The annual Crocodile Trophy is about to start. The oldest MTB marathon stage race will start its 19th edition next Saturday. This time it's nine days through the Australian outback.
More than 80 starters have registered for the 900 kilometer torture. The Crocodile Trophy will start with a kind of prologue in Smithfield. The aim is to master five laps with a total length of 35 kilometers. The longest stage at 163 kilometers will then demand everything from the drivers on the fifth day. The extreme length is probably the least of the evils. The race is best known for its adverse outdoor conditions. It is not uncommon for temperatures to rise above 40 degrees here.
Cory Wallace and Wolfgang Krenn are the big favorites in the race. Krenn was already on the podium in 2012 and the Canadian marathon champion Wallace has also secured good placements in the trophy in recent years.
Stage overview 2013:
Stage 1: Smithfield (5 laps) - 35 kilometers - 900 meters in altitude
2nd stage: Cairns - Lake Tinaroo - 89 kilometers - 2500 meters in altitude
3rd stage: Atherton - Irvinebank - 80 kilometers - 2500 meters in altitude
Stage 4: Irvinebank - Mt. Mulligan - 118 kilometers - 1600 meters in altitude
Stage 5: Mt. Mulligan - Granite Creek Dam - 163 kilometers - 3000 meters in altitude
Stage 6: Granite Creek Dam - Laura - 116 kilometers - 1800 meters in altitude
7th stage: Laura - Laura - 50 kilometers - 150 meters in altitude
8th stage: Laura - Hope Vale - 113 kilometers - 1100 meters in altitude
9th stage: Hope Vale - Cooktown - 50 kilometers - 500 meters in altitude
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