A ride on the Wildside

The four-day event begins Saturday January 28 at the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain and finishes at Strahan Village, located on Tasmania’s pristine west coast. This year, the race has attracted riders from all states and territories as well as overseas, with representation from Switzerland, Columbia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The men’s elite field is one of the strongest in the event’s 10-year history, with early favourite and four-time winner, Sid Taberlay, back for another crack. The only rider to have ridden every Wildside since its inception, Taberlay last won the race in 2005 and is keen to prove he still has what it takes, and will use the race as an important test of form in his quest for Olympic selection.

His greatest adversary is undoubtedly Canadian Max Plaxton, who won the 2011 NORBA series and in doing so, earned selection for the London Games. Snapping at their heels will be a trio of Australian riders from the state of Victoria: 2010 Wildside champion, Daniel McConnell, under-23 national champion Paul van der Ploeg, and 2008 Wildside winner, Adrian Jackson.

The women’s event was shaping up to be a duel between 2008 Wildside winner, Launceston’s Rowena Fry, and winner of the last national series event, Jenni King of NSW, but training commitments have precluded Fry from competing.

Riders compete in seven competition stages linked by six ‘cruising’ (non-timed, transitional) stages; in short, a continuous and visually spectacular journey of over 200 kilometres that will challenge the skill and endurance of every participant.

Pure Tasmania Wildside stages:

Day 1 – January 28: Cradle Valley to Tullah, 70km
Competition stages (2) – 38km
Cruising stages (3) – 32km

Day 2 – January 29: Tullah to Zeehan, 64km
Competition stages (2) – 52km
Cruising stages (2) – 12km

Day 3 – January 30: Zeehan to Granville Harbour, 43km
Competition stages (2) – 28km
Cruising stages (1) – 15km

Day 4 – January 31: Strahan to Strahan, 36km
Competition stages (1) – 36km

Event website