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Kona 24 Hour - NE
Redesdale, Victoria, Australia, November 28, 2004
Britton, Wallace take solo wins
By Joe Ward
Over 600 mountain bikers raced and sweated for 24 continuous hours right through the weekend in heatwave conditions at the Kona 24 hour mountain bike endurance race held in Redesdale, Victoria.
In 35 degree heat riders lined up for the Le Mans style running start. Not known for his running prowess, Olympic representative and Australian National Champion Sid Taberlay of Team SRAM was 4th through the run, setting himself up to take the lead just seconds into the 24 hour long event.
While most compete in relay teams of between 2 to 10 riders some compete solo, spending 24 agonising hours in the saddle, some covering over 300 rough and punishing kilometers.
The 18 km long course is challenging for all levels of competitors, including technical downhill sections, ramps and tight, narrow, twisting trails. Despite recent rain the drought parched trails turned to powder over the course the event, riders disappearing in a cloud of dust though the corners.
While Team SRAM came under pressure during the night from Team Nite Rider and the Kona Factory team, the all-star line up of Team SRAM including 9-time national champion Rob Eva, Olympians Paul Rowney and Sid Taberlay, didn't disappoint, racking up their second overall victory in a row at the Kona 24 hour. Elite riders such as these love the team format as they get to race with rather that against the best in the country.
Sid Taberlay and Chris Jongewaard grabbed the cash bonus for fastest day and night laps respectively making it a clean sweep for Team SRAM.
After a mid-season form slump due to over-training Saul Britton came back after a rest break to show he still has what it takes to stay in the saddle for 19 consecutive laps (347km), winning the solo male catagory. He says that after every race he declares that's the last, but despite the pain, a few days later he gets hungry to do it all over again. Michelle Wallace took the solo women's title.
The phenomenal rise of 24 hour racing makes a move to the world stage as next year the Kona 24 hour race forms the third leg of the Kona Global series of endurance mountain bike races. The Kona/Clarks international team based at Les Gets, France has already confirmed their entry with many more expected soon. The Global series also takes in mountain bike hotspots of the world including the UK and Colorado, USA.
Results
Solo Male laps time 1 Saul Britton 19 24.02.34 2 Andrew Bell 18 24.06.50 3 Bert Heathwood 17 24.48.23 4 Luke Rapley 15 24.01.02 5 Tristan Bennett SS 13 24.26.34 6 Tim Ferres 12 24.12.47 7 Steve Gilbert 11 24.08.32 8 Rob Davis 11 24.26.48 9 Justin O'Keefe 11 25.11.01 10 Ben Randall 9 24.06.52 11 Ben O'Keefe 8 24.02.55 12 Andrew Wills 8 24.32.16 DNF Richard Ferris 8 20.07.19 DNF Stephen Humphreys 6 8.16.01 DNF Cameron Dixon 5 20.17.35 Solo Female 1 Michelle Wallace 9 24.01.07 2 Kay Haarsma 9 24.28.54 3 Jane Newbery 6 24.23.40 Pairs Male 1 Not Calendar Girls 18 24.01.49 2 Vandalay Industries 15 24.01.19 3 Dave & Wayne 11 24.28.32 Pairs Mixed 1 Hendry Cycles 17 24.05.23 2 Mixed Nuts 16 24.04.13 3 Team Domestic Bliss pb Topbike Tours 14 24.04.53 4 B1 and B2 9 24.06.37 Threesomes Male 1 MBC 26 24.28.49 2 Axles of Evil 22 24.01.25 3 Trios Amigos Geriatricus 45+ 22 24.14.52 4 Mike's Mega Mosh Mix - 2 21 24.27.12 5 Stewart & Friends 20 25.02.57 6 free wheeling 19 24.21.56 7 TEAM YXERT 17 24.57.45 8 Things that go bump in the night 16 24.00.44 9 Certa Cito 15 24.00.39 10 The Freedom Machine 15 24.33.58 11 God Is My Co-Pilot 13 24.00.50 DNF The New Justice Team 6 21.24.46 Threesomes Mixed 1 Giddiup 23 24.38.18 2 Lesser Mortals 45+ 14 24.49.35 3 Team Tendonitis 12 24.40.10 Foursomes Male 1 Rocky Valley Von Trapp Family Choir 27 24.46.33 2 Arabian Metrosexual Pornstars 26 24.28.09 3 Woodend Cycles 26 24.51.16 4 Cranky People 25 24.46.21 5 Geelong MTB Club 25 24.49.44 6 KOMATSU KINGS 24 24.00.36 7 HANDFUL O' PFAFF 24 24.54.28 8 Castlemaine Cycles 23 24.21.53 9 Secret Vegimite Fix 22 24.10.45 10 THE OLD CLYDESDALES 22 24.15.12 11 Huff 'n' Puff 21 24.02.29 12 Woodend Cycles Weak Links 21 24.20.24 13 Spoke(n) 21 24.31.00 14 MADIGAN SURVEYING 21 24.31.32 15 Chimps 20 24.01.42 16 EAGLES 20 24.03.07 17 I had one but the wheels fell off 19 24.01.13 18 Soresome Foursome 19 24.44.53 19 Croydon Cycles 18 24.15.27 20 Mikes Mega Mosh Mix1 18 24.33.23 21 HOOTIE McSTOOGES A 18 25.27.07 22 4 Gears of Fury! 17 24.06.42 23 majc 17 24.08.26 24 Windsurfing Anyone 17 24.22.59 25 HOOTIE McSTOOGES B 17 24.37.50 26 Go you bad thing 17 25.01.52 27 Cycledelics 15 24.19.53 28 Spin Doctors 14 24.00.59 29 Just Pain 14 24.13.55 30 Team Spoke(n) MkII 12 24.00.47 31 Crash Test Dummies 45+ 11 24.09.11 32 lookgoodgoshit.com 11 24.20.29 33 LUKE 10 24.03.54 DNF Red Raw 16 22.16.00 Foursomes Female 1 Babes in Toyland 14 25.04.56 Foursomes Mixed 1 Team Spoke(n) 25 24.12.18 2 Legal Aliens 25 24.56.37 3 3 Kiwis & a Mate 25 24.58.50 4 SnotRockets 24 24.26.20 5 Fluid 24 25.06.46 6 CycleOps 23 24.16.20 7 Fourplay 21 24.08.20 8 Tat MTB 20 24.40.06 9 Truckies on Speed 20 24.42.08 10 Bung Racing 19 24.12.41 11 Unlikely 11 24.19.30 Super Sixes Male 1 TEAM SRAM 30 24.24.24 2 Nite Rider 30 24.42.55 3 TEAM KONA - Mt BULLER 29 24.08.29 4 FTF.COM.AU 29 24.29.42 5 ROCK SHOX 28 24.01.28 6 Top Gear Bicycles 24 24.07.24 7 Grandpa's Big Sneeze 24 24.07.29 8 The Squirrels 23 24.47.13 9 Team 6 21 24.44.12 10 The Woodend Whippets 21 24.50.19 11 Rapidthrusters 7 20 24.01.22 12 Fast Eddie and the Hustlers 45+ 20 24.15.46 13 Ribbed Racers / Durex 20 24.26.54 14 Miscellaneous Miscreants 20 24.30.55 15 Kona World 20 24.43.59 16 Kyneton SC 1 20 24.57.36 17 trailhead Bike Co 19 24.04.47 18 Connells Clowns 18 24.04.18 19 Team Liquid Chicken 18 24.26.29 20 Kyneton SC 2 18 24.37.56 21 Continental 17 24.00.53 22 BAYER BIKERS 17 24.04.25 23 Look Good Go Quick 16 24.01.16 24 Team DOA 16 24.19.21 25 Kyneton SC 5 13 24.12.06 26 Velvet Hammers 13 24.13.22 27 W.M.P.M. 13 24.23.49 DNF Enduro Magazine 3 8.21.01 Super Sixes Female 1 Mikelli needs a girl (or 6) 0408657377 21 24.21.44 2 No Eyed Deers 15 24.01.04 Super Sixes Mixed 1 Team Rapido 22 24.27.43 2 Four Battered Savs & Minimum Chips 22 24.28.39 3 Last Minute Wonders 22 24.37.53 4 HIGH ROLLERS 22 25.07.45 5 Where's Our Ritalin 21 24.16.56 6 RapidThrusters 6 20 24.01.11 7 The Lost Mountaineers 20 24.16.05 8 all over the place 20 24.58.10 9 THE LEFTOVERS 18 24.03.18 10 Chaos & Mayhem 17 24.04.31 11 Kyneton SC 3 16 24.07.44 12 Kyneton SC 4 14 24.12.11 13 Benny & The Jets 14 24.20.36 14 Beer Drinkers with a Riding Problem 11 24.00.57 Corporate Mixed 1 Avid 21 24.27.36 2 Bendigo Cycles/ GT Cycles 21 25.20.07
