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Congratulations to April Drage, the first rider to finish the 2024 Race to the Rock, a herculean ride across the Australian Outback. Learn more about this year’s incredible 2,750-kilometer race and find a video with April discussing her Curve GMX+ and the highly specialized gear list she used here…
Photos by April Drage
Earlier this week, Curve Squad member April Drage was the first rider to reach Uluṟu in the 2024 Race to the Rock bikepacking event. This year’s challenging 2,750-kilometer course spanned the harsh Australian Outback, starting in Derby and concluding at Uluru, a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s arid “Red Centre.” Participants faced extreme conditions, beginning in the heat of the Kimberley and traversing the Tanami Desert, with stretches of up to 600 kilometers between resupply. A huge congratulations to April for this massive solo and unsupported achievement!
A day after completing the 2024 Race to the Rock, April recorded this video to share some insights into her race-winning Curve titanium GMX+ bike (Xena2) and her highly specialized gear list for this uniquely Australian event.
Race to the Rock is a challenging and remote unsupported bikepacking race through Australian Outback. While it usually concludes at Uluru, the starting point varies each year. The 2,750-kilometer 2024 edition began in Derby, Western Australia, and traversed three iconic Outback roads: the Gibb River, Duncan, and Tanami. Conditions ranged from extreme heat in the Kimberley area to freezing nights in the Tanami Desert. The terrain was mostly unpaved, featuring rough and rocky paths, heavily corrugated sections, and areas with deep dust and sand.
What sets Race to the Rock apart is the vast distances between services in the Outback. This year’s route included a 600-kilometer stretch between remote outposts with limited hours of operation. Riders had to be extremely well-prepared to ensure they could keep moving, often resupplying for even longer distances. The race demands thorough preparation to navigate the course safely, highlighting the stark and challenging vastness of Australia’s interior away from the relative safety of the coastline.
Further Reading
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