Oceania Mountain Bike Championships - CC

Thredbo, New South Wales, Australia, March 20-22, 2009

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Race 3 - March 22: Downhill

Olympian changes to mountain bike to take Oceania title

BMX Olympian Jared Graves showed another side to his bike skills by winning the Downhill Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Thredbo today. The 26-year-old Queenslander held off New Zealand's hot favourite, Wyn Masters, to take the title in a time of 6:13.65

Having swapped his BMX bike for his Yeti prototype Graves admits the transition was not easy. "The cross over back isn't that hard as I've been riding downhill for ten years. It's a different kind of fitness though and that definitely is an issue," said Graves.

After qualifying fastest Graves bettered his run by just half a second after rain had dampened the course before the men's final. "I wasn't thinking about the results," stated Graves. "Bits of the track felt slower especially the long fast straights. I'm pretty happy with that time."

Third was national series winner, Joshua Button. Canberra's Ben Cory and world number eight, Nathan Rennie, claimed fourth and fifth respectively. Rennie was content with his first race back after major knee surgery saw him on the side line this summer.

Whiteman wins women's title

National downhill champion, Claire Whiteman from Canberra, claimed the women's Oceania Title in a close race beating fellow Canberra rider, Caroline Buchanan. Just half a second separated the pair but Whiteman hopes the win will help her get to the World Championships later this year.

"It's been the best year yet," said an excited Whiteman. "It was tough," admitted Whiteman. "Generally I don't do well in the wet. This time down I decided to relax from the top."

Third place went to New Zealand's national silver medallist, Amy Laird.

The Under 19 winner Shaun O'Connor was over four second infront of nearest rival /Rhys Willemse. Third was Laurie Dinham. Fastest qualifier, Richard Leacock from New Zealand placed fourth in the final run.

Many of Australia's mountain bike elite riders now head overseas in the next two weeks to compete in the World Cup series which starts in South Africa. Riders are out to qualify for the upcoming 2009 UCI World Mountain Bike and Trial Championships in Canberra in early September.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

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

Amy Laird boosting over one of the many jumps in practice
Josh Button slotted himself into third in the race for the Oceania Title
Will Rischbeith after recovering from an injury posted a top ten
Nathan Rennie in his welcome return to racing finished fourth in a class field
Shaun O'Connor used different lines to his advantage in taking the Under 19 win.
Rhys Willemese was unable to match the speed of O'Connor on the day
Tamryn Murrell found the slippery conditions not to his liking
Sarsha Huntington having a last hit out before heading over seas to race
National Champion, Claire Whiteman. rode into first in the slippery conditions
Darcy Murrell had another good ride in testing conditions
Cody Eichhorn made the most of conditions to post a top ten finish
Ben Cory was consistent on the Thredbo course
Kiwi, Wyn Masters missed the win by just over two seconds
Jared Graves on his way to another win in Thredbo

Results

Elite women

1 Claire Whiteman                                                  7.39.72
2 Caroline Buchanan (Carolinebuchanan.com.au)                      0.00.45
3 Amy Laird                                                        0.02.80
4 Sarah Booth (C.R.I.M.E. Cycles, MACE, RAAF)                      0.05.86
5 Sarsha Huntington (NORCO, SRAM, For the Riders)                  0.27.80
6 Cara Smith (Onya Bike Civic)                                     0.33.98

Elite men

1 Jared Graves (Yeti Cycles, Fox Racing Shox)                      6.13.65
2 Wyn Masters (Ancillotti Cycles, Rockstar Racing)                 0.05.16
3 Joshua Button (mongoose Bikes, SRAM)                             0.05.79
4 Benjamin Cory (Commencal,Funn,Intense Tyre Systems)              0.05.92
5 Nathan Rennie (Kenda Morewood, Red Bull)                         0.06.24
6 Darcy Murrell (Supersports Tomac Australia, Revolution)          0.08.45
7 Tim Eaton (Onya Bike Civic)                                      0.09.83
8 Rhys Atkinson                                                    0.13.95
9 Aaron Bashford (Onya Bike Civic & Belconnen)                     0.15.21
10 Will Rischbieth (Giant, Ogio)                                   0.15.61
11 Joshua Carlson (Spearman Cycles, Giant Bicycles)                0.16.78
12 Craig Yates (Giant Bicycles Australia)                          0.17.13
13 Lindsay Klein (Santa Cruz Bicycles, For The Riders.com)         0.18.36
14 Cody Eichhorn (OGIO, GAMUT, Spearman Cycles)                    0.21.18
15 Ricky Lee (SE MTB Co, Monza Imports)                            0.21.51
16 Dylan Prohm (Nicolai, Rouler, TWE, Smith)                       0.21.81
17 Matt Vincent (SCV Imports, Turner Bikes)                        0.26.61
18 Harry Armstrong (Derrico Cycles)                                0.26.79
19 Tom Patton (Fox clothing)                                       0.27.79
20 Liam Paiaro (Santa Cruz Bicycles)                               0.28.43
21 Oliver Kristevic (Dunbar Cycles)                                0.29.28
22 Michael Manning (Imperial Locksmiths)                           0.29.31
23 Deon Baker (Speedlite Cycles)                                   0.30.22
24 Jesse Beare                                                     0.32.12
25 Ryan Andrews                                                    0.32.93
26 Dean Davies (Health Fusion Natural Therapy)                     0.33.22
27 Hamish Armstrong (Mal Adjusted Bicycles)                        0.35.47
28 Chris Barlin                                                    0.35.85
29 Luke Gowen                                                      0.37.45
30 Scott Grundy                                                    0.38.00
31 Ryan De La Rue (Bennetts Bike Hub Geelong)                      0.40.60
32 Nich Shields (Krank Bikes.com.au)                               0.40.69
33 Daniel Taliana (South East Mountain Biking)                     0.41.04
34 Berend Boer (Edge Cycles)                                       0.44.35
35 Sam Trevor (Ashgrove Cycles)                                    0.46.37
36 Nicholas Bailly                                                 0.50.14
37 Chris Coombe                                                    0.53.96
38 Matt Holgate                                                    0.58.60
39 Mitchell Beggs                                                  0.58.97
40 Toudic Benjamin                                                 1.00.56
41 Andrew Brett (Aldgate Bike Shop)                                1.01.79
42 Ben Hunter                                                      1.03.70
43 Kye Hore (Banshee, SRAM, Onya Bike Civic)                       1.10.70
44 Murray Dickson                                                  1.13.88
45 Ben Ayling (99 Bikes, Maxxis)                                   3.34.73
46 Ben Morrison                                                    3.54.10
DNF Isaac Heppell (All Terrain Cycles, Specialized)                       
DNS Amiel Cavalier                                                        
DNS Sam Costin (Torquay Cycling Factory)                                  

Under 19 men

1 Shaun O'Connor                                                   6.29.67
2 Rhys Willemse (Supersports, Tommo Bikes)                         0.04.25
3 Laurie Dinham (Cycleworx Adelaide)                               0.13.99
4 Richard Leacock (Network Compliance, NZL Group)                  0.14.25
5 Tamryn Murrell (Supersports Tomac Australia)                     0.14.96
6 Bryn Dickerson (2 Stage Bikes, Avanti Plus Porirna)              0.24.57
7 Marcus Fairbanks (None)                                          0.26.46
8 Aden Wyber (Bennetts Bike Hub Geelong)                           0.27.62
9 Daniel Heads                                                     0.29.39
10 Antony Moore (Venture Cycels, RMR, Fitness Plus)                0.31.99
11 Ben Nylen (Banshee)                                             0.32.46
12 Tommy Rowe (Aldgate Bike Shop)                                  0.33.42
13 Daniel Lavis (Ironhorse Bikes Australia, Allfab Constructio)    0.36.97
14 Cameron Johnson (The Bike Fix Queenstown NZ)                    0.37.33
15 Ryan Hunt (Banshee Bikes, Camden Cycles)                        0.38.92
16 Jesse Went (Anxious Mothers)                                    0.41.85
17 Joshua Dickinson (FTR)                                          0.48.71
18 Bambridge Raiani                                                0.53.78
19 Kyran McCarthy (Line Break, Afends.com)                         0.54.30
20 Samuel Jones (Spearman Cycles, Mum & Dad)                       0.54.47
21 Tom Matthews                                                    0.55.31
22 Will Giles (Charles Purton Imports, JT Cycles)                  1.02.18
23 Bobby Davies                                                    1.14.31
24 Max Lobigs                                                      1.43.77
DNS Jordan Coates