BRIGHT, VIC, February 27, 2022 – Stage 4, the finale… and what a banger way to farewell the High Country with a mouth-watering serve of curated single-track.
Riders tackled the 15.7km loop twice for a total of 31.4km and 724m of vert through the epic trails in Mystic MTB Park in Bright. Course Director Shannon Rakemaker said “it was a tough slog out there today in the heat but the riders had a lot of fun on the flowy trails of Mystic.” He said “we designed today’s stage to be the perfect mix of fun descents with challenging sections weaved throughout.”
The XC GOATs were out there searching for marginal gains as they hunted for top position on the podium through a labyrinth of trails not dissimilar to Stage 2’s course. But the tightest battle today was fought amongst the Rola Gravity GOATs who tackled a total of 6 timed descents. They had not one, but two chances to nail each descent as only the best of the 2 times counted towards the overall standings.
The Billy GOATs also kicked off day two of their mtb skills clinics. The mini shredders took to the trails of Mystic MTB park, and it was certainly a smash hit for the little grommets. We can’t wait to see them back next year and some graduating into the junior category of The GOAT.
The vibes at the finish line were soaring as riders celebrated crossing the line and a chorus or ‘yewws’ followed as they cheered each other on for conquering The GOAT 2022, matching the overall vibes of The GOAT – competitive but social and that’s what it’s really all about.
The GOAT will be back better than ever in 2023, we hope to see every back on the start line.