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Australian National MTB Championships - CN
Canberra, Australia, January 23-26, 2009
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Race 5 - January 24: 4X
Olympian relieved with four cross win
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Jared Graves claimed his first national four cross title after a four-year drought. The BMX Olympic finalist was elated after a convincing win at the Australian National Mountain Bike Championships in Canberra. His win came on the same course where he won last year's World Cup 4X. Often on the podium at World Championships and World Cups, the 26-year-old from Toowoomba was equally delighted with an Australian jersey.
"I haven't won one since 2005," he said. "I was a touch late on the gate, but I got the gas down and just really tried to rider smooth with elbows wide."
Sam Willoughby, in only his second mountain bike race, finished second place. Willoughby is Graves' protégé, and according to Graves, he has proven that he is ready for the big leauge.
"It's unreal to have him (Willoughby) up there. He's an awesome kid, too, and he's like a little brother I'd never had. He's beaten me at BMX a month ago so he's shown he is ready to step it up."
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Graves' win kick starts his World Cup campaign and his aim to return to Australia in September to win the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships. "It's a big confidence boost," said Graves about his win on the World Championship course. "I know what I have to do to win."
Defending national champion and BMX Olympian, Luke Madill, suffered a puncture and finished behind bronze medal winner Ryan Henderson for fourth place.
Canberra's Caroline Buchanan won her fourth national title in classic style today but the 18-year-old admitted she was more nervous than usual. "Even after winning the World Cup here with over 7,000 spectators, I was actually more nervous today," she said. "I've only been on a new bike over the last two weeks. Also the track was a bit rough."
BMX silver world medallist, Lauren Reynolds placed second in her mountain bike racing debut while Brisbane's Sarsha Huntington claimed third. Townsville's Rachel Bracken rode well in to finish in fourth place in her own debut.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au
- Caroline Buchanan looks forward to a promising future of riding.
- The national BMX coach surveys the damage of his riders.
- Riders get air in the late summer sun in Canberra.
- Leigh Darrell was relegated to the B final with a fall in a semi.
- Luke Madill finished fourth in a class field.
- Josh Callan heads the charge into the first corner.
- Caroline Buchanan dominates on her home track.
- Lauren Reynolds finishes second, helped by her BMX background.
- Sam Willoughby rides well into second place
- Jared Graves leaves his competitors well behind by the final straight.
- Graeme Mudd looked the goods with a strong Under 17 win.
- Ryan Hunt performed well in the dry dusty conditions in the Under 19 race.
- Jared Graves dominated all the motos and heats.
- Shaun O'Connor missed the national title despite a strong performance in the four cross.
Results
Elite Men 1 Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Cycles Fox Racing Shox 2 Sam Willoughby (Aus) SA Plasterboard, Fly. Oakley 3 Ryan Henderson (Aus) 4 Luke Madill (Aus) GT, Fox, Red Bull 5 Leigh Darrell (Aus) 6 Alex Lloyd (Aus) 7 Dave Habicht (Aus) 8 Josh Callan (Aus) Redline THEBombshell Profile 9 Randal Huntington (Aus) Norco For The Riders 10 Richard Levinson (Aus) 11 Michael Young (Aus) UMF Bicycles Answer. 12 Will Rischbieth (Aus) Giant Bicycles, OGIO, BOS 13 Daniel Sprague (Aus) 14 Aidan Nemet (Aus) 15 Ricci Ghislain (Aus) LA Comu 16 Shannon Rademaker (Aus) All Terrain Cycles Mansfield 17 Brett Scruse (Aus) 18 Cody Eichhorn (Aus) Ogio Gamut Spearman Cycles 18 Michael Jobson (Aus) Blackman Bicycles. 18 Dale Percy (Aus) 18 Michael Chasteauneuf (Aus) eci 18 Michael Fenwick (Aus) Specialized Bicycles, FOX 23 Daniel Castillo (Col) UMF 24 Riley Dacey (Aus) UMF 25 Joshua Button (Aus) Mongoose bikes-SRAM/RockShox 25 Ashley Gray (Aus) 25 Tim Dunn (Aus) Senior DNS Thomas Hubert (Aus) Intense Tyre Systems DNS Julian Cristiano (Aus) DNS Benjamin Clarke (Aus) GT Blackmans Cycles Elite/Open Women 1 Caroline Buchanan (Aus) Carolinebuchanan.com 2 Lauren Reynolds (Aus) WAIS 3 Sarsha Huntington (Aus) Norco For The Riders 4 Rachel Bracken (Aus) Elite Cycle Imports Cycling Australia 5 Cherie Simpson (Aus) 6 Shannon Jobson (Aus) Blackman Bicycles. 7 Julia Boer (Aus) Onya Bike Tuggeragong, Intense 8 Vanessa Thompson (Aus) 9 Tanya Bailey (Aus) Under 19 Men 1 Ryan Hunt (Aus) Banshee bikes, gamut,sdg 2 Shaun O'Connor (Aus) 3 Rhys Willemse (Aus) Supersports, Tomac Bikes 4 Ryan Chesney (Aus) strathpine bicycle centre 5 Ben Dacunto (Aus) 6 Sean Fitzpatrick (Aus) 7 Oli Le Lievre (Aus) 8 Hugh Balcomb (Aus) 9 Sean Moloney (Aus) 10 Max Lobigs (Aus) 11 Peter Larsen (Aus) Junior 12 Liam Melville (Aus) Turramurra Cyclery Under 19 Women 1 Harriet Burbidge-Smith (Aus) Trek/Bike Culture 2 Natasha Bonney (Aus) 3 Paige Barcroft (Aus) XcR Junior Development Squad 4 Danielle Beecroft (Aus) Aussie Freestyers 5 Tegan Molloy (Aus) South East MTB Co. Under 17 Men 1 Graeme Mudd (Aus) Intense Tyre Systems Avent Cycles 2 Connor Fearon (Aus) Mitcham Cycles Maxxis Tyres 3 Ben Leslie (Aus) Drift bikes 4 Joey Vejvoda (Aus) 5 Sam Fraser (Aus) Bern Pow Venture Cycles 6 Bowen Muncaster (Aus) Junior 7 Lachlan Donaldson (Aus) Junior Under 15 Men 1 Aidan Vahtrik (Aus) Junior 2 Tim Kmetyk (Aus) 3 Angus Easthope (Aus) 4 Thomas Clarke (Aus) 5 Luke Ellison (Aus) XcR Junior development squad 6 Cameron Ford (Aus) Insane CyclesTeam 4D 7 Dylan Nicholls (Aus) GT bicycles-fox 8 Robin Bishop (Aus) Sunshine Bicycle Works 9 Brendan Milliken (Aus) 9 Jackson Streeter (Aus) 11 David Maggs (Aus) Artarmon Bikes, Freeline Jerseys 12 Trent Ellison (Aus) EDL XcR Junior Developement 13 Jayden Ward (Aus) Spearmans Cycles Wollongong DNS Jake Byrne (Aus) Veteran Men 1 Brett Minion (Aus) 2 Chris Evans (Aus) 3 Brett Thompson (Aus) 4 John Petersen (Aus) Borsari Cycles 5 Stuart McClachlan (Aus) Arrow Racing 6 Stephen Robinson (Aus) GT Bicycles FOX Racing 7 Terry Nicholls (Aus) 8 Michael Longhurst (Aus) Senior 9 David Burgos (Aus) DNS Shane Duce (Aus) Sport Men 1 Thomas Markus (Aus) 2 Philip Wood (Aus) 3 Zachary Ford (Aus) Insane CyclesTeam 4D 4 Dylan Ford (Aus) Insane CyclesTeam 4D
