Nation’s best descend on Shepparton
The 2010 Jayco Australian Mountain Bike
National Series returns this weekend, with world 4X champion Caroline
Buchanan, Beijing Olympian Daniel McConnell and Oceania
champion Rowena Fry leading the charge at the second leg of
the series in Shepparton.
Kicking off this
Friday night (January 22), Australia’s best 4X riders will test their skills
and speed on the newly-opened Kialla track, before the action heads down the
road to the challenging course at Mount Major in Dookie.
Fresh from taking out his first
national cross country crown at the Australian Championships in Adelaide last
weekend, Beijing Olympian Daniel McConnell arrives in
Shepparton bursting with confidence.
Although the 24-year-old Gippsland
rider has earned the right to be labelled favourite, it will be fellow
Victorian Lachlan Norris from Castlemaine who will be looking
to burst his bubble on Saturday.
Norris, who celebrates his 23rd birthday
today, finished just adrift of McConnell in his first year in the open elite
category at the national championships, and although they are good mates off
the track, the heat is sure to be on as soon as their wheels hit the dirt this
weekend.
“We push each other so it’s great
competition. Off the bike we’re good mates, but on the bike it’s hell for
leather,” said Norris, the former under 23 national and Oceania champion.
“Dan’s one of my good mates, we’ve been
through a lot together over the last four years and have lived together when
we’ve been competing overseas.”
“I pulled up well after Adelaide and
I’m in good form, so I’m pretty keen for a win this weekend.”
The challenging course on Mount Major
is dominated by a start hill that will take more than 11 minutes for most to
climb setting the pattern for the rest of the race.
“I haven’t ridden on the course before
so it will be a mystery. I heard it’s pretty fresh so it will be rough,” Norris
said.
In the women’s event, Launceston’s Rowena
Fry will start as the one to beat.
Having secured victory at the first leg
of the series in Hobart, followed by a comfortable win at the Australian
Championships in Adelaide, the Oceania champion should have no trouble
accounting for her rivals this weekend.
One of Australia’s best prospects for
London 2012, Fry is one of only a handful of elite mountain bike riders to
retain her funding from Cycling Australia.
On current form Heather Logie (ACT),
who has come second to Fry in their last two outings, will provide the
strongest challenge.
The 4X track at
Kialla will make its debut on Friday night, and Canberra’s Caroline
Buchanan will don her world champion rainbow jersey for just the
second time this year.
Victory is almost a certainty for the
19-year-old, who is also one of Australia’s brightest hopes for BMX gold in
London 2012.
The men’s 4X event will have an
international flavour, with Diego Alvaro from Andorra and Barry
Nobles from the United States featuring in a fairly open field. Ryan
Hunt(NSW) and Ashley Grey (Vic) are likely to be amongst
the contenders.
A favorite for riders and spectators
alike, the downhill event is not for the faint-hearted.
On Sunday all eyes will be on one of
the nation’s brightest young prospects, 16-year-old South Australian, Troy
Brosnan who blitzed the field to take out the under-19 national crown
on the weekend.
Despite admitting to making a few
mistakes, Brosnan continued to add weight to his growing reputation with an extremely swift time that put him up amongst his more senior and
experienced peers in the elite category.
In the open elite
categories, defending series champion Leigh Douglas from
Canada (second at nationals, winner in Hobart) looks to have the advantage in
the women’s event.
In a strong field, the men’s race will be an enticing battle between
in-form New South Wales riders Shaun O’Connor and Joshua
Button, who filled the minor placings on the podium at nationals, and
Hobart runner-up Amiel Cavalier.
Competition Schedule
Round 2 -– Shepparton, Victoria
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Friday, 22 January
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6:30pm
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4X finals
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Saturday, 23 January
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8:30am
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Cross Country - elite,
U23, U19, U17, veteran, master and supermaster women
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11:00am
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Cross country - elite
and U23 men
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2:30pm
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Cross country - U19,
U17, veteran, master and supermaster men
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Sunday, 24 January
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8:00am
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Cross Country Enduro - 4
hour solo and teams
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12:30pm
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Downhill – U15, U17,
expert, masters, vet and sport supermasters men
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Downhill – U15, U17,
vet, masters, sport women
Hardtail
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1:00pm
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Short Course Cross Country
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3:00pm
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Downhill - elite and
U19 men, elite and U19 women
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