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Australian National Series DH #3 - NE
Thredbo, NSW, December 7-8, 2002
Waddell & Muxlow dominate at Thredbo
By Colin Battersby
Some 265 of Australia's top downhill competitors took on the newly redesigned Cannonball run in Thredbo weekend in a search for points on the National Series.
Round 3 of the five race National Series, saw one of the biggest fields in recent memory take on the 5km, 600 metre vertical Cannonball Run. As part of Raw NRG's Fat Tyre Festival, competitors made great use of the Thredbo Chairlift with the course accessible all week. Fridays morning's snow dump did little to dampen the track or the spirits of the riders as they flooded into Thredbo for some much needed pre-race training.
Saturday dawned an idyllic mountain morning with warm and dry weather and the riders took to the mountain via the recently serviced Kosciuskzo Express chairlift. Seven hours of continuous downhilling gave the riders an excellent opportunity to view and ride the upgraded sections of the track. The smiles were wide and the drinks flowed in the bistro that night as everyone discussed the new track. The 7 minute track makes the Thredbo Cannonball Run Australia's longest downhill race track and the chairlift access also makes it the most accessible.
Racing began on Sunday at noon. The Elite Men and Women categories, together with the U19 Men have the chance to qualify on their first run, with the finals being held later in the day. Australia has 6 riders ranked in the top 20 in the world in Elite Men and even the qualifying run was intense. Fastest qualifier Brad Kelly lead the way with a stunning 6.54.20 with Jared Rando, John Waddell, Joel Panozzo and Justin Havukainen all breaking the seven minute mark, setting up a top 30 shoot out for the Elite Men.
As the afternoon progressed many of the visitors to Thredbo for the annual Participation Day began to assemble for the final run and the atmosphere was electric as the final moved into the top 10 riders. Series leader Shane Wode qualified in a disappointing 27th position atoned in his final run was superb (6.59.48) and he led until just the last eight riders began. RedBull Rampage Champion John Waddell finally fulfilled his considerable potential with an awesome final run to set the new course record in 6.45.06, holding off Jared Rando by just over a second.
Tai-Lee Muxlow (7.32.16) continued her domination of the Cannonball Run in Elite Women, defeating two riders from across the Tasman, Vanessa Quinn and Scarlet Hagen.
Photography
Images by Steve Cuff/www.rawnrg.com.au
- The fast line is over the jumps
- Airborne! Now to get both wheels down...
- Ricky Boyer peers back at the fish's eye
- Chairliftin' is always an essential part of racing DH at Thredbo
Results
Elite Men First run Final run 1 John Waddell 6.55.32 6.45.06 2 Jared Rando (Foes/Azonic/Zeal) 6.54.53 6.46.71 3 Brad Kelly 6.54.20 6.50.45 4 Ricky Boyer (Orange/Smith/Aireal) 7.01.29 6.50.63 5 Justin Havukainen (Orange/Oakley) 6.59.96 6.51.46 6 Joel Panozzo (Arnette/Santa Cruz) 6.55.97 6.52.23 7 Craig Van Haren (Nerang Mtn. Bike Centre) 7.07.68 6.57.42 8 Mathew Tape (SDV Bikes,Santa Cruz) 6.56.58 6.59.26 9 Shane Wode (Norco/Spy/Spam/661) 7.18.55 6.59.48 10 Tim Mann 7.07.68 6.59.78 11 Danny Mills (Giant/Dragon Optics) 7.08.11 7.00.48 12 Ryan Lennox (Spearman Cycles/Triple 6) 7.06.91 7.00.55 13 Aaron Doig 7.08.47 7.02.67 14 Adam Smithson (Orange/Troy Lee/Michelin/Smith) 7.11.35 7.03.97 15 Jamie Green (Giant/Bike Shed/Spy optics) 7.10.72 7.04.42 16 Simon French (TIS/Oceana Bikes) 7.06.25 7.05.10 17 Ryan Norton (Trak cycles) 7.07.45 7.06.46 18 Luke Strom (Orange/Citizen/Zeal/Nescafe) 7.11.00 7.09.01 19 Jason Codding (Troy Lee) 7.09.85 7.11.06 20 Scott Sharples 7.13.85 7.13.59 21 Rob McNaughton 7.15.35 7.13.65 22 Luke Patching (Grant/dragon/ODI) 7.15.04 7.17.09 23 Paul Kalisch (Craftworks/Sombrio) 7.13.02 7.17.84 24 Alan Crisp (Balfa/Heidelberg) 7.17.41 7.19.00 25 Grant Day (Panther Cycles/Hope) 7.13.74 7.19.88 26 Mick Ross (St. Ives Cucles,SIC) 7.19.19 7.20.52 27 Steve Marsh (Mongoose/FSA/Rudy Project) 7.14.82 7.28.48 28 Joe Achilles (Cannondale) 7.21.09 7.29.91 29 Dan Johnson (JT Cycles) 7.22.87 7.33.55 30 Dave West 7.02.17 9.21.03 31 Andrew Maxwell (Ashgrove Cycles) 7.23.17 32 Matt West (Trak Cycles Adelaide) 7.23.49 33 Mark Skroblin (Zeal & Pearl Izumi) 7.23.93 34 Jonathon Taylor (Orange Bikes/Oakley) 7.27.10 35 James Boland 7.27.90 36 Michael Geale (SDV Bikes/Santa Cruz) 7.28.39 37 Scott Prendergast (Panther Cyc/Western Motorcyc) 7.29.03 38 Fred McClelland 7.29.54 39 David Ferroni (SRAM) 7.29.81 40 Curtis Day (Panther Cycles) 7.31.64 41 Llewellyn Cameron 7.33.23 42 Shane Weaving 7.33.56 43 Dean Mugridge (Giant/Cycle Rider Shop) 7.35.63 44 Adam Dossetor (Ride Shop) 7.36.31 45 Dallas Augustine 7.37.93 46 Kane Abbot 7.38.78 47 Jade McGregor (Bike Shed) 7.39.05 48 John Thomas 7.39.91 49 Leighton Hocken (VICMTB) 7.41.00 50 Mark Turek (Balfa) 7.42.01 51 Mark M Steffens 7.45.67 52 John Farrow (Baffa/Hootsgear,Spy optic) 7.46.15 53 John Maurus (JT Cycles) 7.47.13 54 Mark Russell 7.48.89 55 Luke Abbot (2,4,8 racing) 7.51.68 56 Don Hancock (2,4,8 racing) 7.55.23 57 Mathew Rowland 7.57.47 58 Michael Warrior 8.06.74 59 Peter Horch 8.06.83 60 Michael Manning 8.11.43 61 Craig Brooker 8.27.71 62 Nathan Rennie (Lyn) 8.40.18 DNF Jensen Woodcock (Otway Expeditions) DNF Peter Hutchison (SHM Bikes.com.au) Elite Women First run Final run 1 Tai-Lee Muxlow (Oakley/Fox Forks/Azonic/Dirtworks) 7.45.98 7.32.16 2 Vanessa Quin (Intense) 7.49.69 7.39.66 3 Scarlett Hagen (GT/AJ Hackett) 8.07.09 8.05.09 4 Niki Gudex 8.17.58 8.18.63 5 Shawna Ward 9.20.09 9.17.13 6 Samantha Thompson 9.35.86 9.41.39 7 Joanne Fox 10.35.96 10.16.73 8 Alisha Houghton 10.23.10 10.25.88 Expert Men 1 Karl Peel 7.27.56 2 Nathan Bell 7.43.99 3 Anthony Robert Mitchell 7.45.84 4 Jason Morrison (CTR/MTB Freak/Cumberland) 7.46.06 5 Shane Rogers 7.48.37 6 Scott Beeton 7.49.00 7 Philip Mason 7.51.08 8 Ben Mundy 7.51.97 9 Nick Cruickshank (Aireal/Liquid MTBs/Diavolo) 7.53.47 10 Matthew Pandelus 8.00.73 11 Ryan Long 8.02.59 12 Mark Harris (Trak Cycles) 8.02.81 13 Leighton Smith (Borsari Cycles) 8.03.33 14 Phillip Tribe 8.04.69 15 Ryan Love 8.08.42 16 Andrew Threlfall (SHM Cycles) 8.11.40 17 Reuben Viles 8.12.16 18 Joshua Bosschieter 8.12.18 19 Andrew Dapre 8.28.28 20 Nick Barrett 8.31.72 21 Kieren Pogson 8.32.94 22 Brett Minion 8.43.84 23 Andrew Casey 8.51.73 24 Luke Aguirre 8.53.70 25 Tim Bardsley-Smith 9.00.27 26 Shane Hillier 9.28.23 U19 Men First run Final run 1 Sam Hill 7.08.04 6.49.54 2 Lindsay Klein (Dad) 6.56.84 6.53.21 3 Jarah Breese (launch/Skin/LBZ/Metal Mulisha) 7.15.21 7.12.74 4 Michael Kearton 7.21.22 7.12.89 5 David McLaughlin (Orange bikes) 7.13.53 7.18.34 6 Phillip Scicluna 7.15.25 7.18.73 7 Riley Donaldson (Ashgrove Cycles) 7.16.93 7.19.67 8 Stuart French (Oceana Bikes) 7.26.31 7.24.86 9 Lincoln Verass (Mal Adjusted Bicycles) 7.18.28 7.29.57 10 Steve Neilson 7.28.44 7.29.71 11 Ken Ballhause 7.31.78 7.35.15 12 Brock Newling (Toukley world of Bikes) 7.33.84 7.36.51 13 Martyn Fry 7.37.54 7.37.41 14 Eddie Piddington (DNF/Black Phoenix/Tandemonium) 7.39.87 7.41.64 15 Kaine Cannan 7.41.65 DQ 16 Josh Boyd (BalfaBikes/Wollongong Discount Bikes) 7.41.79 17 Nathan Langham 7.43.40 18 Thomas Cranston 7.44.36 19 Jarl Jensen (Troy Lee Disings/Giant/Diavolo) 7.48.99 20 Hugh Peters 7.50.36 21 Sam Furphy 7.50.53 22 Jordan Death 7.52.51 23 Paddy McGuire 8.00.61 24 Matthew Bawden 8.06.90 25 Reymund Kell 8.13.57 26 Scott Graham 8.23.52 27 James Banford 8.25.36 28 Andrew Cooper 8.25.44 29 William Koenig (Negative) 8.26.98 30 Mark Harvey 8.27.17 31 Josh Risby 8.27.58 32 Owen Wicks 8.31.79 33 Joseph Polden 8.39.72 34 Jake Pendleton 9.32.31 35 Matthew Hollingsworth 9.44.22 36 Zac Simpson 9.52.16 DNF David Thompson DNF Sam Gregory (Numerous) Masters 3 & 4 Women 1 Sharon Jan 9.23.52 2 Carol Moore (Trak Cycles/CTR/Monty) 11.35.88 Sport Women 1 Jodie Pandeleus 9.35.48 2 Louise Cook 9.40.37 3 Olivia Clifford 11.09.56 4 Emily Rousseau (Vic. MTB) 11.16.27 5 Julie Harris (Santa Cruz) 12.09.19 6 Jan Watson 12.43.58 7 Jodie Troughton 13.20.28 U19 Women 1 Bindy Hatcher 16.21.66 Masters 5+ Men 1 Tony Burchall (Streamline Cycles) 9.14.45 2 Allan Grundy (Mum & Dad) 10.04.55 3 Christopher Howe (Streamline Cycles) 11.09.77 Masters 3 & 4 Men 1 Darren Moore (Trak/CTR/Monty/Pedro/Tioga) 8.08.57 2 John Myssonski 8.11.67 3 Mark Newling 8.21.50 4 Anthony Hunter 8.25.15 5 Greg Wilson (Aireal/Blackman Bicycles) 8.45.00 6 Dean Leslie 8.48.86 7 Stephen Coles 9.14.50 8 Bear Bradley (Bear Bikes) 10.09.58 Masters 1 & 2 Men 1 Rob Eva (SRAM/FELT/RockShox/Mavic/Hutchinson) 7.17.19 2 Andy Epthorp 7.23.24 3 Paul Begg (Scott) 7.34.40 4 Dennis Lorne 7.39.69 5 Ollie Klein (mtbfreak.com/Lifecycle Bicycles) 7.46.25 6 Matthew Evans (Streamline Cycles) 7.53.62 7 Sean Power 7.55.64 8 Evan James (Craftworks/Bicycle Express) 8.01.00 9 Dean Parker (Gravity Esp/Pushi) 8.11.47 10 Michael Sierp (Santa Cruz) 8.11.93 11 Brendan Billings 8.16.93 12 Robert Craft 8.17.54 13 Tyron McLean (VICMTB,Specialized Dragon) 8.21.26 14 Steve Munyard (Streamline Cycles) 8.22.72 15 Daryl Snowdon 8.23.01 16 Daniel Antonios 8.23.34 17 Scott Watkins (Brunswick st Cycles) 8.25.13 18 Justin Salter 8.29.14 19 Mark Casey (VICMTB) 8.38.31 20 Andrew McClymont (Bike Addiction) 8.39.66 21 Saxon Cook 8.43.60 22 Cameron Ord 8.46.86 23 Brad Warrior 9.05.91 24 Adrian Jenkins 9.08.70 25 Ricardo Cancellier 9.12.33 26 Neil Scruton (Aireal Ind./Liquid Bikes) 9.12.69 27 Bill Dengate (Turner/DH Direct/Dabomis) 9.23.63 28 Martin Hendenstroem (DH Direct) 9.33.15 29 Wayne Cousins 9.37.26 30 John Hamilton 10.08.74 31 Peter Keray 10.08.89 32 David Grupe (Fraser Cycles) 10.46.94 33 Justin Armstrong 12.58.52 U17 Men 1 Amiel Cavalier 7.07.92 2 Christopher Panozzo 7.19.76 3 Hugh Mansfield (St.Ives Cycles) 7.33.42 4 Tylah Breese (Launch Racing) 7.36.57 5 Darren Pokoj (TC Bike Bar/Arnette/Michelin Tires) 7.41.88 6 Daniel Carrington 7.47.24 7 Sebastian de Beer 7.53.28 8 Ayden Eves (Parents) 7.56.05 9 Ashley Stokes 7.57.54 10 Sam Hocken (VICMTB) 8.15.78 11 Kane Lukassen 8.25.47 12 Tim Eaton 8.29.41 13 Scott Grundy (Mum & Dad) 8.30.66 14 Luke Sturt 8.33.39 15 Shaun Ezzy 8.40.29 16 Eden Humphreys 8.47.73 17 Ricky Lee (IronHorse/Axo/661/RAW NRG/Walking) 8.47.91 18 Daniel Geen 8.50.48 19 Luke Gowen 8.57.77 20 Sam Buchanan 9.17.66 21 Nathan Graham 9.51.58 22 Matt Hipsley 9.58.86 23 Nathan Gumley 10.47.41 24 Kyle Crowe 12.17.78 25 Liam Panozzo (Santa Cruz) 12.30.84 U15 Men 1 Ashley Grundy (Mum& dad) 8.47.92 2 Jordan Kopetko 9.04.17 3 Timothy Harrington (VICMTB/Kona) 9.08.44 4 Nick Elson 9.39.16 5 Tim Windshuttle (Ironhorse/RawNRG) 10.00.85 6 Riaan Smith (Mum & Dad) 10.35.63 Hardtail Men 1 Jason Campbell 8.43.76 2 Ben Stray (Stussy) 9.00.83 3 Michael Rowell 9.21.15 4 Simon Zabel 9.31.79 5 Teli Kollios 9.34.19 6 Alastair Rowley (Team Brown Cardie) 11.06.20 Sport Men 1 Nick Webb (Mal Adjusted) 7.31.08 2 Andrew Milne 7.57.37 3 Kris Wong 8.05.66 4 Chris Lloyd (Mal Adjusted) 8.07.07 5 Jarrod Lowe 8.20.75 6 Daniel Watson 8.40.67 7 Daniel Taliana 8.41.57 8 Aaron Wigley (Ooga Booga) 8.45.34 9 Russell Wood (Budget Zeros) 8.46.49 10 John Gye 8.47.48 11 Matthew Zagorski (MTBAU) 8.47.64 12 Keith McReynolds 8.56.18 13 Simon Troughton 9.21.00 14 James Reid (Budget Zeros) 9.30.42 15 Lucas Fitzpatrick 9.37.74 16 Matthew Mitchell 9.43.05 17 Ian Smith 10.31.54 DNF Joe Mullan (Team UNFIT) DNF Ken Pederson
