Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge 2012
27 May 2012 - 31 May 2012
Website: The Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge
The Vision
Police Districts around Regional West Australia have come up with some great cycling events to support the extraordinary work provided by Police Legacy in their efforts to assist the surviving partners and children of deceased police officers. The Great Southern has the Rainbow Ride; The Mid-West Gascoyne presents the Wild West Bike Tour and The Pilbara hosts the Karratha to Broome Bike Marathon.
The Kimberley offers a real chance to diversify the cycling theme and capture the imagination of another discipline within the sport; mountain bikes! What about a team relay mountain bike race from Derby to Kununurra along the world famous Gibb River Road? I'm excited at the thought of The Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge becoming an iconic mountain bike fundraising event, enjoying similar success and patronage as the other events staged throughout the state.
The Focus
The real strength of The Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge will be its ability to foster strong community spirit and draw people together in spirited social competition, adventure and personal accomplishment. It will also provide positive affirmation of healthier lifestyle choices and promote the benefits of regular exercise.
This message is consistent with the theme implemented by the Commissioner of Police in his "Fit for Life" strategy; "Fit for LIFE is about WA Police caring for its
employees, their health, helping them look at healthy behaviours, and giving them the opportunity to make some changes. WAPOL encourages all staff and their families to enjoy regular physical activity and healthy eating to improve cardiovascular health, promote general wellbeing and achieve a healthy weight."
The Route
The Gibb River Road; 647 kilometres of rough, unforgiving road through an ancient and beautiful land. The Gibb was once the preferred route for cattle drovers, moving cattle from the interior of the East Kimberley to the deep port facility at Derby. Now it's more favoured by four wheel drive enthusiasts, the last great frontier for adventurers.
The Gibb is attracting cycling adventurers too; whether part of an organised tour group or self paced cycling tourists. It's certainly possible with some good planning, preparation and healthy doses of enthusiasm.
A true modern day challenge set in the extraordinary beauty of the Kimberley.
The Teams
The intended team relay format of between two and six riders, riding approximately twenty kilometres each stage would allow riders with even a modest level of fitness to participate and contribute towards their team's effort. Depending on team size, participants may elect to ride as few as 20 kilometres in a day or as many as 120 kilometres.
There will certainly be an opportunity to test the speed, skill and endurance of those competitively inclined. It will also offer an equally rewarding though less ambitious goal that doesn't preclude the recreational cyclist. The emphasis will be on participation, personal goals and team spirit.
Schools, police stations, local government and corporate entries will be sought from throughout the Kimberley and around Western Australia to participate. Initial interest has already been received from Kununurra, Geraldton and the metropolitan area. It is likely that with an appropriate advertising campaign, participants may be enticed from interstate or overseas.