The Alpine Cycling Club is stoked to announce Gravity Enduro racing will return to Bright in 2023. Victoria’s best enduro riders will get to test their skills and stamina on the iconic Mystic Park trails. Over the weekend of April 29-30, 2023, the trails will come alive with round 3 of the Victorian Enduro Tour at Mystic Park.
This event could not succeed without the very generous support of our event partners. We are very grateful to have them on board!
Mystic Park, Bright, Vic
Event registration, pit area and parking will be located in the Mystic Park Trailhead, Coronation Ave, Bright
Race entries open Monday April 3 at 6pm
ENTRY FEES
$95 ($85 U15/U17 and $65 Lite categories)
RIDER CAP
340 riders
ENTRIES CLOSE
April 25, 2023 – unless sold out prior.
STAGES
TBC closer to the time
EVENT RULES
Can be found here
MYSTIC MEMBERSHIP
All riders must hold an active Mystic Park membership. As the event is two days, either a 2 week pass or an annual pass is required. There will be no exceptions. Download the HIVEPASS app and get your membership sorted in advance.
AUS CYCLING LICENSE
All riders must have a valid and current AusCycling licence, or AusCyling Day Licence to race. NOTE: Day licences must be purchased no more than 7 days prior to the event. Riders must purchase a 7 Day event licence)
CATEGORIES
Under 15 – male and female
Under 17 – male and female
Under 19 – male and female
Sport – male and female
Expert – male and female
Elite – male and female
Veteran (30-39yrs) – male and female
Masters (40-49 years) – male and female
Super Masters (50+) – male and female
Hardtail (17+) – male and female
E-bike (17+) – male and female
Enduro-lite (male and female)
Enduro-lite E-bike (male and female)
SHUTTLES
Event entry DOES NOT include optional shuttles on Saturday (practice day). If you wish to utilise shuttles, you must book directly with Blue Dirt ASAP. Riders can use this discount code to get 10% off Blue Dirt shuttles for practice day: NEVERGOFULL_ENDURO
Book your shuttles through Blue Dirt HERE.
Blue Dirt will also be operating shuttles on the Friday. Riders may utilise the shuttle service for practice, however please be aware this is not an official practice day and so marshals and first aid services will not be operating. Bunting and track preparations may also occur on the Friday so please ride carefully and look out for changed trail conditions and volunteers on course.
Minimum $2000 Prize pool for Elite
Plus stacks of awesome prizes for all categories from our sponsors
Spectators are welcome. There are plenty of great viewing locations out on course. Please be mindful of riders. Stay off the course and be very careful if crossing the race track.
Bright & Surrounds has a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets, but many are filling up fast (or already booked out!). Plan ahead and book early. Check out https://www.visitbright.com.au/ for more information on the various options.
Lots of information will be coming in the next few weeks regarding this event so make sure you are following the Alpine Cycling Club, Victorian Gravity Enduro Tour Facebook pages, here at our event website and also on our new Instagram page @acc_gravity_enduro
I have a question……..
Great! But first, have you read the event rules? Check them out here
Still have a question? Then read on…
When will entries open?
Round 1 opens Monday April 3 at 6pm. Round 2 opens Wed April 5 at 6pm. After that, a waitlist applies. Please checkout the ACC Facebook page for more info on entries.
How many stages are there?
All riders, except those in the ‘Enduro-Lite’ category, will complete 5 stages across one day of racing. ‘Enduro-Lite’ riders will complete 4 stages over one day.
What is ‘Enduro-Lite’?
‘Enduro-Lite’ was a new category for 2022. These riders will complete 4 stages over one day of racing (instead of 5 stages). ‘Enduro-Lite’ will be mostly intermediate-rated trails, however, there will be one stage on an advanced trail. ‘Enduro-Lite’ entrants will not have to ride to the top of Mystic!
This category is designed to make getting into racing a little easier, with a focus on fun and social racing. There will be two Enduro-lite category – Enduro- Lite & E-bike Enduro Lite
The ‘Enduro-Lite’ category will be open age – so there will be no age categories.
What trails will be part of the race?
Shhhhh….. it’s a secret! In true Enduro tradition, we will be releasing all the stages about a week prior to the event.
But we can tell you this:
You will need to pedal to the top of Mystic once (excluding Enduro-Lite)
Trails will range from Blue to Double Black
You will need to pedal (a fair bit!) on some stages.
Riders at the pointy end of the results sheet will be those with all-round abilities.
Most advanced features on the trails will have either a B-line option or can be rolled or walked
The liaison stages will be great fun, too. And challenging!
You will have an awesome time.
What is the entry cap?
340 riders
I really, really don’t want to miss getting an entry!
Great! Read the information about the ‘Event Volunteer – Entry Guarantee Program’.
But what if I still miss out on an entry? I really want to race! I have tried really hard/ I have booked my accom already/ I need to race to get series points/ My coach says I’m awesome/ I deserve a spot more than those other squids/ Can my mum write me a note, etc etc?
We are still seeing REALLY strong demand for entries to Gravity Enduro races in Victoria. We hate seeing people miss out on entries but, sadly, this is likely to happen. We can not make exceptions to the rules. Not only is this not fair on anyone, it is also not the place of race organisers to decide which riders are more deserving of a spot.
There will be a waiting list for any riders who missed out and would still like to participate. Check the Facebook pages for a link (will be posted if/ when entries sell out).
If demand is strong for entries, why not just open more entries?
It’s not that simple! As a volunteer-run event, we only have limited resources and daylight hours. Each additional entry means the race course stays ‘live’ for longer, which delays the event and also means our awesome volunteers are working for much longer. This also impacts on the overall enjoyment of the event for all involved. At some point we must draw a line.
I got an entry but now I can’t race. Imma just give it to my mate, ok?
No. Not okay. Entries are not transferable. Only registered riders will be able to compete. If you can’t attend, please let us know and, if possible, we will refund your entry and give your place to the next person on the waiting list. Refunds will follow the refund policy outlined in the Event Rules (check them out here)
Do I have to practice on Saturday?
Sure do! And why would you not want to! The trails are so good, you will want to ride them more than just once. It’s also in the rules (AusCycling rules) and also a safety thing. The last thing you want to be doing is seeing race tracks for the first time when you’re going Mach 1 in your race run.
Do I have to follow the stage order/liaison routes?
Yep. The stage order is there to help spread out riders and avoid congestion. The liaison route has been planned to be the best route to get you efficiently to each stage, while also allowing riders to experience some great trails. There are also a number of safety considerations that help us to determine the liaison route.
Do I have to ride with my category?
All riders need to leave the start line with their category. This allows us to track who has started the race and to also conduct a category specific rider briefing prior to each category starting. To help reduce congestion, riders will undertake the stages in a specific order. This order is the same for all riders in each category. So the event is designed for riders to ride with their category. However, once you have left the start line, as long as you stick with your stage order, you can ride with whoever is close by. Be aware, there is an event cut-off time. So don’t delay out on course. If you’re hanging around for your buddies, you risk missing the time cut-off and therefore also risk disqualification.
Will there be food/drinks on the course?
Yes. We will have a water and snack station located at the top of the Up DJ climb. Basic snacks will be provided. Please be mindful that this isn’t a buffet! Only take what you need – we have a lot of hungry riders to keep fuelled up!
What should I carry with me?
Enduro racing is an adventure. So you should be prepared for one. The best adventures are the self-sufficient ones! So you need to be prepared for whatever eventualities occur on course. This means food, water, tools, basic spares and appropriate clothing is essential.
I’m nervous about the race trails. I want to practice them in advance. What can I do?
While the specific race stages won’t be released until a week prior to the event, the trails at Mystic are open year-round and Blue Dirt operate shuttles every weekend. Come on up to Bright and ride the trails in the park. It’s almost guaranteed that if you ride a range of trails in the park, you will get a chance to ride plenty of the race stages.
Why aren’t you doing practice shuttles?
Putting shuttles on is no easy task! It takes a lot of people power and resources. As a volunteer run event, this creates many challenges.
Luckily, the team at Blue Dirt run shuttles every week at Mystic. They are the experts in this area. They have the staff, vehicles and trailers to be able to offer shuttles in a really efficient way. So we have decided to leave this to the experts! If you wish to utilise shuttles, you must book directly with Blue Dirt ASAP. Book your shuttles HERE
Shuttles are optional for practice – if you want to use this service, head to the Blue Dirt website to book your passes. They are also offering shuttles on the Friday before the event.
Do I have to attend the rider briefing?
Rider briefings will be category specific. They will occur at the start line 10 minutes prior to each category rolling out from the pits. All riders will need to start with their category and also attend their category rider briefing.
Do I need a race licence to compete?
All riders MUST show proof of a valid licence. This can be either:
AusCycling Off-Road Race licence
AusCycling Event Licence (AKA Day Licence) – If you need to purchase an event licence, you must do this online no more than 7 days prior to the event. NOTE: You must purchase a 7-Day event licence as the event goes for 2 days (Sat and Sun)
What are the clothing requirements?
The event rules (Link) outline the clothing requirements for the event. A summary is below:
A full face helmet – which meets Australian Bicycle Helmet Standard AS2063 or equivalent. Helmets with a detachable mouthpiece are permitted provided they meet AS2063 Standard or equivalent.
Jersey / shirt covering elbows
Knees covered (full length trousers or knee pads)
In addition to the above, all riders competing in the Under 19 Category, Under 17 Category and Under 15 Category are required to wear:
Knee Pads
Elbow Pads
Full finger / Full length Gloves
Full length jersey