Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mt Hood Classic Photo ©: Swift |
MTB index page for all MTB content
Otway Odyssey MTB Marathon - NE
Otway Ranges, Victoria, Australia, February 3, 2007
Spink and Thomas dominate Otway Odyssey MTB Marathon
|
In hot conditions, Murray Spink came from behind to win the Otway Odyssey MTB Marathon in rampaging fashion today. In the women's race, Tory Thomas continued her domination of the Australian XC scene.
After starting in Apollo Bay, the Tiger Lane climb at the 6km point quickly sorted the field out on gradients exceeding 20 percent. A lead bunch of 10 soon formed with all the big names prominent. At the 30km point Sid Taberlay (Tas) and Shaun Lewis (SA) established a break and by the 50km feed zone had built a 1 minute 20 lead over Spink, Daniel McConnell (Vic), and Shaun Lewis (ACT).
The riders then entered the notorious 28km Magellan-Yaugher super loop - a series of sharp, rolling single track. Taberlay soon dropped Lewis (Tas) but Spink was flying. After Taberlay took a wrong turn, losing around two minutes, the leading four regrouped entering the 78km feed zone - Taberlay, Spink, Lewis and Lewis.
Leaving the feed zone, Spink attacked again, this time taking Taberlay with him. Taberlay held Spink's wheel for 10km, but as they reached the bottom of the final 6km climb, Spink went for home and quickly put time into his rival.
|
Spink crossed the line in 4:59:48, nine minutes ahead of a fast finishing Shaun Lewis (ACT) with Shaun Lewis (SA) out sprinting Taberlay for third. Aiden Lefmann was fourth with Tim Bennett fifth.
Spink put his strong finish down to smart riding early. "I thought Sid and Shaun went too hard early," said Spink. "I knew it would come down to that last section, there was no way they could maintain that pace."
Once Spink had caught the breakaway leaders in the Magellan-Yaugher super loop, he realised that today was his day. "I was just rolling through that single track section - easily keeping up," he said. "Then Sid just blew once we hit the final climb."
|
Indeed, Taberlay struggled badly in the last 10km. "I was cramping and had to walk uphill," said Taberlay, who had ridden without a triple, "On the last few climbs I had nothing left."
Pre-race favourite Chris Jongewaard was a late withdrawal after being on the wrong end of a car door on Adelaide's North Terrace last Wednesday.
In the women's race, Australian Champion Tory Thomas broke away from her rivals early in the race and established a large break. By the 50km feed station, Thomas was 2:49 ahead of Caroline Jackson (Vic), and 5:00 ahead of Emma Colson (Vic). Thomas rode strongly through the Magellan-Yaugher super loop, while Colson, who had started slowly, began to reduce Thomas's lead as she passed Jackson who was struggling with mechanical problems.
An exhausted Thomas crossed the line in 6:04:30, with a jubilant Colson second in 6:10:20 and Jodie Willert (Qld) finishing well for third. Jackson finished fourth with Rosemary Barnes (ACT) in fifth place.
|
Blanketed in dust, Thomas was barely recognisable at the finish. "I couldn't stay on," Thomas said of her adventure in the Magellan-Yaugher super loop. "I really struggled on that punchy single track. It was awesome, but it didn't end."
Colson started the race slowly, losing early ground on her rivals. "It's one issue I have with my racing," said Colson, who tends to wind up the pace in her races.
"The hardest section was the Yaugher Forrest - those little climbs take it out of you, especially the upper body," she said.
Over 700 riders raced the inaugural 100km Otway Odyssey with 300 riders racing the 50km Otway Shorty. Many of the tracks on the Otway Odyssey were designed by international course designer Glen Jacobs and were raced on today for the first time.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Andrew Connolly
- National Under 23 Champion Shaun Lewis from South Australia visibly tired at the base of the final climb at 88km.
- The decisive moment. Eventual winner Murray Spink attacks Sid Taberlay at the base of the final climb. Taberlay couldn't respond.
- Shaun Lewis from S.A. and Sid Taberlay attacked the field and led by 3 minutes by the end of Red Carpet Track, 50km in.
- Former Tour de France star and local Phil Anderson has a crack at riding off the road.
- Chris Winn drives the second bunch through the rain forest with Tory Thomas right behind.
- Snaking up through the 9km climb up Wild Dog Creek road 20km in. Ironman triathlete Mitch Anderson attacked leading the race for around 10km.
- Cresting the top of the initial climb only 11km in.
- Bass Strait and Apollo Bay benather them, riders climbing the initial hill up Tiger Lane.
- Sid Taberlay still in the lead 78km in but the lead has diminished to 1 minute.
- An exhausted Murray Spink crosses the finish line nine minutes clear.
- Exhausted, but elated. Murray Spink wins the inaugural Otway Odyssey.
- Ben Mather riding high up in the placings on the unending 28km single track section of Yaugher State Forest.
Images by Jon Barter
- Women's winner and current national champ Tory Thomas rode most of the first 30km near the front of the men's race.
Results - 100km
Open men 1 Murray Spink 4.59.48 2 Shaun Lewis (ACT) 8.34 3 Shaun Lewis (SA) 9.54 4 Sid Taberlay 9.55 5 Aiden lefmann 15.53 6 Tim Bennett 19.25 7 Russell Collett 21.25 8 James Maebus 21.29 9 Daniel McConnell 22.56 10 Brett Anderson 24.35 11 Dennis Van Mill 28.19 12 Lachlan Norris 28.33 13 Ben Mather 31.25 14 Rohin Adams 35.24 15 Mike Blewitt 36.30 16 Mitch Anderson 41.27 17 Ash Thomas 43.30 18 Warren Burgess 43.59 19 Chris Winn 44.33 20 Andrew Bell 50.26 21 Kel Boers 50.38 22 Nick Both 51.28 23 Ben Randall 54.07 24 Christopher White 54.45 25 Stephen Van Dyke 57.24 26 Brett Carr 58.55 27 Rob Meharry 59.08 28 Damien Jones 59.09 29 Travis Williams 1.04.12 30 Paul McEntee 1.04.22 31 Adrian Whitworth 1.05.49 32 David Thomas 1.06.59 33 Duncan Murray 1.07.19 34 Jack Lamshed 1.13.22 35 Jason Jackson 1.14.00 36 Andrew Blair 1.14.02 37 Dmitrii Antanovskii 1.14.07 38 Kelly Servinski 1.14.26 39 Simon Wright 1.15.32 40 Justin Wornes 1.15.33 41 Tim Retchford 1.19.54 42 John Claxton 1.21.14 43 Ashley Wass 1.23.25 44 Damien Angus 1.24.39 45 Matthew Jackson 1.26.20 46 Scott Caraher 1.29.22 47 Ashley Hayat 1.30.43 48 Nathan Lorkin 1.32.24 49 Dion Maber 1.33.00 50 Jason Archer 1.34.03 Open women 1 Tory Thomas 6.04.30 2 Emma Colson 7.12 3 Jodie Willett 12.53 4 Caroline Jackson 21.37 5 Rosemary Barnes 27.15 6 Zoe King 33.25 7 Rowena Fry 38.02 8 Jacqui Hickey 51.56 9 Katrin Van der Spiegel 54.59 10 Alexandra Kiendl 1.03.47 11 Alexandra Harrison 1.06.46 12 Naomi Hanson 1.13.06 13 Christy Harris 1.29.37 14 Erica Gurner 1.34.34 15 Nicole James 1.59.49 16 Lisa Tasa 2.06.42 17 Juliette Begg 2.16.07 18 Britta Weller 2.19.25 19 Jane Ollerenshaw 2.21.39 20 Deanna Blegg 2.23.50 21 Jessica Douglas 2.30.47 22 Michelle Aitken 2.31.33 23 Kate Reeves 2.32.26 24 Turi Berg 2.52.17 25 Kath Copland 2.59.33 26 Karen McPherson 3.16.02 27 Tamara Lazzarin 3.29.29 28 Katie Mitchell 3.34.26 29 Bec Caskey 3.48.40 30 Bree Finlay 4.08.22 31 Liz Mulconry 4.08.23 32 Sarah Hoyal 4.21.45 33 Joanne Eadie 4.41.21 34 Heidi Gratton 4.45.00 35 Claire Stevens 4.48.23 36 Simone Bate 4.54.24 37 Fiona Lewis 4.59.42 38 Justine Gerdsen 5.06.35 39 Kirsty Robb 5.10.42 40 Kimberley Harrop 5.53.52 Veteran men 1 David Clark 5.56.56 2 James Davies 13.07 3 Jeff Williams 16.48 4 Paul Darvodelsky 24.57 5 Darren Clarke 25.42 6 Brian John 28.05 7 Craig Flockhart 43.39 8 Tom McCloskey 54.42 9 Michael Hamilton 55.50 10 David McFarlane 59.31 Veteran women 1 Meg Carrigan 7.56.05 2 Carolyn Jackson 25.34 3 Martine Robin 35.50 4 Jane Kingston 1.14.17 5 Gaye Couchman 1.51.55 6 Annette Cullen 3.33.43 Vintage men 1 Hans Dielacher 6.03.56 2 Brian Scarbourgh 47.04 3 Neville George 48.47 4 Zack Pavelka 50.07 5 Kerry Ryan 54.21 6 David Braddick 1.11.55 7 Charlie Bottero 1.30.45 8 Nicholas Brown 1.37.35 9 Peter Pink 1.38.52 10 Doug Whiteford 1.43.08 Vintage women 1 Jenny Caldwell 9.46.11 2 Ronice Goebel 31.42 3 Jeanette McLaren 32.18
