Buoyed by the ominous form of reigning world junior downhill champion Troy Brosnan and four cross World Cup winner Jared Graves, along with the return of cross country rider Chris Jongewaard, Australia will field a 34-strong team to compete at the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which commence in Switzerland this Wednesday.

To be staged from August 31 to September 4, more than 800 athletes from 49 countries will vie for the coveted world title at the picturesque Swiss mountain resort of Champéry.

Australia won more gold than any other nation at last year’s world championships in Canada, with Sam Hill (WA – elite downhill), Brosnan (SA - junior downhill) and Caroline Buchanan (ACT – elite four cross) all securing the rainbow jersey. Queenslander Graves also took silver in the men’s elite four cross.

Graves (four cross) and Brosnan (junior downhill) will arrive in Champery as medal favourites, after taking out the 2011 UCI World Cup series title in their respective events two weekends ago.

Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) sport director Chris Clarke has high hopes for a repeat performance this year, and believes the squad has the potential to once again deliver.

“I definitely think in terms of medals, yes we can match it, but for me personally I’m looking for overall performances in each category and I think we can definitely see some significant improvement across the board this year,” Clarke said.

“I know Jared (Graves) is very motivated to turn around his silver and go one step higher on the podium.”

“Our elite downhill guys are putting in good sets. In the juniors, Troy Brosnan is definitely capable of a repeat performance. I also think Connor Fearon (SA) and some of the other junior downhillers are definitely capable of being on the podium.

“In trials, Janine Jungfels (QLD) has been riding very well this year and Paul Van Der Ploeg (VIC) is definitely coming into a bit of form, he just needs a bit of luck in the under-23 cross country race.”

“At the very least I think they can be giving the podium a red hot shake.”

One rider with plenty of experience on the world-stage is 32-year-old Jongewaard, who returns to the Australian team after a tumultuous couple of years.  After claiming both the 2011 national championship and national series cross country titles earlier in the year, Jongewaard is back in form and determined to clinch a spot on the Australian team for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“To see Chris Jongewaard riding at this level again is great. We’re looking forward to seeing him back involved with the Australian team, I know he was a little bit disappointed with his result at Val di Sole (the final UCI World Cup round), but I’m expecting him to bounce back very well from last week’s result.”

Riders should expect a difficult course in Champéry, with the downhill course regarded as the hardest on the World Cup tour, while Clarke expects the cross country course to be extremely technical.

“The downhill course is infamous, you could say. It is very steep, very technical, so the riders will have to be very comfortable on very steep courses. It’s pleasing to note that we’ve got some good riders amongst us who are comfortable on very steep courses.”

“We emphasised the need for an increase in skill ability from our cross country guys and riders across the board have responded very well. It’s a good hard course, and I’m comfortable and confident that all our riders across the board will be at home on the course.”

Record crowds watched the final World Cup round in Val di Sole (Italy) a fortnight ago, and the atmosphere is building in Switzerland, for what is tipped to be a highly anticipated week of world-class mountain bike action.

Racing begins with the women juniors cross country at 17:00 on Wednesday, 31 August (Thursday 1:00am AEST), and concludes with the men elite downhill at 15:00 on Sunday, 4 September (11:00pm AEST).

Finals of the elite four cross, cross country and downhill will be streamed live on SBS Cycling Central - sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral

MTB Australia