Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Dauphiné Libéré Photo ©: Sirotti |
MTB index page for all MTB content
Australian MTB Series - NE
Mt Beauty, Victoria, Australia, February 2-3, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Race
Race 1 - February 2: Cross Country
Champions back up wins at Beauty
|
Both National Champion Cross Country Olympic winners, Dellys Starr and Chris Jongewaard, backed up last weekend's national championship wins another victory at today's National Mountain Bike Series final held in the Alpine district at Mt Beauty, Victoria.
Starr's win last week obtained her a position on the shadow Olympic team for Australia, while Jongewaard is already one of three males on the shadow team. Dan McConnell and Sid Taberlay are also included in the shadow team. McConnell raced today and placed a creditable second.
For the Australian fans it will be the last time they see their potential Olympians at a national event before August. In mid-January the UCI announced that Australia would have one position for a female and one for a male at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
|
Today's race, although not a selection race, was still used by many riders to gauge their fitness. Riders will not line up for the Oceania Championships in New Zealand and later the World Cups and World Championships overseas, which are seen as important selection events.
In today's elite men's race Jongewaard took out the six lap race just under four minutes clear of second place getter Dan McConnell. McConnell moved into second in the second lap with only local Under 23 rider Paul Van Der Ploeg likely to challenge.
"Backing it out from last week was a bit challenging," admitted Jongewaard. "Cross Country takes a lot out of you week by week."
"I was a bit sluggish to start," said Jongewaard. However Jongewaard recorded the fastest lap time of the day on his first of six laps in 18.45 minutes.
|
Dylan Cooper, the series leader heading into this round, finished in fourth position after being outsprinted by a surging Van Der Ploeg, which saw him cramp just after the finish line. Cooper takes out the series with a total of 226 points. Last year's series winner Aiden Lefmann fell back in the field to finish in 24th position but claims second with 173 points.
Today's winner, Jongewaard finishes the national series in third place with 160 points.
For the national series leaders coming into the final of four races today it was a matter of maintaining positions to gain enough points to secure an overall win. Rowena Fry - in just her first full season after being identified on a National Talent ID Program - managed a podium at every event this season. Fry is on track to attempt to make the selection criteria for Beijing, however performances at international events are vital.
Fry placed third today after being overtaken in the final lap by Kate Potter, but takes out the overall series with a total of 245 points. Local rider, Tory Thomas finished in fourth place and hence finishes second in the national series with 161 points just one point clear of Dellys Starr, today's winner, who finishes the series in third. overall.
In the Under 23 division it was a local domination with Cal Britten the clear series winner with 116 points while Van Der Ploeg claimed second just six points shy of the top spot. Van Der Ploeg won the National Championships last week in Canberra.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Evan Jeffery/www.evanjeffery.com.au
- Dellys Starr making a technical sections look easy.
- Katherine O’Shea has been one of the big improvers of the season.
- Rowena Fry having a trouble free race.
- Tory Thomas started slow but finished well.
- Tory Thomas with husband to be Tim.
- Aiden Leffman had a good start.
- Paul Van Der Ploeg making the Felt look small.
- Aussie coach Neil Ross with MTBA official Damon Wilmore and Chris Jongewaard.
- Will Rischbieth keeping things smooth in the dust.
- Most riders were not interested in the spectacular view of Mt Beauty.
- Rick Boyer with both feet up and drifting.
- Bryn Atkinson dropping onto the chute.
- Riders enjoy the shade of the stunning TORQ caravan.
- Cody Eichhorn drifting through the last turn.
- Ricky Lee taking the outside line in the last turn.
- Dellys Starr out on her own again.
- Tory Thomas putting a move on Kate Potter.
- Rebecca Henderson being watched by Aussie coach Neil Ross.
- There is great sportsmanship amongst the women’s field.
- Garron Buckland discussing the race with U23 rider Therese Rhodes.
- Matt Flemming rode well into fifth.
- Chris Jongewaard getting air up hill over the rocks.
- Paul Van Der Ploeg pushing hard into third outright and fist U23 rider.
- Local rider Cal Britten in the rock garden.
Results
Elite Men 1 Chris Jongewaard 55.39 2 Dan McConnell 3.48 3 Paul Van Der Ploeg 5.54 4 Dylan Cooper 5.55 5 Matthew Fleming 7.13 6 Adrian Jackson 7.55 7 Josh Keep 8.10 8 Shaun Lewis 8.32 9 Joshua Fleming 9.25 10 Neil Van Der Ploeg 10.04 11 Ben Henderson 11.10 12 Perren Delacour 11.16 13 Benjamin Grieve-Johnson 11.33 14 James Maebus 13.11 15 Andrew Blair 13.37 16 Glenn Stewart 17.49 17 Josh Carlson 18.02 18 Cal Britten 18.27 19 Troy Glennan 19.25 20 Scott Liston 21.38 21 Angus Harding 26.31 One lap down 22 Steele Von Hoff 1.36.42 23 Erin Francis 1.36.43 Two laps down 24 Aiden Lefmann 1.18.01 DNF David Whitney DNF Rohin Adams DNF Murray Spink DNF Mark Flood DNF Nathan Haas DNS Luke Graydon Elite Women 1 Dellys Starr 34.13 2 Kate Potter 2.03 3 Rowena Fry 2.27 4 Tory Thomas 5.09 5 Katherine O'Shea 5.21 6 Jo Wall 7.36 7 Jenni King 8.18 8 Rosemary Barnes 9.52 9 Jaci Low 10.19 10 Jodie Willett 10.25 11 Gracie Elvin 10.34 12 Therese Rhodes 11.12 13 Julie Blake 12.49 14 Kimberley Fleming 14.54 15 Lindsay Gorrell 16.51 16 Kim McCormack 18.43 17 Stephanie Russell 20.08 18 Maria Papadopoulos 21.20 19 Bianca Mauch 22.49 20 Trudy Nicholas 23.55 DNF Kelly Bartlett DNF Philippa Rostan DNF Bronwyn Ryan DNS Claire Graydon DNS Anna Beck Expert Men 1 Mark Van Der Ploeg 45.31 2 Simon Flower 4.46 3 Jeremy Ross 8.10 4 Simon Wright 15.39 5 Brad Glennan 21.13 6 Joel Ryan 24.11 7 Darren Groves 26.06 8 Rowan Smith 28.55 One lap down 9 Drew Blatchford 1.46.40 DNF Jason Chalker Under 19 Men 1 David Johnston 27.52 2 Brendan Johnston 2.19 3 Peter Braunsteins 3.18 4 Robbie Hucker 3.30 5 Luke Fetch 6.30 6 Phillip Bellingham 9.00 7 James Peacock 9.03 8 Stephen Pitt 9.57 9 Mark Tupalski 17.31 10 Matt Kidd 21.39 11 James Mowatt 22.27 12 Brenton Jones 30.51 One lap down 13 Tim Smyth 1.30.12 14 Glen Sinnott 1.40.58 DNF Christopher Taylor DNF DNF Ash Harvey Under 19 Women 1 Rebecca Henderson 16.37 2 Shelly Flood 15.09 Under 17 Men 1 Rowan Brown 10.02 2 Kyle Ward 0.01 3 Matthew Keays 3.43 4 Tim Beaver 32.31 One lap down 5 Jarryd Jones 13.43 Two laps down 6 Brendan Jones 46.57 Under 15 Men 1 Thomas Phillips 57.26 Under 15 Women 1 Siobhan Jones 40.03 Veteran Men 1 Andrew Wilcher 26.31 2 Phillip Orr 2.53 3 Daniel Ham 6.47 4 Ryan Starr 7.54 5 Tim Retchford 10.37 6 James Downing 12.08 7 Dion Shaw 14.37 8 Darren Smith 18.19 9 Tim McColl 18.52 10 Davide Angelini 26.19 11 Daniel Moore 26.57 DNS Troy Bailey DNS Warren Burgess DNS McInnes Veteran Women 1 Renate Griese 27.04 Masters Men 1 Robert Eva 1.09.02 2 Brett Kellett 1.12 3 Michael Norman 2.39 4 John Henderson 7.19 5 John Harvey 16.25 6 David Christensen 36.53 Two laps down 7 Craig Peacock 1.45.46 DNF Peter Turnbull DNS Andrew Ross DNS Brian John Masters Women 1 Jane Ollerenshaw 1.02.17 Super Masters Men 1 Kahn Franke 1.23.51 2 John Graydon 8.33 Super Masters Women 1 Ronice Goebel 1.05.00 Grand Masters Men 1 Andrew Tupalski 1.05.24 Sport Men 1 Devin Sando 49.19 2 Callan Ridge 1.42 3 Daniel Van Der Ploeg 1.58 4 Tom Barry 11.37 DNF Cameron Dickinson Sport Women 1 Kylie Webb 58.31 2 Heidi Scotchmer 9.03 3 Shelley McColl 18.43 DNF Lisa Barry
