The time trial Stage Five of the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro marked the end of overall second placed Jack Haig’s racing, with yesterday’s shoulder-crunching crash delivering a knockout blow. Considering an overseas schedule of racing in three weeks’ time, and a ginger shoulder not ripe for racing, the Team Torq rider made the decision to retire and did not line up this morning.

The 77km Stage Four of the Inkgerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro in Alice Springs featured equal parts pain and pleasure today with spills for some and come from behind wins for the more fortunate.

After being relegated to holding the silverware on Anzac Hill yesterday evening in the sprint stage, yellow jersey wearers Andy Blair and Melissa Anset climbed back onto the premium podium slots this morning with respective wins in the 49km Stage Three ride.

Day One of the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro wrapped up today with a Alice Springs town centre hill sprint that drew crowds armed with ringing cowbells, all cheering on riders as they powered to the top of Anzac Hill, a 300 metre dash that burned legs and lungs to the core.

The 2013 dates for two of Australia’s most iconic mountain biking events have been confirmed with Rapid Ascent announcing the popular Kona Odyssey will take place on Saturday February 16th 2013, while the Bike Buller Mountain Bike Festival has been locked in for March 9-11th 2013.

A young Alice Spring Indigenous athlete is blazing a new trail as a role model in a sport not usually known for attracting interest in the broader Aboriginal community. Twenty year-old Hayden Jude will be the first ever Indigenous youth to participate in the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro, a multi day stage bike race that covers 251km over five days of racing, 14-18May, 2012.