The Peaks Challenge Falls Creek (formerly 3 Peaks Challenge) is a challenging cycling event held in the Australian Alps region of Victoria in March each year.
It was launched by Bicycle Network in 2010, and aims to provide cyclists with one of the world’s toughest and most picturesque cycling challenges through Victoria’s Alpine region.
Starting and finishing at Falls Creek, the 235 km route incorporates more than 4,400 vertical metres with three major climbs – Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek. With climbs comparable to a stage in the Tour de France, riders must complete the circuit within 13 hours to receive a "Finisher’s Jersey". In 2013 a special jersey was introduced to recognise those cyclists who complete the event within 10 hours.
The cycling challenge attracts cyclists from around the world including countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
The event seeks to create the unique, "European-style" cycling experience that riders could not undertake without Bicycle Network’s support; showcasing the region and furthering Bicycle Network’s mission of “more people cycling more often”.
Event entry includes a controlled seeded wave start (descent down Falls Creek) with timed climbs, 85 km of road closures, mobile support teams – lead vehicle, SAG wagon, motorcycle marshals, mechanical support, seven rest areas with food, medical and mechanical support, post-ride food and celebration, food and clothing valet service.
The former fastest time ever at Peaks Challenge Falls Creek was set by Australian cyclist Ben Dyball in 2019, finishing with a time of 7:02:57. [1] In 2024, Australian cyclist Mark O'Brien set the new course record - finishing in 6:43:13 [2] , becoming the first sub 7 finisher of the Peaks Challenge. The Strava segment can be found here.
The traditional route has little flat sections, with the majority of the ride either climbing or descending. The route starts at the top of Falls creek with a long descent to the valley floor of about 28 km. Immediately the first climb off Tawonga gap starts which is about 7 km long at an average gradient around 6%, rising just under 500 m from the start. Tawonga gap descends to Germantown at which point the main flat section of the route starts to Harrietville, a distance of 22 km rising no more than 200m along the length. At Harrietville the longest climb of the day starts to the top of Mount Hotham. This is a 30 km long climb broken into two 10 km steep sections averaging 6% gradient plus a flatter midsection at 2%. At the top of Mt Hotham a long descent to Omeo is started, which extends for some 50 km taking in Dinner plain along the way and a 4 km climb just before Omeo is reached. At Omeo a further 4 km climb is encountered along the road to the start of the climb to Falls Creek (known as "the back of Falls). The climb starts exactly on 200 km distance with the encounter of "WTF "corner", which is a 600 m section of road rising to 15% gradient. After this point is passed the rest of the climb for the next 9 km does not drop below 9% the whole way until Trapyard gap is reached. Here the road gets easier for the last 500 m vertical elevation to the summit, and the ride them is completed by a short descent into the township, around a mountain top reservoir.
More than 1,000 people participated in the 2011 ride. [3] After more wet conditions, Nicholas Mitchell was the winner, with a time of 8:07:15. [4]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Nicholas Mitchell | 8:07:15 |
2 | Jason Spencer | 8:48:32 |
3 | Trevor Spencer | 8:48:35 |
4 | Piers Chamberlen | 8:52:21 |
5 | Dean Tonks | 8:58:31 |
6 | David Hatley | 9:01:32 |
7 | Jamin Hill | 9:07:20 |
8 | Warren Doyle | 9:07:59 |
9 | Alexandre Blanc | 9:10:51 |
10 | Joseph Krusec | 9:12:28 |
In 2012 960 people started the event, 93% completed inside the time limit. The winner was Nicholas Mitchell with a time of 8:08:43. [5]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Nicholas Mitchell | 8:08:43 |
2 | James Nitis | 8:29:57 |
3 | Piers Chamberlen | 8:31:36 |
4 | Peter English | 8:37:25 |
5 | Olivier Pomie | 8:37:30 |
6 | Nathan Olsen | 8:41:39 |
7 | Gary Rubie | 8:44:36 |
8 | Peter Gleeson | 8:44:44 |
9 | Peter Reid | 8:49:28 |
10 | Fred Smith | 8:49:53 |
In 2013 1300 started but only 83% finished. This year the route was changed due to the road to Mt Hotham subsiding as a consequence of bush fires and heavy rain. Instead the route was Tawonga gap, Mt Buffalo and the front of Falls Creek. The large number of people not finishing was mainly due to the extreme heat experienced in the day (in excess of 38 °C in the afternoon). The winner was Stephen Cunningham with a time of 7:23:28. [7]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Stephen Cunningham | 7:23:28 |
2 | Alexander Davey | 7:31:47 |
3 | Connor Hughes | 7:36:30 |
4 | Alex Malone | 7:41:47 |
5 | Ronald Visser | 7:43:11 |
6 | Liam Kelly | 7:43:58 |
7 | David Evans | 7:46:53 |
8 | Ashley Hall | 7:47:49 |
9 | Tristan Bauer | 7:49:42 |
10 | Sam Walcher | 7:54:02 |
In 2014 the event was sold out and 1781 riders started, 92% completing the ride inside the time limit. the course this year was the traditional route once more in ideal riding conditions. For the second year in a row, the winner was Stephen Cunningham with a time of 7:36:05. [8]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Stephen Cunningham | 7:36:05 |
2 | Alex Davey | 7:36:22 |
3 | Steve Guy | 7:42:27 |
4 | Andrew Wagner | 7:43:21 |
5 | Andrew Bryant | 7:54:30 |
6 | Cameron Hughes | 7:55:56 |
7 | Simon Finch | 8:02:12 |
8 | Shawn Power | 8:11:46 |
9 | Matthew Payne | 8:14:19 |
10 | Ben Griffiths | 8:14:29 |
The event has been renamed to "Falls Creek Peaks Challenge", and was again sold out. 1,895 started the event, with a 93% completion rate. [9] The male winner was Andrew Bryant with a time of 7:13:00, which at the time was a new Peaks Challenge record. The female winner was Tanya Freschi with a time of 8:21:54. [10]
On Sunday 13 March, 2016, nearly 2,000 riders tackled Australia's toughest one-day challenge, Peaks Challenge Falls Creek. 88% of participants completed the course within the 13 hour deadline. [11] In 2017 and 2018 over 1500 riders raced in Peaks Challenge Falls Creek.
On Sunday the 10th of March 2019, riders set off on the 10th anniversary of Peaks Challenge Falls Creek. At the time, this event saw the largest number of riders finish under the 8 hour mark. The first female to cross the line was Taryn Heather with a time of 7:50:34, at the time becoming the first ever female rider to finish under 8 hours. [12] The first male finisher was Ben Dyball with a time of 7:02:57, the quickest time ever at Peaks Challenge Falls Creek. [13]
In 2020 (the 11th edition) 1322 riders took on the course, with 1076 riders completing the course in under 13 hours. The first male finisher was Mark O'Brien with a time of 7:39:52, and the first female finisher was Justine Barrow with a time of 8:48:20. [14]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Mark O'Brien | 7:39:52 |
2 | Jay Vine | 7:43:27 |
3 | Carlos Domingues | 7:46:52 |
4 | Karl Ulbrich | 8:02:55 |
5 | Chris Ling | 8:02:57 |
6 | Francois Balland | 8:05:38 |
7 | Timothy Cameron | 8:05:40 |
8 | Leigh Phillips | 8:08:38 |
9 | Dylan McKenna | 8:08:41 |
10 | Stephen Lane | 8:09:43 |
This year, King of the Peak (KOP, male), and Queen of the Peak (QOP, female) were introduced for the fastest time up Mount Hotham, Tawonga Gap (East), and Falls Creek (Omeo Side). Mark O'Brien won the King of Peaks by finishing all three climbs first, and he finished 12th overall. Justine Barrow won the Queen of Peaks by finishing first on all three of the climbs, and was also the first overall female finisher with a time of 7:34:21, a new course record. [15]
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Stinus Kaempe | 7:08:40 |
2 | Francois Balland | 7:11:09 |
3 | Chris Hargreaves | 7:11:28 |
4 | Brendon Davids | 7:13:46 |
5 | Leigh Phillips | 7:17:15 |
6 | Chris Ling | 7:20:46 |
7 | Clint Perrett | 7:20:53 |
8 | Geoffrey Rickards | 7:25:02 |
9 | James Mortimer | 7:25:43 |
10 | Dylan McKenna | 7:25:46 |
In 2022, 1426 riders finished Peaks Challenge Falls Creek within the time limit. The fastest male finisher was Jack Aitken with a time of 7:13:38, and the fastest female finisher was Emma Padovan with a time of 8:47:58.
Place | Rider | Time |
---|---|---|
1 | Jack Aitken | 7:13:38 |
2 | Angus Calder | 7:27:59 |
3 | Rob Redpath | 7:33:11 |
4 | Chris Ling | 7:38:08 |
5 | Daniel Forsythe | 7:38:10 |
6 | Daniel Potter | 7:38:11 |
7 | Clint Perrett | 7:38:12 |
8 | James Kelly | 7:42:01 |
9 | Michael O'Keeffe | 7:43:12 |
10 | Brent Ducker | 7:44:11 |
The event is recognised as Australia’s toughest single day cycling event, and in 2013 was named in Global Cycling Network’s Top 10 Best Sportives and Gran Fondos [16] – one of only two events in the list outside of Europe.
In 2013, the ride was awarded as a finalist in the 'Adventure Tourism' category at the Victorian Tourism Awards.
The Falls Creek Alpine Resort is an alpine ski resort in the Hume region in northeastern Victoria, Australia. It is located in the Alpine National Park in the Victorian Alps, approximately 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne, with the nearest town being Mount Beauty, which is approximately 30 km (20 mi) away. The resort lies between an elevation of 1,500 and 1,830 m above sea level, with the highest lifted point at 1,780 m (5,840 ft). Skiing is possible on the nearby peak of Mount McKay at 1,842 m (6,043 ft), accessed by snowcat from the resort.
London to Brighton refers to a variety of races, tours, charity bicycle rides and rallies that take place between London and Brighton in the United Kingdom.
Bicycle Network is an Australian charity, one of the largest cycling membership organisations in the world, whose mission is to have More People Cycling More Often. Before 2011 it was known as Bicycle Victoria.
Bright is a town in northeastern Victoria, Australia, 319 metres above sea level at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2021 census, Bright had a population of 2,620. It is located in the Alpine Shire local government area.
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common competition formats are mass start events, where riders start simultaneously and race to a set finish point; and time trials, where individual riders or teams race a course alone against the clock. Stage races or "tours" take multiple days, and consist of several mass-start or time-trial stages ridden consecutively.
A cyclosportive, or often simply sportive, is a short to long distance, organised, mass-participation cycling event, typically held annually. The Italian term Gran Fondo is commonly used for these events in the United States, Australia and some other English-speaking countries.
This is a glossary of terms and jargon used in cycling, mountain biking, and cycle sport.
Randonneuring is a long-distance cycling sport with its origins in audax cycling. In randonneuring, riders attempt courses of 200 km or more, passing through predetermined "controls" (checkpoints) every few tens of kilometres. Riders aim to complete the course within specified time limits, and receive equal recognition regardless of their finishing order. Riders may travel in groups or alone as they wish, and are expected to be self-sufficient between controls. A randonneuring event is called a randonnée or brevet, and a rider who has completed a 200 km event is called a randonneur. The international governing body for randonneuring is Audax Club Parisien (ACP), which works with other randonneuring organisations worldwide through Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM). Randonneuring is popular in France, and has a following in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and Malaysia.
Around the Bay in a Day is a non-competitive fully supported recreational cycling fundraising event organised by Bicycle Network in Victoria, Australia. Cyclists register to ride a course which is 210 km (130 mi) either clockwise or anti-clockwise around Port Phillip Bay, starting and ending in Melbourne, though other distances, both shorter and longer, are available.
The Bogong High Plains, part of the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, are a section of plains located in the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong.
The Cape Town Cycle Tour, formerly known as the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, is an annual cycle race hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, usually 109 km (68 mi) long. It is the first event outside Europe to be included in the Union Cycliste Internationale's Golden Bike Series. South Africa hosts some of the largest, by the number of entrants, sporting events in the world with three being the largest of their type. The Cape Town Cycle Tour, with as many as 35 000 cyclists taking part, is the world's largest individually timed cycle race. The other two are the world's largest ultra-marathon running event, the Comrades Marathon, and the world's largest open water swim, the Midmar Mile.
The Alpine Classic was an Australian bicycle event run every Australia Day weekend in Bright, Victoria. The decision was made to permanently cancel the event as it was being run at a loss. The event is currently managed by O2 Events, having previously been organised by Audax Australia volunteers. Arguably the most difficult single day cycle event in Australia with the 200 km version covering four steep climbs. All distances start at Howitt Park in Bright and are on open roads.
The Maratona dles Dolomites, is an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven mountain passes in the Dolomites. Open to amateur cyclists, the Maratona—with 9,000 riders from over 70 nations—is one of the biggest Italian Granfondo bicycle races. National Geographic described it as "one of the biggest, most passionate, and most chaotic bike races on Earth."
A century ride is a road cycling ride of 100 kilometers or more in metric system countries or 100 miles or more in imperial system countries, usually as a cycling club-sponsored event. Many cycling clubs sponsor an annual century ride as both a social event for cyclists and as a fund-raiser for the club’s other activities.
Mountain biking in Australia is a mix of dedicated mountain bike parks, ski resorts with mountain bike facilities, and other parks that have become popular with mountain bikers despite lacking dedicated facilities. The peak body for the sport is Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA).
The Centenary 1000 cycling race was a one-week road bicycle race over seven stages covering 1,102 miles (1,773 km). The race was run in 1934 as part of the celebrations of the Centenary of Victoria. The race was originally conceived along the lines of the Dunlop Grand Prix, won by Hubert Opperman then aged 23, by 1h 20' and the concept for the race was covering 1,000 miles (1,600 km) with prizes exceeding £1,000, including a climb over Mount Hotham.
Everesting is an activity in which cyclists or runners ascend and descend a given hill multiple times, in order to have cumulatively climbed 8,848 metres (29,029 ft).
The definition of ultra-distance cycling is far more vague than in ultra running or in ultra-triathlon. Any bike race or ride longer than a century ride, which is 100 miles (160 km), is sometimes considered to be ultra-distance cycling. However, such events are relatively common, so using a longer distance to define the category is more useful, such as any race or ride that is longer than 200 kilometres (120 mi), 300 kilometres (190 mi) or even a double century, 200 miles (320 km).
The IncaDivide Race is a yearly, self-supported, ultra-distance cycling race across the territory of the Incas in South America and organized by the french organization BikingMan. The first edition took the participants through Ecuador and Peru in 2017. This is the first self-supported race to take place in South America. The inaugural edition route was about 3,500 kilometres (2,200 mi) long and went along some sections of the Qhapaq ñan, the legendary inca road network that was built by the Inca civilization. The main challenge of the race lies in its high altitude route and the challenging weather conditions of the Andes. All cyclists have to cycle across the Andes Cordillera with high passes above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) on remote andean tracks and random road conditions. The inaugural race was held the 1st of July 2017. 17 athletes attempted to complete it but only 6 could reach the finish line. The fastest rider took less than 17 days to cycle from Quito to Cuzco.
Cycling in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is a popular means of transportation, sporting and recreational pass time. Commuting in the city is supported by an extensive network of urban cycleways and on-street bicycle lanes. As a city established in the 20th century, Canberra's development was heavily influenced by the automobile for much of its history. The popularity of cycling in the city has increased dramatically in the 21st century with growing awareness of environmental issues, government policy supporting active transport and investment in cycling infrastructure. This has led to the development of a strong cycling culture.