As the UK moves inexorably towards winter, so the southern hemisphere starts gearing up for racing. We've already mentioned the forthcoming La Ruta des los Conquistadores (Costa Rica, November), but considerably more imminent than that is Australia's Crocodile Trophy stage race (21-30 October).

While La Ruta makes the bold claim of being the world's toughest MTB race (not necessarily hardest, presumably it's more ductile or something), the Crocodile Trophy describes itself somewhat tautologically as "The World's Hardest Longest Hottest and most Adventures [sic] MTB Race in the World".

But never mind the marketing. The Crocodile Trophy lasts for ten days, and covers 1,200km of Australia's tropical north along a circuitous route between Mareeba and Cape Tribulation. The entry list is limited to 80 riders (although according to the start list, 98 will line up), which makes it as exclusive as it is challenging. There are individual and team classifications, and with much of the race on dirt roads (and without a ludicrous amount of climbing - 12,000m in total) you can expect to see road-race style team tactics and close stage finishes.

That's not to say that the Crocodile Trophy is just a road race on dirt, though. The tracks used are of variable condition, with lots of them being quite spectacularly rough, or just drifting sand. It's also very hot, and while the overall climbing total may not be too alarming, some of the climbs are very steep.

The possibility of some better weather has clearly captured the imagination of the Europeans, though - the field is numerically dominated by Euro racers, with Australians being very much in the minority. And in the spirit of mild partisanship, we'd just like to wish sole British competitor Philip Smith the very best of luck...

Find out more at www.crocodile-trophy.com.