Scott
29-02-2008, 10:13 AM
South Australian and Olympic hopeful Chris Jongewaard led the 100km Lowan Otway Odyssey MTB Marathon from start to finish to establish himself as the pre-eminent mountain biker in Australia at present yesterday. A very strong field including 2004 Olympian Sid Taberlay, World 24 hour Champion Tinker Juarez, defending champion Murray Spink and Australian representative Dan McConnell were put to the sword from the very first climb of the day.
Jongewaard attacked up the steep Busty Road climb, establishing a 1 minute lead by the top - only 7km in. The main group was splintered early and was whittled down to as little as 6 by 10km, although it regrouped somewhat on the descent and crossing of Wild Dog Creek. Up the longest stretch of climbing for the day and Jongewaard extended his lead to 3 minutes by the time the race reached the Mount Sabine turnoff with 25km covered. Sid Taberlay – sensing the danger Jongewaard presented – also broke away and rode alone in second place from thereon.
By the time the technical sections began at the 37km mark, Jongewaard had a 4 minute lead on Taberlay and a 7 minute lead on the main group. Juarez had dropped off the back and was in 8th place 9 minutes down. The day’s major controversy came in a linking section where the top 7 riders excepting Jongewaard were sent the wrong way by course vandals, thereby riding an extra 2.3km. The sabotage wasn’t discovered until after Taberlay had already ridden back to town and he pulled out at 50km. For the main bunch the only real effect was to increase Jongewaard’s lead, which had now swelled to approximately 12 minutes before the start of 40km of technical riding.
From hereon in, the gap between the Jongewaard and the main bunch remained constant, although as has happened in the past, there was no major explosion and he coasted home with a comfortable and richly deserved 11 minute victory - plus a $3,000 cheque courtesy of Lowan Whole Foods. His time was a scorching 5:06:32, admittedly outside Spink’s course record 4:59:52, however conditions this year were far more difficult with rain making some of the climbs unrideable in places. The real action though was for the minor places with McConnell attacking the remaining members of the group – including Spink, Adrian Jackson, South Australian up and comer Brett Anderson, Shaun Lewis and West Australian Tim Bennett - as soon as they hit Yaugher Forrest at 67km. The group stayed together for much of the remaining technical sections however and it was left to the final 13km to sort out the top 5.
Onto the 13km final loop and the real attacks began. Spink and McConnell managed to get away from Tim Bennett, Shaun Lewis and Adrian Jackson and on the final climb of the day (the aptly named “Sledgehammer") McConnell dropped defending champion Spink and rode clear to claim 2nd place. Spink faded badly in the last kilometer but still crossed the line 3rd just ahead of Shaun Lewis and Adrian Jackson, who finished 5th. Tim Bennett came in 6th. Juarez’s day ended badly with an irreparable hole in the sidewall of his tyre with only 10km to go.
In the women’s race, defending champion Tory Thomas from Mt Beauty in Victoria and last year’s runner up Emma Colson were up against a significant international threat in the form of Jennifer Smith, out in Australia from her base in the US and training for March’s Cape Epic in South Africa.
This proved to be the case as Smith – like Jongewaard – led from start to finish. The main threat throughout the course of the day came from Emma Colson, who held the margin at 2 minutes through to Forrest at 65km. However in the technical and challenging single track section from 65km to 87km, Smith put a further 7 minute gap in to Colson to extend her lead to an unassailable 9 minutes going into the final 13km loop, and this proved to be final margin as she too coasted in for a 6 hour 25 minute finish time and a $3,000 cheque thanks again to Lowan.
Thomas faded from 3rd to be passed in Yaugher by Jaci Low who held on for a comfortable 3rd place with defending champion Thomas rolling across the line in 4th. Queensland’s Naomi Hansen rounded out the top 5.
Over 1,200 riders braved unseasonally wet conditions to take on what is regarded as the toughest, yet rewarding and most scenic Mountain Bike Marathon in Australia. Hundreds and hundreds of muddied faces crossed the line, all joyous to have conquered the Lowan Otway Odyssey.
Results – 100km Men’s Open
1st - Chris Jongewaard (SA) – 5:06:32
2nd – Daniel McConnell (VIC) – 5:17:46
3rd – Murray Spink (VIC) – 5:22:34
4th – Shaun Lewis (ACT)– 5:23:20
5th – Adrian Jackson (VIC)– 5:23:41
6th – Tim Bennett (WA)– 5:27:37
7th – Brett Anderson (SA) – 5:31:27
8th – Shaun Lewis (SA) – 5:32:48
9th – Joshua Keep (QLD) – 5:34:23
10th- Phillip Orr (VIC) – 5:35:40
Results – 100km Women’s Open
1st – Jennifer Smith (USA) – 6:24:56
2nd – Emma Colson (VIC) – 6:34:36
3rd – Jaci Low (VIC) – 6:44:18
4th – Tory Thomas (VIC) – 6:49:09
5th – Naomi Hansen (QLD) – 7:03:24
6th – Katrin van der Spiegel – 7:05:40
7th – Rebecca Locke (VIC) – 7:07:04
8th - Alexandra Kiendl (VIC) – 7:08:58
9th – Jenni King (VIC) – 7:23:19
10th – Deanna Blegg (VIC) – 7:29:17
Jongewaard attacked up the steep Busty Road climb, establishing a 1 minute lead by the top - only 7km in. The main group was splintered early and was whittled down to as little as 6 by 10km, although it regrouped somewhat on the descent and crossing of Wild Dog Creek. Up the longest stretch of climbing for the day and Jongewaard extended his lead to 3 minutes by the time the race reached the Mount Sabine turnoff with 25km covered. Sid Taberlay – sensing the danger Jongewaard presented – also broke away and rode alone in second place from thereon.
By the time the technical sections began at the 37km mark, Jongewaard had a 4 minute lead on Taberlay and a 7 minute lead on the main group. Juarez had dropped off the back and was in 8th place 9 minutes down. The day’s major controversy came in a linking section where the top 7 riders excepting Jongewaard were sent the wrong way by course vandals, thereby riding an extra 2.3km. The sabotage wasn’t discovered until after Taberlay had already ridden back to town and he pulled out at 50km. For the main bunch the only real effect was to increase Jongewaard’s lead, which had now swelled to approximately 12 minutes before the start of 40km of technical riding.
From hereon in, the gap between the Jongewaard and the main bunch remained constant, although as has happened in the past, there was no major explosion and he coasted home with a comfortable and richly deserved 11 minute victory - plus a $3,000 cheque courtesy of Lowan Whole Foods. His time was a scorching 5:06:32, admittedly outside Spink’s course record 4:59:52, however conditions this year were far more difficult with rain making some of the climbs unrideable in places. The real action though was for the minor places with McConnell attacking the remaining members of the group – including Spink, Adrian Jackson, South Australian up and comer Brett Anderson, Shaun Lewis and West Australian Tim Bennett - as soon as they hit Yaugher Forrest at 67km. The group stayed together for much of the remaining technical sections however and it was left to the final 13km to sort out the top 5.
Onto the 13km final loop and the real attacks began. Spink and McConnell managed to get away from Tim Bennett, Shaun Lewis and Adrian Jackson and on the final climb of the day (the aptly named “Sledgehammer") McConnell dropped defending champion Spink and rode clear to claim 2nd place. Spink faded badly in the last kilometer but still crossed the line 3rd just ahead of Shaun Lewis and Adrian Jackson, who finished 5th. Tim Bennett came in 6th. Juarez’s day ended badly with an irreparable hole in the sidewall of his tyre with only 10km to go.
In the women’s race, defending champion Tory Thomas from Mt Beauty in Victoria and last year’s runner up Emma Colson were up against a significant international threat in the form of Jennifer Smith, out in Australia from her base in the US and training for March’s Cape Epic in South Africa.
This proved to be the case as Smith – like Jongewaard – led from start to finish. The main threat throughout the course of the day came from Emma Colson, who held the margin at 2 minutes through to Forrest at 65km. However in the technical and challenging single track section from 65km to 87km, Smith put a further 7 minute gap in to Colson to extend her lead to an unassailable 9 minutes going into the final 13km loop, and this proved to be final margin as she too coasted in for a 6 hour 25 minute finish time and a $3,000 cheque thanks again to Lowan.
Thomas faded from 3rd to be passed in Yaugher by Jaci Low who held on for a comfortable 3rd place with defending champion Thomas rolling across the line in 4th. Queensland’s Naomi Hansen rounded out the top 5.
Over 1,200 riders braved unseasonally wet conditions to take on what is regarded as the toughest, yet rewarding and most scenic Mountain Bike Marathon in Australia. Hundreds and hundreds of muddied faces crossed the line, all joyous to have conquered the Lowan Otway Odyssey.
Results – 100km Men’s Open
1st - Chris Jongewaard (SA) – 5:06:32
2nd – Daniel McConnell (VIC) – 5:17:46
3rd – Murray Spink (VIC) – 5:22:34
4th – Shaun Lewis (ACT)– 5:23:20
5th – Adrian Jackson (VIC)– 5:23:41
6th – Tim Bennett (WA)– 5:27:37
7th – Brett Anderson (SA) – 5:31:27
8th – Shaun Lewis (SA) – 5:32:48
9th – Joshua Keep (QLD) – 5:34:23
10th- Phillip Orr (VIC) – 5:35:40
Results – 100km Women’s Open
1st – Jennifer Smith (USA) – 6:24:56
2nd – Emma Colson (VIC) – 6:34:36
3rd – Jaci Low (VIC) – 6:44:18
4th – Tory Thomas (VIC) – 6:49:09
5th – Naomi Hansen (QLD) – 7:03:24
6th – Katrin van der Spiegel – 7:05:40
7th – Rebecca Locke (VIC) – 7:07:04
8th - Alexandra Kiendl (VIC) – 7:08:58
9th – Jenni King (VIC) – 7:23:19
10th – Deanna Blegg (VIC) – 7:29:17