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Australian MTB Series - CN

Thredbo, NSW, Australia, December 8-9, 2007

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Race 2 - December 9: Short Course cross country

Fry firms up another series lead

By Sharon Payne

Paul Van Der Ploeg sucked in great quantities of air
Photo ©: Evan Jeffery
(Click for larger image)

The Australian National Mountain Bike Series short course cross country event saw battle lines drawn between current series leader Rowena Fry and National silver medallist Tory Thomas in round three in Thredbo.

In the criterium-style mountain bike event, the decisive move came in the final three laps with Fry and Thomas breaking away from the larger break group of five. Chasing for third and fourth position were Katherine O'Shea and Julie Blake.

With one lap to go a move by Thomas was overshadowed by a strong charge by Fry who would finish 30 metres ahead to win her third of four in the series and maintain the overall series lead. Third was Blake with O'Shea in fourth. Fry capped off her winning streak after taking first place in yesterday's Olympic Cross Country and now leads both national series.

The elite men's short course current series leader Dylan Cooper led in the early laps but after numerous attacks by Dan McConnell and a final move by Paul Van Der Ploeg gave him the win. Cooper finished in second place and McConnell in third.

Under 23 rider, Van Der Ploeg was ecstatic with his win in his first year of elite men. "I was hurting from the start even from the first lap," said Van Der Ploeg. "I just saw a gap open and though I would just see what comes of it."

With windy condition likely to change things in the final stages, Van Der Ploeg was concerned about the chasing Cooper. "Every time I was looking at Cooper to see if he was at the same place behind me," he added.

Riders will prepare next for the Australian National Mountain Bike Championships at Mt Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra on January 24-26, 2008. The final race of the national series in cross country and downhill will be in Mt Beauty in early February.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Evan Jeffery /www.evanjeffery.com.au

Results

Elite men

1 Paul Van der Ploeg     
2 Dylan Cooper           
3 Daniel McConnell       
4 Nathan Haas            
5 Neil van der Ploeg     

One lap behind

6 Joshua Keep            

Five laps behind

7 Cal Britten            
8 Scott Liston           

Eight laps behind

9 Peter Braunsteins      

Twelve laps behind

10 Ben Henderson         
11 David Whitney         
12 Luke Graydon          

Thirteen laps behind

13 Mark Van Der Ploeg    

Nineteen laps behind

14 Mark Fenner           

DNF Jarrod Moroni        
DNF Mark Flood           
DNF Robbie Hucker        
DNF Shaun Lewis          
DNS Adrian Jackson       
 
Elite women

1 Rowena Fry             
2 Tory Thomas            
3 Julie Blake            
4 Katherine O’Shea       

One lap behind

5 Niki Fisher            
6 Philippa Rostan        

Four laps behind

7 Rebecca Armstrong      

Seven laps behind

8 Maria Papadopoulos     

Nine laps behind

9 Therese Rhodes         
10 Kylie Webb            
11 Bianca Mauch          

Ten laps behind

12 Rebecca Henderson     

DNS Jo Wall              
 
Open men

1 Charlton Durie         
2 Michael Baker          
3 Mark Tupalski          
4 James Downing          

Three laps behind

5 Tim Retchford          

Eight laps behind

6 James Mowatt           
7 Brendan Johnston       

Eleven laps behind

8 Daniel deWitte         

Thirteen laps behind

9 John Henderson         

DNS David Ollie 
 
First timer men

1 Shaun O'Connor      
2 Raffi Moss          
3 Brendan Jones       
4 Tom Phillips        
5 Mitch Forbes        

Two laps behind

DNS Tim Beaver        
DNS Michael Dargan    
DNS John Golik