Scott
23-12-2005, 12:04 PM
Jared Rando dominates two mountain bike disciplines in Australia now after winning the Iron Horse Downhill at Thredbo today. Rando had a dream run on the 4.3km Cannonball Run to finish comfortably ahead of Liam Panozzo and Justin Havukainen in third. With temperatures of 2.5 degrees at the start line, Rando let nothing stand in his way with the quickest run of the day in 6.14.08.
The win gives Rando his first for the weekend after crashing in the semi-final of the Mountain Cross on Friday night. He still maintains his lead in that Series.
Coming into the Downhill event Rando was second on the points but after today’s win he takes over the lead from World Silver Medallist, Sam Hill from Western Australia.
Rando was closely watched by Jared Graves, the winner of the last two events at Thredbo. Graves, the World silver medallist in Mountain Cross also lined up in Downhill and turned in the best qualifying run of 6.19..22. However, Graves crashed mid way down in the final run costing him precious seconds.
Adding to the excitement, snow started to fall at the top of the run just as the finals were beginning, with the chill factor an extra challenge for riders used to warmer climates.
According to GRAVES it was the snow and rain affected track that caused his stack.
“I was having a really good run and just tried a little too hard in the middle section and it’s all sort of greasy in there from the rain we’ve had in the last couple of days. Pretty well I hit a root and before I knew it my back wheel was in front of my front wheel and I was heading back up the side of the hill into the bushes.”
RANDO however said the track was in great condition despite the snow.
“It’s didn’t really effect it, actually it was really grippy and almost perfect for racing on. It was just like hero traction.”
In the qualifying run the previous day’s rainfall took it’s toll and times were slower than expected. Graves qualified fastest with Rando just off the pace and Bryn Atkinson third fastest of the day. Sickness struck Atkinson ruling him out of the final run which left the door open for Liam Panozzo sho had the most improved time of the day.
The Downhill comp takes place on the legendary 4.2km Cannonball Run, which is packed full of jumps, berms and turns, and it seems, even the odd real-life cannonball!
Sydney rider ROHAN GEARING was the unfortunate victim of a rogue boulder….
“Um I was just at the start gate ready to race and unfortunately just as the clock was about to let me go a rock rolled down the side of the hill and just bowled me over”
“It just damaged the gear mechanism at the back there, the rock sort of smashed it, yeah I’ve just got to fix it up and make it go so I can race again,” he said.
Officials allowed Gearing to ride the final run and he managed 23rd position.
Results:
National MTBA Series Downhill Round 3
Sunday 18 December, 2005
Elite Men
Jared Rando #2 Ainslie, ACT 6.14.08
Liam Panozzo #3 Mt Beauty,Vic 6.15.75
Justin Havukainen#52 Scotland Island NSW 6.16.53
Jared Graves#11 Toowoomba, QLD 6.16.66
Under 19
1. James Maltman#602 Stretton, QLD 6.24.49
2. Alex Swann#606 Lilydale, VIC 6.27.43
3. Ben Bell#618 Dwellingup,WA 6.35.43
Elite Women
1. Emma McNaughton#301 Newcastle, NSW 7.25.03
2. Claire Whiteman#302 Condor, ACT 7.51.55
3. Kate Holzer#308 Warrandyte, VIC 9.02.53
See attached media releases for extra information on the mountain cross and downhill races.
Feed time codes:
GRABS – JARED RANDO
“ Practicing here a lot definitely helped, I mean Ben and I come up here every other weekend you know just to do clinics and stuff like that, so that definitely was an advantage I think.
“It’s didn’t really effect it actually it was really grippy and almost perfect for racing on. It was just like hero traction.”
“Yeah looking forward to it hey, there’s going to be a lot of good riders here, all the pros are going to come down, the nationals is going to be a really good race.”
GRABS – JARED GRAVES
“I was having a really good run and just tried a little too hard in the middle section and it’s all sort of greasy in there from the rain we’ve had in the last couple of days. Pretty well I hit a root and before I knew it my back wheel was in front of my front wheel and I was heading back up the side of the hill into the bushes.”
“ You know greasy roots are pretty tricky at the best of times, but then the wetness as well sort of leads to corners getting grooved out and it got pretty rough, it’s a load of fun though.”
“It was pretty interesting with the wind and the snow and what ever up the top. I was told about two minutes before my start it had just hit minus 10 and probably didn’t need to be told that. No, it was a little difficult but everyone had to deal with the same thing.”
GRABS - ROHAN GEARING
“Um I was just at the start gate ready to race and unfortunately just as the clock was about to let me go a rock rolled down the side of the hill and just bowled me over”
“It just damaged the gear mechanism at the back there, the rock sort of smashed it, yeah I’ve just got to fix it up and make it go so I can race again.”
Previous Media Releases:
December 17th
Summer has begun and Christmas is only a week away but snow has started to fall in Thredbo.
While it may have been the closest some Aussies will come to a white Christmas it wasn’t such good news for the 400 mountain bike riders who have descended upon Thredbo for the Iron Horse Australian Open Mountain Cross and Downhill events.
The snowy conditions meant today’s qualifying runs had to be cancelled and may affect the condition of the 4.3km Cannonball Run – the track which the downhill event will be held on tomorrow.
Many riders were only dressed in shorts and t-shirts when the snow hit and not prepared for the slippery conditions.
The mountain cross event was held last night.
December 16th
Jared Graves celebrated his 23rd birthday and his first Mountain Cross win in Australia at Thredbo tonight. The Toowoomba rider won the final beating the experienced BMX Champion, Wade Bootes from the Gold Coast.. Graves last race was at the World Championships in September where he won the silver medal and Bootes finished tenth. Graves won in straight heats and chose the inside track to keep Wade Bootes his closest rival in the final on his outside. The Toowoomba rider had just recovered from a training injury just in time to make the trip down to Thredbo.
Bootes, 34 now bows out of Mountain Cross riding to focus his attention on gaining selection in the Australian BMX Olympic squad to race in Beijing in 2008. Third was Shane Wode from Brisbane.
The favourite to win was National Series Leader, Jared Rando from Canberra crashed in the first turn of the semi-finals with Luke Strom from Sydney.
The new style of track design got the approval of the World Class riders. International track designer, Glen Jacobs, has created a unique mountain cross track that allows for closer and more exciting racing.
Jared Rando (#2 Orange and grey) crashed in quarter final
Sharon Payne, Media Manager, Mountain Bike Australia 0412 773500.
The win gives Rando his first for the weekend after crashing in the semi-final of the Mountain Cross on Friday night. He still maintains his lead in that Series.
Coming into the Downhill event Rando was second on the points but after today’s win he takes over the lead from World Silver Medallist, Sam Hill from Western Australia.
Rando was closely watched by Jared Graves, the winner of the last two events at Thredbo. Graves, the World silver medallist in Mountain Cross also lined up in Downhill and turned in the best qualifying run of 6.19..22. However, Graves crashed mid way down in the final run costing him precious seconds.
Adding to the excitement, snow started to fall at the top of the run just as the finals were beginning, with the chill factor an extra challenge for riders used to warmer climates.
According to GRAVES it was the snow and rain affected track that caused his stack.
“I was having a really good run and just tried a little too hard in the middle section and it’s all sort of greasy in there from the rain we’ve had in the last couple of days. Pretty well I hit a root and before I knew it my back wheel was in front of my front wheel and I was heading back up the side of the hill into the bushes.”
RANDO however said the track was in great condition despite the snow.
“It’s didn’t really effect it, actually it was really grippy and almost perfect for racing on. It was just like hero traction.”
In the qualifying run the previous day’s rainfall took it’s toll and times were slower than expected. Graves qualified fastest with Rando just off the pace and Bryn Atkinson third fastest of the day. Sickness struck Atkinson ruling him out of the final run which left the door open for Liam Panozzo sho had the most improved time of the day.
The Downhill comp takes place on the legendary 4.2km Cannonball Run, which is packed full of jumps, berms and turns, and it seems, even the odd real-life cannonball!
Sydney rider ROHAN GEARING was the unfortunate victim of a rogue boulder….
“Um I was just at the start gate ready to race and unfortunately just as the clock was about to let me go a rock rolled down the side of the hill and just bowled me over”
“It just damaged the gear mechanism at the back there, the rock sort of smashed it, yeah I’ve just got to fix it up and make it go so I can race again,” he said.
Officials allowed Gearing to ride the final run and he managed 23rd position.
Results:
National MTBA Series Downhill Round 3
Sunday 18 December, 2005
Elite Men
Jared Rando #2 Ainslie, ACT 6.14.08
Liam Panozzo #3 Mt Beauty,Vic 6.15.75
Justin Havukainen#52 Scotland Island NSW 6.16.53
Jared Graves#11 Toowoomba, QLD 6.16.66
Under 19
1. James Maltman#602 Stretton, QLD 6.24.49
2. Alex Swann#606 Lilydale, VIC 6.27.43
3. Ben Bell#618 Dwellingup,WA 6.35.43
Elite Women
1. Emma McNaughton#301 Newcastle, NSW 7.25.03
2. Claire Whiteman#302 Condor, ACT 7.51.55
3. Kate Holzer#308 Warrandyte, VIC 9.02.53
See attached media releases for extra information on the mountain cross and downhill races.
Feed time codes:
GRABS – JARED RANDO
“ Practicing here a lot definitely helped, I mean Ben and I come up here every other weekend you know just to do clinics and stuff like that, so that definitely was an advantage I think.
“It’s didn’t really effect it actually it was really grippy and almost perfect for racing on. It was just like hero traction.”
“Yeah looking forward to it hey, there’s going to be a lot of good riders here, all the pros are going to come down, the nationals is going to be a really good race.”
GRABS – JARED GRAVES
“I was having a really good run and just tried a little too hard in the middle section and it’s all sort of greasy in there from the rain we’ve had in the last couple of days. Pretty well I hit a root and before I knew it my back wheel was in front of my front wheel and I was heading back up the side of the hill into the bushes.”
“ You know greasy roots are pretty tricky at the best of times, but then the wetness as well sort of leads to corners getting grooved out and it got pretty rough, it’s a load of fun though.”
“It was pretty interesting with the wind and the snow and what ever up the top. I was told about two minutes before my start it had just hit minus 10 and probably didn’t need to be told that. No, it was a little difficult but everyone had to deal with the same thing.”
GRABS - ROHAN GEARING
“Um I was just at the start gate ready to race and unfortunately just as the clock was about to let me go a rock rolled down the side of the hill and just bowled me over”
“It just damaged the gear mechanism at the back there, the rock sort of smashed it, yeah I’ve just got to fix it up and make it go so I can race again.”
Previous Media Releases:
December 17th
Summer has begun and Christmas is only a week away but snow has started to fall in Thredbo.
While it may have been the closest some Aussies will come to a white Christmas it wasn’t such good news for the 400 mountain bike riders who have descended upon Thredbo for the Iron Horse Australian Open Mountain Cross and Downhill events.
The snowy conditions meant today’s qualifying runs had to be cancelled and may affect the condition of the 4.3km Cannonball Run – the track which the downhill event will be held on tomorrow.
Many riders were only dressed in shorts and t-shirts when the snow hit and not prepared for the slippery conditions.
The mountain cross event was held last night.
December 16th
Jared Graves celebrated his 23rd birthday and his first Mountain Cross win in Australia at Thredbo tonight. The Toowoomba rider won the final beating the experienced BMX Champion, Wade Bootes from the Gold Coast.. Graves last race was at the World Championships in September where he won the silver medal and Bootes finished tenth. Graves won in straight heats and chose the inside track to keep Wade Bootes his closest rival in the final on his outside. The Toowoomba rider had just recovered from a training injury just in time to make the trip down to Thredbo.
Bootes, 34 now bows out of Mountain Cross riding to focus his attention on gaining selection in the Australian BMX Olympic squad to race in Beijing in 2008. Third was Shane Wode from Brisbane.
The favourite to win was National Series Leader, Jared Rando from Canberra crashed in the first turn of the semi-finals with Luke Strom from Sydney.
The new style of track design got the approval of the World Class riders. International track designer, Glen Jacobs, has created a unique mountain cross track that allows for closer and more exciting racing.
Jared Rando (#2 Orange and grey) crashed in quarter final
Sharon Payne, Media Manager, Mountain Bike Australia 0412 773500.