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THE Cairns mountain bike fraternity is hopeful Cycling Australia will recognise its efforts to bring the world's best downhill riders back to the Far North whenit submits a bid to the sport's world body later this month.
The bid is due to reach the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) by January 29, and is expected to nominate Cairns as the host city for three world-class downhill tournaments in the next four years.
Events Queensland has already confirmed its backing, in partnership with Cairns Regional Council, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and local stakeholders, to host the 2014 and 2016 World Cups and 2017 World Mountain Bike and Trials Championship.
It is now up to Cycling Australia to relay that message to the top.
"We're supporting Cycling Australia in its bid and hoping for the best," Cairns Mountain Bike Club president Frank Fallapi said.
While stressing he had no part in formulating the bid with Cycling Australia and was unaware of the details to be submitted to the UCI, Fallapi remained confident of a good outcome for the region.
"We've done a lot of work in the lead-up to this to get all the logistics in order and we know what needs doing with the tracks," he said.
The Smithfield trails hosted the 1996 World Championships, when Cairns was regarded as the world's downhill mountain biking hot spot.
"We had the opportunity to do this 20 years ago and ended up with nothing," the president said.
Interest is well and truly back, though, and any events that do come Cairns' way would only help to exploit the explosion of interest in the sport.
New tracks in Atherton have proven popular and a new "Gravity Enduro"class will be introduced when the FNQ Minjin Cupsix-round series begins on April 4.
"I was so excited to see so many bikes when I was up in Atherton last and the tracks are classic world trail funky and flowing," Fallapi said.
"The Enduro series will cater for the riders looking for that all-mountain experience.
"A lot of people are buying bikes that can handle trails and down- hill and this event will bring it all together."
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