CYCLING - MTB: London 2012 Olympians and Rio 2016 hopefuls Rebecca Henderson and Daniel McConnell have again claimed national titles at the 2016 Australian MTB Championships.
Elite Women
Rebecca Henderson (ACT) couldn’t have produced a more stunning performance to win the 2016 Australian MTB Championships at Bright, Victoria on Saturday.
The now three time Australian Champion blew her rivals away on the first lap to put no doubt in anyone’s mind that she would be Rio bound in September, with a finishing time of 1:34:33 seconds.
“The green and gold is something you don’t want to let go of that easy.”
Lined up to try and spoil the Henderson party was 2013 champion Peta Mullens (VIC) and 2012 title holder Jenni King (VIC) in what was perfect riding condition.
But they would only see the back of the Trek sponsored rider as soon as the gun went for the four laps around the Mystic Mountain Bike Park course.
Henderson, who had wrapped up the National Series title at Toowoomba a fortnight earlier, went through her first lap in 25:05secs before ramping it up second time around and extending the lead.
“For me I race pretty similar and I like to go out pretty hard I was just able to get a lucky break from Peta on one of the early climbs, and I just took that advantage.”
Mullens, admitted she knew from the gun it would be hard to stay with the defending champion, and then had to stave off the battle of King who sat on her wheel stalking the fellow Victorian.
“I knew straight away on the start loop that my legs didn’t have it I think as a bike rider you kind of know early on and I tried to put that aside and just power on as much as I can but she just had the better of me by far.”
Mullens eventually shook King off her wheel on the final lap to sustain a 19 second gap to the finish line to claim silver.
“It was bloody hard I gave it everything to try and stick with Peta mid-way and she broke me on the second last lap,” King said.
With plenty left in the tank, the 24 year Henderson would complete the final two laps in a time just over 23minutes.
It’ll be a busy month for the 2016 Australian Champion who will have to back up for Oceania’s next week before heading to Cairns for the first World Cup of the cross-country season.
Plenty of joy for Holly Harris, who claimed her first U23 Australian champion title, taking home the spoils ahead of Emily Parkes and Chantal Eheim.
While Sarah I’Ons was a powerhouse in the Junior Women with a nine minute victory, with Ruby Wilson and Mikayla Wolfe making up the podium.
Elite Men
The ironman of Australian Cross Country Dan McConnell (VIC) claimed his fifth National Title with a block-buster performance at the 2016 Subaru Australian MTB Championships at Bright, Victoria on Saturday.
With a second Olympic selection beckoning and a World Cup in Cairns next month, McConnell showed just why he’s been the dominant figure in XCO for the past 5 years in Australia.
The Victorian with the gold ahead of Cameron Ivory (NSW) and Kyle Ward (NSW).
“That one is pretty high I think to come here and get a national title hopefully can set myself up for a good year.”
“Today is the best I’ve felt in a long time, and it was great to feel such smoothness on the bike.”
After an opening lap of 21:12 seconds the 30-year-old Victorian, would produce 4 sub 20-minute laps around the course, which featured plenty of climbing.
Ivory and Ward, who have showed during the national series they will be the biggest threat to McConnell in future years, worked together in order to peg back any advantage the four time Australian champion.
“He’s really strong. He pulled away on the second climb of the first lap and we never saw him again,” said Ivory who is aiming for the second spot with McConnell on the Australian Olympic team to go to Rio.
Ward took the spoils over Ivory at Mt Stromlo last December in the second round of the National Seres, but it wouldn’t repeat itself as the Novocastrian found an extra gear on the final lap.
“I thought I’d tag him early and I thought he’d just have a bit too much sharpness there at the end and he proved it.”
The two young bulls would still be chipping away as McConnell rode solo across the line to the cheers of fans to record a time of 1:37:51 seconds.
In the Under 23 Scott Bowden (TAS) made it back to back victories in the category, showing how much competing at the Elite level in the National Series has helped his riding.
It was a no contest as he won by more than 2 minutes to Tasman Nankervis and Chris Hamilton.
While in the Junior Men Michael Harris, Kian Lerch-Mackinnon and Luke Pankhurst took home gold, silver and bronze.
