will welcome more than 2,200 competitors, support teams and spectators each year, generating $2.2 million for Tropical North Queensland’s visitor economy.

“The World Masters Championships are also an amazing opportunity for competitors and spectators to extend their stay in Cairns and discover more of this region’s great tropical Queensland lifestyle.”

Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Bob Manning stated “Cairns has a well-established mountain biking pedigree, dating back to the Mountain Bike World Championships event in 1996 and has of course been enhanced by the arrival of Crankworx in 2022.

“There is no doubt that the mountain bike trails at Smithfield are some of the best in the world, no surprise really as they were shaped by World Trail’s Glenn Jacobs, who is recognised internationally as one of the best in his field.

“If you want to attract elite mountain biking you need to provide them with the best location, and nowhere else in the world can riders showcase their skills while being surrounded by World Heritage listed tropical rainforest.

“To have the world’s top masters mountain bike riders in Cairns is a huge boost for the city.

“Events like these provide real opportunities for the community and are a boost for the local economy, as they attract hundreds of people to our region and showcase the city to an international audience.

“Community engagement activities are also being planned around this event, including a schools-based program and engagement with AusCycling’s participation program, which will further enhance mountain biking in the region.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Mark Olsen said securing a second international sporting event for May was just what the destination needed to boost visitation in the shoulder season.

“Tropical North Queensland’s reputation as a top mountain biking destination was boosted with the addition of Crankworx Cairns to the events calendar giving the opportunity to show the world our adventurous Great Barrier Reef and rainforest experiences,” he said.

“Competitors and fans will now be able to plan their dream holiday exploring the world’s oldest rainforest and largest reef around the UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championships.”

Further details, including the exact dates, schedule and entry details, will be released in the coming months.