BENDIGO mountain bike aces Peta Mullens and Tasman Nankervis have been confirmed as starters in next month's Otway Odyssey.
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The popular marathon always attracts most of Australia's top mountain bike riders, with this year's event on February 25-26 no exception.
A star-studded field will include Geelong's ex-Orica-AIS World Tour road rider Chloe Leighton, former 24-hour solo single-speed world champion Scott Nicholas and Swiss former Odyssey winner Renata Bucher.
Mullens, a three-time Odyssey winner, will start this year's event as defending champion.
The 2015 Australian road and 2014 national mountain bike champion said she couldn’t wait to return to give the iconic race another crack.
“I love the Odyssey. It really is a mountain biker’s marathon with all the sick single track out there, but it also caters for everyone with the variety of events,” Mullens said.
“I’ve raced it six times now so I feel like can enjoy the trails a little more, but the struggle is still real.
"That climb out of Forrest on the final loop gets me every time!”
Mullens will go back-to-back when she races both the 100km Odyssey on Saturday and 97km Great Otway Gravel Grind on Sunday, a new event to be raced on unsealed two-wheel drive roads.
She will be one of the main contenders for the inaugural Queen of the Otways title for the fastest combined time for the two main races.
Nankervis, who like Mullens represented Australia at the 2016 World Mountain Bike Championships in the Czech Republic, will start as one of the favourites in the men's race after finishing second in 2016.
He also will pull double duty, with the inaugural King of the Otways crown within his grasp.
Mullens will continue her dual focus on mountain biking and road racing this year, after signing with US-based road team Hagens Berman Supermint last October.
More than 1500 competitors and several thousand spectators are expected to descend on the Forrest region for the variety of cycling events.
Race organisers Rapid Ascent said the grave grind would add another dimension to the event, now in its 11th year.
"Gravel grinds have become really popular overseas and the terrain around Forrest is perfect for riding dirt," general manager Sam Maffett said.
"It will make this iconic weekend even more inclusive of the range of riders out there.
“Now riders who like their tyres on the skinny side can see how magnificent the Otway rainforest is without having to learn how to ride a mountain bike.
"We expect some competitive road riders to come and race but he GOGG is equal suited to novice riders who have quite simple bikes but want a cycling challenge in a beautiful part of the world away from traffic and busy sealed roads.”