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Australian MTB Series - CN
Thredbo, NSW, Australia, December 8-9, 2007
Race 1 - December 8: Olympic Distance cross country
Starr stars in cross country and lays claim on Olympic selection
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Winning the third round of the Australian National Series cross country race in Thredbo proved a point for Melbourne's Dellys Starr (Spot Brand Bikes). Starr returned to Australia just two weeks ago from her base in Colorado to prepare for her assault on the Beijing Olympics spot. The 31 year-old Melbourne Commonwealth Games rider is hoping to secure the one spot allocated for an Australian elite female. The men also have one spot.
"I'm here for the national series and looking forward to the National Championships in January and going for Olympic selections," said Starr, who got the fastest lap in her second of four laps in 21'16" when she took over the lead from current series leader, Rowena Fry (Orbea, Wileyx Eyewear). "It makes me feel like my training is on track. It's good to gauge where the rest of the girls are at. I'm only going to get stronger from here," she added.
Completing the four laps in one hour and 26 minutes gave Starr a one and a half minute lead over nearest rival, current National Champion, Tory Thomas (Torq, Vis, SRAM). Starr will not rest now and continue training and racing in Australia until March next year.
"I definitely never underestimate anyone. I've been keeping tabs on the results," she said.
Starr now looks ahead to the National Championships at Mount Stromlo in Canberra at the end of January which will form a part of the selection process towards the Olympics. "It's a great course (Stromlo). I competed there last year. I wasn't quite as prepared," she admitted.
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This year Starr sounds like she has a different plan and preparation is underway as her race results showed today. With still eight months to go to Beijing Olympics and several of the elite women could be looking like a candidate at this stage. "Definitely it doesn't seem to be cut and dried," she said. "No one is dominating. It's going to be tight and selection is going to be close."
Fry finished in third place and retains the series lead.
The elite men's race was a cat and mouse affair with the lead changing four times over the seven laps. Eventual winner, Canberra's Dylan Cooper (Conceptis.com.au) took charge in the fifth lap to finish in two hours and four minutes. The 28 year-old now leads the series and has his sights set on the overall series and next month's National Championships.
Second was Victoria's Dan McConnell securing the fastest lap of 16'53". The 23 year-old crashed in the second last lap, going over his handlebars and sustaining lacerations to his right knee. A sprint finish gave Andrew Blair (Giant, Spearman Cycles, Maxxis) third place and series leader, Aiden Lefmann (Cannondale, SRAM, Maxxis) claimed fifth and relinquishes the leader's plate.
Under 23 men's winner Paul Van Der Ploeg (Felt Bicycles) got third fastest in the combined elite/under 23 men's race - an impressive ride for the world representative rider.
The series' final round will be in Mt Beauty in early February with the National Mountain Bike Championships beforehand in Canberra on the Australia Day weekend in January.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Evan Jeffery /www.evanjeffery.com.au
- The huge women's field
- Dellys Starr chats before the start.
- Zoe King gets some last minute guidance.
- Rowena Fry maintains her series lead.
- Emma Colson and Zoe King in a tussle on the climb
- Dellys Starr celebrates her win.
- Dellys Starr's stunning new bike
- Lachlan Norris feels the climbs of Thredbo.
- Riders climb through the clover.
- The flies were evil on the day.
- Paul Van Der Ploeg is animated at the finish.
- Some riders are shattered after the race.
- Under 19 rider Robbie Hucker receives a bottle in the feed zone.
- Ouch! Michael Wilson saw more of the trail than others.
- Dellys Starr starts at the back and had to work her way up through the field.
- Tory Thomas picks up the pace.
- National Champion Tory Thomas happy to finish her race in second place.
- Emma Colson and her husband share a moment after a fine effort.
- Dellys Starr in fine spirits after the race.
- Aiden Lefmann leads the charge on the climb
- Dan McConnell has to make up many places on his way to the front.
- Andrew Blair has a solid ride to get on the podium.
- Paul Van Der Ploeg blasts through the singletrack.
- Aiden Lefmann could not maintain his advantage.
- Eventual winner Dylan Cooper stomps up the last major climb.
- Dan McConnell congratulating Dylan Cooper
- Under 23 winner, Paul Van Der Ploeg, describes his excursion over the bars.
- Bottle change at the transition
Results
Elite Men 1 Dylan Cooper (Conceptis.Com.Au, Fictive.Com.Au, Scott, Ritchey, Serfas, Lupine) 2.04.05 2 Daniel Mcconnell 2.48 3 Paul Van Der Ploeg* (Felt Bicycles, Hutchinson Tyres, SRAM Components) 5.24 4 Andrew Blair (Giant, Spearman Cycles, Maxxis) 5.29 5 Aiden Lefmann (Cannondale, SRAM, Maxxis, Oakley, Scud.) 5.30 6 Matthew Fleming (Clarence St Cyclery, Trek Bikes) 7.43 7 Scott Liston* (Felt, Hutchinson, Pinnacle Cycles) 8.24 8 Joshua Keep* (Race Elements, For The Riders, Mum And Dad) 8.27 9 Nathan Haas* 9.09 10 David Whitney* (Merida, Advance Traders And Gus Macanally Acupucture) 9.33 11 Ben Grieve-Johnson* (SRAM, 4Shaw) 11.18 12 Neil Van Der Ploeg* (Kona/Mt.Buller Factory Team Rocky Valley Bikes) 13.33 13 Lachlan Norris* (South Australia.Com Mtb Team, Castlemaine Cycles, Melbourne Uni, Vis, Oakley) 13.58 14 James Maebus (Bikenow, Vis, SRAM, Michelin, Tec Helmets) 14.09 15 Ben Henderson* 16.38 16 Glenn Stewart* (Cannondale, SRAM, Maxxis, Sugoi, Scud) 18.49 One lap behind 17 Jarrod Moroni 18 Shaun Lewis (Mongoose, SRAM, Maxxis, Smith Optics) 19 Joshua Carlson* (Spearmans Cycles) 20 Mark Fenner 21 Mark Flood* Two laps behind 22 Luke Graydon* Three laps behind 23 Paul Traynor 24 Angus Harding* Four laps behind 25 Adrian Jackson (Flight Centre - Scott Mtb Team, Netti, Adidas Eyewear, Melb Bicycle Centre) 26 Cal Britten* (Kona/Mt.Buller Factory Team & Victorian Institute Of Sport.) 27 Steele Von Hoff* (Torq Nutrition) 28 Andrew Adams* * indicates U23 rider Elite Women 1 Dellys Starr (Spot Brand Bikes) 1.26.26 2 Tory Thomas (Torq, Vis, SRAM) 1.32 3 Rowena Fry (Orbea, Wileyx Eyewear) 2.12 4 Emma Colson 4.14 5 Zoe King (Cannondale SRAM Team, Kom Cyclery, Maxxis, Enervit, Oakley, Cateye, Sugoi, Giro) 4.30 6 Katherine O’Shea (Fitzroy Cylces, Powerbar, X-Bionics And Michelin Tyres) 5.57 7 Kate Potter (Cotic Bontrager Race Team, Torq, Aqr Holidays, Magura, Hope, 661, Catlike, Sundog) 6.58 8 Rosemary Barnes (Giant Bicycles) 7.48 9 Julie Blake (Bike Central) 9.51 10 Jo Wall (Moronis Bikes, A&I Helicopter Services, Trek) 9.58 11 Jenni King (Spoke(N)Tune) 10.41 12 Therese Rhodes* (Ultimate Ride Bike Shop, Trek Australia) 12.19 13 Claire Haugh (Torq ) 13.04 14 Rebecca Armstrong (Cyclemania North Perth) 14.19 15 Maria Papadopoulos 16.41 16 Lindsay Gorrell* (Mcgee's Cycling Store, Trek, Clarence St Cyclery) 18.05 17 Stephanie Russell (Riders Choice Cycles, Western Australia!) 19.02 18 Claire Graydon (Torq Australia, Mal-Adjusted Bicycles Canberra.) 19.15 19 Philippa Rostan 19.15 One lap behind 20 Kathryn Bicknell (Nzo, Merida, Onya Bike Tuggeranong) 21 Kelly Linaker 22 Bianca Mauch (TLC Cycles) DNF Louise Cook (The Bike Shed Canberra) DNF Niki Fisher (Swell Design, Scott, Fictive.Com.Au) DNF Jodie Willett (Ediscovery Tools, River City Cycles) DNS Bronwyn Ryan * indicates U23 rider U19 Men 1 Charlton Durie (Phantom Cycles) 1.16.07 2 Peter Braunsteins (Richmond Cyclery) 0.12 3 Robbie Hucker 0.34 4 James Peacock (Flight Centre) 3.38 5 Brendan Johnston (Mongoose) 4.37 6 Paul Weymouth (Torq Nutrition) 11.49 7 Stephen Pitt 13.03 8 Nicholas Wilson 21.37 One lap behind 9 James Mowatt 10 Luke Fetch (Torq Nutrition) 11 Shaun O'connor (Raw NRG) Two laps behind 12 Mark Tupalski (TLC Cycles) 13 Daniel Dewitte 14 Raffi Moss (Raw NRG, Castech Sports Timing) 15 Mitch Forbes (Raw NRG) Expert Men 1 Mark Van Der Ploeg 2 Darren Groves (Porsche Centre Gold Coast) DNF Jason Chalker Masters Women 1 Adair Ferguson 58.07 2 Jo Beaumont (Gordon Street Cycles) 18.29 U19 Women 1 Rebecca Henderson (Mongoose Bikes, Maxxis, SRAM, Crank Brothers, Adidas Eyewear, Met) 1.12.18 2 Shelly Flood 7.49 U17 Women 1 Caitlin Beaumont (Gordon Street Cycles, Maxxis, Cannondale, Endura) 1.06.58 U15 Women 1 Siobhan Jones (Raw NRG) 33.40 Sport Women 1 Kylie Webb 52.22 2 Trudy Nicholas 3.20 Grand Masters 1 Andrew Tupalski (TLC Cycles) 54.36 Super Masters Men 1 Kahn Franke 1.17.17 2 Michael Wilson 17.19 DNS Steven Johnston Masters Men 1 Graeme Allbon 1.02.30 2 David Olle 3.15 3 Michael Norman (Wife) 5.21 4 Craig Peacock (Flight Centre) 6.23 5 Doug Mclean 7.11 6 John Henderson 10.12 7 Bill Beaumont (Gordon Street Cycles) 22.52 Veteran Men 1 Warren Burgess (King Of The Mountain Cyclery) 1.16.12 2 Ryan Starr 4.41 3 Darren Smith 11.49 4 James Downing 13.43 U17 Men 1 Michael Baker (Onya Bike Belconnen, Corc) 1.00.36 2 Matthew Keays (Hampton Bicycles) 0.35 3 Ryan Mccanally (River City Cycles) 6.39 4 Kyle Ward 6.48 5 Kye Polverino (Gordon Street Cycles, Cannondale, Maxis, Endura) 8.14 6 Blake Polverino (Gordon Street Cycles, Cannondale, Maxis, Endura) 12.05 7 Liam Melville (Turramurra Cyclery) 17.36 8 Brendan Jones (Raw NRG) 19.19 9 Tim Bever (Raw NRG) 36.29 One lap behind 10 Michael Dargan (Raw NRG) DNS John Golik (Raw NRG) U15 Men 1 Thomas Phillips (Raw NRG) 54.14 Sport Men 1 Devin Sando 1.05.30 2 Warrick Hancock 6.14 One lap behind 3 Stephen Phillips
