Canberra’s McConnell heads into the opening two rounds of the event – on Saturday and Sunday respectively, the series continues Armidale, Bairnsdale and Toowoomba later this year – as the main contender, although it will be his first time riding on the pristine Orange singletrack.

“I have never been to Orange before so I’m looking forward to having a weekend away riding my bike on some new trails,” McConnell, the reigning cross country elite national champion, told MTBA.

“I’m lucky that I get to ride many different locations around the world but I still get excited for somewhere new.”

Brame, making his debut in the elite men’s category, is stepping up from the under-23 division and said he’ll be using the 2017 season as an opportunity to develop, racing against the best in the country.

VIDEO: Get a more intimate look at some Kinross Forest’s singletrack, courtesy of Youtube user explodinglamas.

“For me being the first round of the year, first race of the new season, there’s not to much pressure results wise this weekend however I do wanna be somewhere near the pointy end of the field,” Brame told MTBA.

“Being in elite this season I think will be a positive thing … it’ll be the perfect opportunity to learn and push myself further in order for me to not only become a better rider but also a better racer.”

Racing kicks off at 8.30am on both days this weekend.