The organisers of the Australian mountain bike stage race, the Crocodile Trophy, have announced that they will postpone their 2020 event until October 2021 due to the uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"Regarding the worldwide development and the strict entry regulations in Australia, we unfortunately saw no alternative but to postpone the event to 2021," the organisers said in a press release on Wednesday evening.
Next year's race will start in Cairns, Queensland, on October 15, 2021, and finish at Port Douglas on October 23, it was announced. It will be the 26th running of the race, which was created by Austrian former road professional Gerhard Schönbacher in 1995, and counts current Lotto Soudal pro rider Adam Hansen as a former double winner of the elite race, back in 2004 and 2005.
Last year, the Crocodile Trophy celebrated its 25th anniversary, with the elite women's race won by Austrian Angelika Tazreiter and South Africa's Alan Gordon coming out on top in the men's race.
The race is open to riders of all ages and from all walks of life, showcasing the best of Queensland, from its beaches to its rainforests, to its mountains and plains.
Due to what they say has been high demand from eBike riders, the race organisers also announced on Wednesday that they would increase their maximum capacity to 200 riders for next year – up from 100 in 2019 – with other innovations also set to be announced ahead of the 2021 event, including a four-day race, with entries open from October 16, 2020, on the Crocodile Trophy website.
