There’s no such thing as a relaxing vacation in Australia when you’re Corey Wallace. 

The Jasperite has been in the outback for the past few weeks, and he’s hit the country’s two toughest mountain bike races. He placed second in the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships in Canberra, and finished fifth in the Crocodile Trophy MTB Stage Race, 3,000 kilometres away in Cairns, after only a few days rest. 

Wallace went into the 24 Hours of Adrenalin race hoping for a top three spot, in a field of Australians that were publicly planning an all-Aussie top three.

“The Aussies take their 24 hour racing very seriously and they had been guaranteeing themselves a sweep of the podium even before the race had started,” Wallace told The Fitzhugh via email from New Zealand.

The Australians weren’t the only competition Wallace had – a tough group of riders from England were breathing down his neck the entire race. To get an early lead, Wallace pushed himself and weeded out much of the competition, except for the unshakeable team of three Australians. 

“Three of the Aussies stuck with me and we would be within minutes of each other for the whole race which was crazy for a 24 hour race,” Wallace said. 

That competition drove the top riders to push even harder as the end of the race neared. Wallace said everyone was hurting by the finish line. 

Wallace struggled with jet-lag upon his arrival in Australia just five days ahead of the race, but managed to adjust in time for the start. The weather, however did not faze him.

“The climate over here in Canberra was almost identical to the climate in Jasper during an average summer day,” he said. “It cooled off nicely at night so the climate really wasn’t an issue.”

The course was 18 kilometres long, with two steady climbs, and a high-speed descent over loose terrain. Hazards included wallabies and kangaroos, and the occasional poisonous snake. 

“There were kangaroos and wallabies hopping all over the place which was really cool,” Wallace said.

The marsupials were cool – until Wallace had a near-collision with a group of them.

“On lap four when I was leading the race I came cruising around a corner and into a posse of seven kangaroos,” he said. “I almost lost control as I skidded towards them but luckily they were scared as well and took off into the outback.”

Wallace was lucky not to see any poisonous snakes on any of his laps, but a rider behind him on the last lap watched as he narrowly missed one.

“Apparently on the last lap I almost ran over one of the more deadlier ones but it slithered out of the way just in time and then tried to attack the English rider who was behind me,” Wallace said. “I never saw anything except for the English rider at the finish line who was still pretty shaken by the experience.”

Bad luck did catch up to Wallace during the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Race. The rider suffered three flat tires – including a double flat. His first flat happened as he followed the eventual winner, Jason English.

“That was the last I saw of him,” Wallace said. 

After the double flat, Wallace ran out of Co2 and tubes.

“This was a bit of a catastrophe and cost me around 20 to 25 minutes,” he said. “Once I got rolling again I was back in fourth place.”

Flat tires are all part of the game, Wallace said, and he fared pretty well despite the few issues. 

“Given the length of the race and the type of terrain we were biking on it is expected to have a few flats. Other than the flat tires the bikes worked perfectly.”

Placing second is an accomplishment Wallace can barely believe, and one he would like to top some day. 

“It feels unreal to have finished second at 24 Hour Worlds,” Wallace said. “Going into the race I had a goal of a top three, so it is great to have accomplished that although there is still one step higher on the podium I would like to climb one day.”

Wallace suspects the Aussies might not be so quick to boast next year when the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships move on to England.

“Next season I expect they will be a little quieter before the race,” Wallace said of his Australian rivals.

After finishing up at the 24 Hours, Wallace moved on to the gruelling Crocodile Trophy MTB Stage Race, a 10-day stage race through the middle of the outback, just eight days after setting down his bike in Canberra. 

“I have always heard rumours about a really hard stage race in Australia called the Crocodile Trophy,” Wallace said.

The race started before Wallace was prepared, but the first few days were shorter three-hour rides, allowing lots of time to rest, eat and sleep between stages. 

The temperatures climbed to over 40 C, as the riders flew over 120 or more kilometres a day. The benefit of a stage race is that the riders can form a pelleton, much like road cyclists do. 

“This makes it easier because you can draft off the other riders,” Wallace said.

The downside to riding in a pack, is that break-downs can cause a rider to lose precious time as they struggle against headwinds to catch up. The first half of the Crocodile Trophy had many flat tires. The route followed old Jeep tracks and jagged rock. The pack-mentality made visibility difficult, and many riders damaged tires in the process. 

“Five of us in the top 10 had multiple flat tires which essentially cost us a shot at the podium,” Wallace said. 

Wallace suffered one flat that he’ll always remember on the third day. 

“I had the wheel off and a dog came charging at me from a farm house 300 metres away. I popped the flat tire back on and hammered down the road another kilometre to a safer place to change the tire,” Wallace said. “The adventures of racing!”

With two tough races under his belt, Wallace is taking a few days to relax and hike on the South Island of New Zealand with friends – before heading out on a 20-day bike trip.