The Port to Port mountain bike race concluded at Dixon Park on Sunday after four days of arduous riding and a final 45km stage from Lake Macquarie to Newcastle.
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The first wave of riders left Blacksmiths at 8am and traversed their way north towards Newcastle with the stage weaving its way through the Glenrock trails.
Canerra’s Brendan Johnston claimed back-to-back titles in the men's race, while Armidale’s Holly Harris claimed the honours with the women’s race win.
Over 800 riders took park in the race and a mini-festival titled ‘Drop in Newcastle: Eats, Beats & Bikes’ greeted them at Dixon Park for a much-needed post-race recovery session.
The 190km race had a new route this year, starting from Audrey Wilkinson Winery at Pokolbin, rather than Port Stephens.
“It was sensational racing because there was only 14 seconds separating the guys going into [stage four],” Port to Port’s Noel McMahon said. “It’s now significantly establishing itself as one of the three major stage races in Australia.”
![CARVING IT UP: Natalie Anderson tears through Glenrock during the final stage of the 2018 Port to Port mountain bike race on Sunday. Close to 500 riders completed over 190km over four days of racing. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers. CARVING IT UP: Natalie Anderson tears through Glenrock during the final stage of the 2018 Port to Port mountain bike race on Sunday. Close to 500 riders completed over 190km over four days of racing. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/max.mckinney/2b3b2ea3-ab31-4d2d-b931-31a2ad9a2a81.JPG/r0_0_3401_5102_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
“There’s Cape to Cape in Western Australia, Port to Port in Newcastle and Reef to Reef in Far North Queensland,” Mr McMahon continued.
“They’re the three major four-day mountain bike races going on. It’s up there with them and it’s only building.”
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