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Written by By ALEX BAIRD.
AUDAX is Latin for bold and courageous, appropriate words for each rider that battled heat and pedalled a lot of kilometres to complete the different stages of this year’s event.
The 2012 Audax Alpine Classic was the biggest in its 27-year history, with more than 2400 competitors hitting the roads from Bright to Mt Buffalo, Omeo and Falls Creek.
The popular event continues to attract passionate riders, and with temperatures soaring into the 30s each day, it was a gruelling affair.
Organiser Phil Bellette said the taxing conditions and the large groups of riders may have seen a higher injury rate, but entrants were lucky, with only two taken to hospital with minor injuries.
"It was probably our most successful year yet," he said.
"We had no serious accidents, which is really good considering we had about 2400 people on the road.
"The main medical issue was people having hydration problems."
Audax isn’t a race, but a challenge for the rider to finish their particular category within the time limit.
There are six different distances each year, with the most popular being the original 200km ride, which around 1000 people took part in this year.
Over 75 per cent of entrants made the finish line, on par with statistics from previous years.
Mr Bellette said Audax attracts mainly middle age riders, who often bring their family and friends, creating a welcoming atmosphere in the town with Bonjour Bright coinciding with the event at Howitt Park.
"We always encourage the riders to bring their families and we try to get local people to come down," he said.
"Everyone just says it’s getting better and better."
After almost three decades in the town, Mr Bellette said Audax was an event only suitable for Bright because of the riding conditions, which are rated as some of the best in the country.
"The event belongs to Bright, it can’t go anywhere else because it’s the attraction of the geography, you can’t find that anywhere else in Australia," he said.
"The views you get from Hotham looking towards Kosciuszko on a clear day are incredible."
More than half the riders come from around the state, 25 per cent from New South Wales, while the rest make their way to Bright from around Australia and the world, including New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
The event also has strong support from the district, with sponsorship from the Bright Community Bank, Boynton’s Winery and the Alpine Shire.
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