With the dust settled on another year of UCI World Cups, now the attention is turned to Cairns for the UCI World Championships. This is the second time that the Championships have been run at Cairns, the first time was way back 21 years ago in 1996.

The track is, for the most part, a smooth high speed flow track, however has a few technical features to ensure that it’s not all just a pedal fest. The Rock Garden looks as lethal as ever, and Alien Tree’s roots will of course be tough in the dry and impossible in the wet. To top it off the course has a couple of steep sections that are even difficult to walk down, and riders who can brave the huck option over the gaps will be rewarded. Conditions are dusty, the top sections have easily two inches of loose dust right in the race lines, with some gravel chucked in down bottom as well.

Sam Hill’s on an Enduro bike for the weekend, opting for his Nukeproof Mega over a downhill bike he hasn’t spent much time on this season, and there’s of course the normal procession of custom World Champs bikes (Hopefully more of those details tomorrow).

More updates as the championships continue here in Cairns…