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Australian MTB Championships - CN
Eildon, Victoria, March 18-20, 2005
Day 1 - March 18: Four-cross
Yeti takes the honours on day 1
By Mikkeli Godfree in Eildon
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Team Yeti have opened its account at the Australian MTB National Championships with Jill Kintner and Jared Graves taking out the 4X today. However, as Jill Kintner is an American...and second placed Julia Boer is not quite Australian yet...the title went to third placed Stefanie Van Amerongen. The passing of the Australian jersey down the dais was not a feature of the men's podium, however, as Jared Graves wore the green and gold with pride in between BMX superstar Luke Madill (GT) and DH powerhouse Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz, Red Bull, Troy Lee Designs).
Men's 4X: Graves head of Madill and Rennie
Graves (Yeti, Oakley), who was knocked out early in last year's 4X had a spotless afternoon on the Eildon 4X track, stamping his authority all over the motos. It wasn't all beer and skittles though for Graves who missed much of the morning's practice with wheel issues, "My tyre kept coming off and I panicked because I didn't have much practice time."
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However, by the time the finals came around, Graves was ready for anything, "I got pretty nervous around the time of the quarter finals with Rennie (Santa-Cruz, SRAM, Red Bull, Troy Lee Designs), Robinson (GT) and Strom (Yeti). I got a bad start but still made it to the first corner in front. Robinson went inside me and he doesn't take any crap, but I held him off and knowing I could do well after a bad gate gave me a lot of confidence for the final.
"In the final I knew that a good start would set me up. I did that, was first to the first corner. I got a tap from behind but kept it up, covered the line, tried not to ride anything too fast and it went well." Behind, Madill threw everything he had at Graves but as the Eildon track has few opportunities to pass, it was pretty much a matter of covering the racing line and staying upright for Graves after getting the hole-shot into the first corner. The BMX-specialist Madill had to settle for second while Rennie put in a good showing to hold off Rando for third.
Some strong results in NORBA 4X races last year and a 10th at the World 4X Championships have really cemented Graves as a rider as comfortable bumping elbows in the air as pinning a DH run in the race against the clock. "My attitude has really changed, I want to top five the NORBA series DH this year and maybe top three the 4X series...for Yeti it's like they are getting two riders for one and I'm really motivated to be on top of both disciplines.
"This result gives me a lot of confidence for Sunday (DH Championship) and it takes the pressure off a bit but I'm still hungry to win it."
Women's 4X: Kintner a cut above
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Graves' Yeti teammate, Jill Kintner (Yeti, Red Bull, Oakley, Troy Lee, Fox shocks, SRAM, Vans) made it a clean sweep in the women's category and even managed to make it through to the heats in the men's category at the same time - all in a day's work! The 4X super-star was never really headed in the women's category and she convincingly beat Julia Boer and Stefanie Van Amerongen, and the latter being the first Aussie across the line is the new National Women's 4X Champion.
The ride of the day though was from Kintner who was like a jack-in-the-box going from one heat to the next, up and down the race-track all day. "I've done ten races today - I got good value for my money here today!" said Kintner at the end of the day. "Racing the guys is always hard - I learn heaps as the guys are more aggressive. I follow their lines. I wanted to push myself really hard...and racing the guys did that...I think the boys get a bit salty when I beat them though!"
Kintner, although only in her third season on a MTB, had a huge year in 2004 when she won the NORBA 4X series, was second in the World Championships and ended up third overall in the 4X World Cup after winning the World Cup Finals in Livigno However, Kintner was obviously enjoying the low-key Aussie racing saying, "It's a lot more fun here, more relaxed, there's not as much pressure but people who run the races do a great job with good hype, a heap of cameras, video cameras, a loud crowd and commentators - it's so much fun!"
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mikkeli Godfree/Freewheel magazine
- Darren Pokoj focuses in the gate in the U19 category.
- Jill Kintner in the men's heats next to Luke Strom.
- Elbow to elbow over the first set of doubles.
- Luke Madill laying into turn 1
- Luke Strom with the eye of the tiger.
- Kintner rails the outside berm in the women's heats
- ...and is back minutes later in the gate next to Kovarik.
- Jared Graves on the gas.
- SBS Television's Mike Tomalaris interviews Nathan Rennie
- Nathan Rennie peers over Michael Robinson in the 1/8ths.
- Jared Rando: #4 on the plate, #4 on the day.
- Chris Kovarik in a Madill and Hannah sandwich.
- Full factory outfit
Images by
- The gate in the Men's final: Rando, Madill, Graves, Rennie.
Images by Mikkeli Godfree/Freewheel magazine
- Jill Kintner women's 4x winner.
- Graves and Kintner a Yeti clean sweep
- Australia's new 4x National Champions Van Amerongen and Graves in their new jerseys.
Results
Elite Men 1 Jared Graves (Yeti/Oakley) 2 Luke Madill (GT) 3 Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz/Red Bull/Troy Lee Designs) 4 Jared Rando Elite Women 1 Jill Kintner (Yeti/Red Bull/Oakley/Troy Lee/Fox shocks/SRAM/Vans) 2 Julia Boer 3 Stefanie Van Amerongen Expert Men 1 Adam Robb 2 Ashley Gray 3 Scott Graham Under 19 Men 1 Amiel Cavalier 2 Liam Panozzo 3 Darren Pokoj
