Squidly Didly
23-03-2007, 11:22 PM
The first official event in the UCI Oceania Mountain Bike Championships kicked off in Thredbo today with the men's and women's Mountain Cross finals.
Top riders from Australia and around the world including New Zealand's World Junior Downhill Champion, Cameron Cole and Australia's National Series winner, Terry Scarr put their skills to the test.
In Mountain Cross groups of four riders go head-to-head through a series of double jumps, table tops, rollers and tight berms, before sprinting to the finish line.
Unlike traditional courses where the first rider out of the gates usually wins, this course features a multi-line track forcing riders to use tactics and line choice to get them on the podium.
The final four in the women’s race was a trans-Tasman affair with two Aussies and two Kiwis in the starting gates. Australia's National Mountain Cross champion Caroline Buchanan took the lead early and was a clear winner, but all the action took place in her wake. A collision between Sarsha Huntington and Scarlett Hagen a double jump made way for earlier crash victim Jennifer Makgill to steal second place. Huntington reclaimed her bike to take third spot for the Aussies with the current Elite New Zealand Champion, Hagen in fourth.
Buchanan was oblivious to the mayhem, “I heard lots of people coming down. I didn't know who was up and who was down so I just kept riding.”
The 16 year old Buchanan was a little concerned about competing against overseas riders, “I was worried about the Kiwis. I’ve never raced them before,” she admitted. Even though the Kiwi riders moved into second place it was the Brisbane rider, Sarsha Hungtington, who concerned Buchanan the most.
New Zealand's Jennifer Makgill was elated to win on her downhill bike. When asked about the crashes Makgill took it in her stride. "It's four cross, luck was on my side today," she explained.
The elite men's final was a full New South Wales line-up with Alex Lloyd, Luke Strom, Bryn Aitkinson and Terry Scarr all chasing a first place finish. The two favourite New Zealand riders, Cameron Cole and Wyn Masters were eliminated in the quarter final leaving it to the Aussies to battle it out for podium honours. Lloyd and Scarr were side-by-side from the start, until Scarr pulled his foot allowing Lloyd to go on and win. Hot favourite Luke Strom couldn't regain any ground on Lloyd and finished in second place.
"I felt pretty confident. I've been training fairly hard this week. I knew Terry was the one to watch out for," explained Lloyd.
Second placed Luke Strom's race did not go according to plan. “I had a bad start. The other guys had a bit of a lead over me. .I was trying to chase down Alex to try and make a move and get in front. He was too far ahead I couldn't make the distance," admitted Strom.
Strom admitted he had been concerned about the presence on New Zealand rider, Cameron Cole. “Cameron's a junior world champion fast downhill and an ex- BMXer rider and a really fast four cross rider," said Strom. 'I think Cameron was pretty unlucky being so close to Bryn on the finish line. It was unlucky for him to go out in the quarters."
All eyes will be on the potential Olympians competing in the Olympic Cross Country on Sunday. The final event on Sunday boasts a world class line-up with World Champion Sam Hill and Nathan Rennie, the bronze medallist up against World Junior Champion Cameron Cole from New Zealand.
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia
Top riders from Australia and around the world including New Zealand's World Junior Downhill Champion, Cameron Cole and Australia's National Series winner, Terry Scarr put their skills to the test.
In Mountain Cross groups of four riders go head-to-head through a series of double jumps, table tops, rollers and tight berms, before sprinting to the finish line.
Unlike traditional courses where the first rider out of the gates usually wins, this course features a multi-line track forcing riders to use tactics and line choice to get them on the podium.
The final four in the women’s race was a trans-Tasman affair with two Aussies and two Kiwis in the starting gates. Australia's National Mountain Cross champion Caroline Buchanan took the lead early and was a clear winner, but all the action took place in her wake. A collision between Sarsha Huntington and Scarlett Hagen a double jump made way for earlier crash victim Jennifer Makgill to steal second place. Huntington reclaimed her bike to take third spot for the Aussies with the current Elite New Zealand Champion, Hagen in fourth.
Buchanan was oblivious to the mayhem, “I heard lots of people coming down. I didn't know who was up and who was down so I just kept riding.”
The 16 year old Buchanan was a little concerned about competing against overseas riders, “I was worried about the Kiwis. I’ve never raced them before,” she admitted. Even though the Kiwi riders moved into second place it was the Brisbane rider, Sarsha Hungtington, who concerned Buchanan the most.
New Zealand's Jennifer Makgill was elated to win on her downhill bike. When asked about the crashes Makgill took it in her stride. "It's four cross, luck was on my side today," she explained.
The elite men's final was a full New South Wales line-up with Alex Lloyd, Luke Strom, Bryn Aitkinson and Terry Scarr all chasing a first place finish. The two favourite New Zealand riders, Cameron Cole and Wyn Masters were eliminated in the quarter final leaving it to the Aussies to battle it out for podium honours. Lloyd and Scarr were side-by-side from the start, until Scarr pulled his foot allowing Lloyd to go on and win. Hot favourite Luke Strom couldn't regain any ground on Lloyd and finished in second place.
"I felt pretty confident. I've been training fairly hard this week. I knew Terry was the one to watch out for," explained Lloyd.
Second placed Luke Strom's race did not go according to plan. “I had a bad start. The other guys had a bit of a lead over me. .I was trying to chase down Alex to try and make a move and get in front. He was too far ahead I couldn't make the distance," admitted Strom.
Strom admitted he had been concerned about the presence on New Zealand rider, Cameron Cole. “Cameron's a junior world champion fast downhill and an ex- BMXer rider and a really fast four cross rider," said Strom. 'I think Cameron was pretty unlucky being so close to Bryn on the finish line. It was unlucky for him to go out in the quarters."
All eyes will be on the potential Olympians competing in the Olympic Cross Country on Sunday. The final event on Sunday boasts a world class line-up with World Champion Sam Hill and Nathan Rennie, the bronze medallist up against World Junior Champion Cameron Cole from New Zealand.
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia