For me the Crocodile Trophy was the first MTB stage race I ever heard of. But it took me until 11 years after I finished my professional cycling career that I decided to compete in that epic race.
In 6 months I learned a lot in mountain biking and prepared my self for my adventure in Australia. It was wonderful. The road to the Croc was amazing, but the trip itself is something I will never forget. Riding in the outback, interacting with all competitors and of course the race itself.
When I think at the Croc only one word comes up to me over and over again. STORIES!  Unbelievable what different stories I heard. I realised every competitor has his own adventure and story every day. Not just the winner but also the guy who came in last one stage because he punctured 10 times…together with the guy who was a few days earlier a stranger but now stood by him the whole day… That’s just one of many stories you’ll always remeber after riding the Crocodile Trophy.

I have been working in cycling-sport as a masseur / soigneur since 2016, as a first aid support since 2003. Now I have two companies: Sport service Linssen (sports events, sports massages, sleep coaching, personal coaching). In 2017, I founded the “MTB Series”. I have been twice at the Crocodile Trophy and 7 times to the Alpentour Trophy in the organization team.

my contact:
Eline@sportservicelinssen.nl

When you are looking for the ultimate adventure, the Crocodile Trophy is perfect for you. The Australian Outback, the heat, the sand, the dust, the tropical rainforrest, great singletrails, river crossings, living in a camp with basis facilities and of course finishing on Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas. All this makes the oldest mountainbike stage race legendary and will offer you an unforgetable experience. But be careful: you might get addcted to it!

Riding the Crocodile Trophy has been a dream since I started mountainbiking many years ago. In 2015 I could finaly ride my bike through the rainforest and the Outback and it was no doubt the greatest adventure ever on a bike. The Croc Trophy is maybe not comparable to the perfectly directed stage races we have in Europe, but it is something every mountainbiker should do at least once in a lifetime. You’re not just riding your bike in some of the most beautiful parts of the world, but you’ll also meet new people from all over the world and become friends with them for life.
Finishing the race at the beach with my wife and daughter waiting for me, was no doubt the greatest and most emotional feeling I ever experienced on a bike!

My contact:
koenraad@croc.at

What makes the crocodile trophy an unique event for me is that you get to know almost all the participants. It is not a mass organised event and I am already looking forward to coming back to meet some of the participants again. They made the event special!
I remember that I roasted some marshmallow at a campsite one night in the middle of nowhere, I enjoyed delicious meals and slept at places where you would normally never end up during a holiday, so you don’t care about the fact that sometimes the camping facilities were a bit basic. And everything is so… beautyful! I have great memories of staying at Skybury coffee plantage and would love to go back there!
For me it was also a perfect way to see a beautiful part of Australia. Finishing in Port Douglas on the beach and having a swim in the ocean after you get off the bike was the best finish I could wish for.
I can advise everyone to camp at the campsites, because that is the place to be to really get the most out of the event (and I am not a big fan of camping fan). Maybe if you are only focussed on your results and performance, this may not the best race for you. But if you like the challenge, get involved and have fun with participants after the race: go for the Crocodile Trophy!
For me it was also a perfect way to see a beautiful part of Australia. Finishing in Port Douglas on the beach and having a swim in the ocean after you get off the bike was the best finish I could wish for.
I can advise everyone to camp at the campsites, because that is the place to be to really get the most out of the event (and I am not a big fan of camping fan). Maybe if you are only focussed on your results and performance, this may not the best race for you. But if you like the challenge, get involved and have fun with participants after the race: go for the Crocodile Trophy!

Lukas Kaufmann is a passionate mountain biker and addicted to exotic hard extreme races all over the world. He writes reports about all his events on www.lukas-kaufmann.com and since 2019 he also claims himself „infected with the CROC virus :)“