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XC - Perren Delacour Enduro - Scott Nolan Downhill - Alan Crisp
12Hr MTB Enduro Yarramundi 10th Sep
Brief Race Report from Scott Nolan.
Mens team of four : Wayne Anderson, Pearce Anderson, Dan Beresdford and Scott Nolan.
Now in it's fifth year the 12 hour was another great day out for mountainbikers. After some light rain on friday the course was in perfect condition for the 950 riders entered a record number for endurance mtbing.
The team Endeavour men’s four team got off to a good start. After a few hours of racing and the heat beginning to take its toll the leader board was pretty tight . We were in the lead by about 3 minutes ahead of Supreme cycles but a puncture for Pearce saw us lose 9 minutes. The chase was on and we manged to pull back about six minutes with some great riding from all the boys but... time was running out and dehydratyion was setting in! We had to settle for second in the fours category and about fifth overall (I think. final results not out yet).
I'd like to thank Endeavour cycles for their help and Ando for captaining the team.
For all you people out their with mountainbikes I highly reccomend giving the Endurance races a try. Just get a group together and enter any of these great events. It is fantastic fun!
Andrew Arthur - Junior XC Australian Squad
Andrew reports from his first start in the Junior World MTB Championships in Livigno, Italy. He now has to get ready for his HSC !
Team Endeavour wins Working Week Series!!!! 21st August 2005 (Report by Brad Glennan)
The final round of the Working Week Series was run and won on Sunday at Canberra's new Sparrow Hill track. The Team Endeavour cycles was sitting pretty at the top of the points score coming into the final round, and basically only had to get a top 5 finish to complete the series win.
Once again, there were changes in the batting lineup, with star rider Andrew Arthur off competing in the USA before going over to the World Champs in Italy, Team MGX factor rider Troy Glennan, equipped with his new Merida, was recalled back into the lineup. Further complications however, with team captain Scott Nolan Helmets attending Butlers 40th the night before, meaning there was a possibility of a no show???
I (Brad) promoted myself to open the innings, and was relieved when the start was a traditional riding start, not the normal running start as is the case for most Endurance races. The gun went off, and the start loop consisted of a few km of undulating fire road, before heading into the first section of singletrail. I managed a good start, geting away with the leaders, before hitting a climb, where the two leaders Josh Flemming and Shaun Lewis managed to pull away. I was in a large group of about 6 riders, evenly spread along the course. Unfortunately, towards the end of my first lap, I managed to have a stack, crossing this bridge, with conditions a bit wet still, saw me eat it pretty big! I somehow managed to rip a strap off my shoe, and bend my lever, meaning I was stuck in the big ring for the next lap. I got my shoe back on, but it kept coming off whenever I would stand up. I went through for another lap on the 15km course, and passed on to Troy, for his first lap, and he managed to peg back a few placings on his first lap. Unfortunately, it was his turn to crash on his second lap, causing a bit of damage!
Scotty Nolan appeared ready for a lap, but I decided to go out for another one, before handing over to Scotty for his first double stint. At the halfway mark, we were sitting in 3rd in category, in a close battle with 2 other teams, but about 15 min behind the leading team containing Josh. As we all got more used to the track, we got closer to the team in front with the South African boys. As I went out for my last lap, Troy and Scott had bought the gap back to around 2 minutes. I knew I had to catch this gold Yeti. Every rider I passed wasn't him, but then with about 2km to go, I finally moved us into 2nd! Troy went out for the last lap, battling the rain along with the now freezing weather, to bring us home in 2nd position, and 3rd overall. So yeah, we won the series!!
A big thanks to everyone who rode with us this year, Andrew, Scotty, Troy and Maria, and yeah, if anyone wants to buy a Safris bike rack (our series prize), please let us know, we have 3 for sale!
Yarramundi 8 Hr Results 17th July 2005
Male Pairs - Danny Beresford and Wayne Anderson 4th, Peter and Karl Heys 10th
Mixed Pairs - Matt and Kymberly Fleming 1st
MIxed Triple - Andrew Arthur, Scott Nolan and Maria Papadopolous 4th
Woman Wanted!
Kimberley Flemming the quiet achiever on the MTB circuit is after a female team member for the MONT (8+9 Oct) to make up the female foursome. If you are interested please contact Kimberley.
So far this year Kimberly has got 6th at the National XC Championships in Eildon, 1st Port Macquarie State Round 1, 1st Mixed fours Sydney 24hr, 1st Mixed Pairs Penrose 8hr
2nd Killingsworth State Round 3.
Working week series Round 3, 19th June 2005 - Reporter Brad Glennan 19th
Here is a quick rundown on todays activities from Killingsworth!
Round 3 of the Working Week Series meant a trip up the freeway to the Killingsworth track near Newcastle. This round is allways popular on the Endurance series, mainly due to the fast flowing nature of the track. A record of over 450 riders entered, and The Endeavour Cycles team line up returned to its orginal team, with Scott "Helmets" Nolan back in after his month long "R & R" in the Northern Territory.
Both myself and Andrew had a reconisence trip to the track at the state round a fortnight earlier, but a quick lap saturday afternoon revealed a totally different track, a lot of it running backwards to the direction of the state round.
Andrew was promoted back into the opening position, getting us off to his now usual fast start. We continued with the 2 laps each format, before changing to single laps towards the end of the day. We had a bit tougher competition on the 3 man teams this time around, with Josh Flemming and Pete Hatton making up 2 parts of a team that ended up winning the event outright! Josh's fastest lap of the 10km track was done at an average speed of around 30km/h!!!! The track was fast!!!
The Endeavour cycles boys finished in 2nd position, retaining the overall lead in the series, but only finished 5th overall this time around.
Next round is at Yarramundi on the 17th July.
2005/2006 National MTB Series (2005-2006NatSeries.pdf )
Some details...
# 4 rounds in XC and DH - all to count. 6 rounds in MTN X.
# All venues are high profile sites which promise the delivery of awesome MTB competition.
# First MTN X competition to be held in conjunction with the 2005 Australian Bike Show at a permanent MTN X track at Olympic Park in the middle of Sydney. Can you say "Bring MTB to the people?"
# More events having both XC and DH - better for the spectators and public - more show for the doe!
# XC1 and DH1 held in Tasmania for the first time since 2000. Expect the Tasmanians to put on a huge show!
# XC2 and DH2 held in WA, first time since 1999!
# XC3 will be the first selection race for Australian Elite riders at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and incorporate the 2006 University Games. The 2006 Commonwealth Games XC course will be used
# Finals at Mt. Buller, XC will once again be a long loop format (albeit with some minor changes to remove some of the more technically challenging parts of the course)
# National Championships split to accommodate XC Commonwealth Games selection needs and to fit in with other events already scheduled in Thredbo
# National Champs are NOT part of the Series
Kimberley Fleming 2005 Results
6th National Championships in Eildon.
1st Port Macquarie State Round No1
1st Mixed fours Sydney 24hr
1st Mixed Pairs Penrose 8hr
2nd Killingsworth State Rouund No 3 (I didn't go to 2nd round at Kempsey) MTBA National Championships in 2006
In a series of 'firsts' for MTBA the National Championships in 2006 move to a January time frame and will be split between XC and DH.
The National XC Championships will be hosted by Team Mt. Beauty at the nationally famous Mt. Beauty MTB park on January 12 - 15 2006.
The National DH Championships will be hosted by RawNRG and Thredbo Range Rats in Thredbo the following week on January 19 - 22 2006.
Tony Scott, CEO for MTBA said, "2006 is a special year in many respects. The January date for the XC Championships was needed because of it being the final selection event for nomination of 2006 Commonwealth Games XC athletes. Nominations need to be finalized be the end of January and it takes 2 weeks for the Cycling Australia board to ratify the nominations and forward them to the Commonwealth Games secretariat. "
Scott added, "Unfortunately Team Mt. Beauty were not in the position of hosting an event of the size of a combined XC and DH plus the additional events of Mountain Cross and Bike Trials. They were however able to engage Dave Olle as event manager for the XC Championships alone, and together with members of Team Mt. Beauty will deliver an awesome event.
Thredbo was not able to host high level XC competition due to a focus of DH activity on the mountain. Thredbo does, however, hold a special place in the minds of Australia's DH'ers and is one of the most visited DH MTB destinations in Australia. The National MTN X Championships will also be hosted in Thredbo on a specially constructed course designed with the assistance of Glen Jacobs."
Round 2 - Working Week Series 8hr - Report from Brad Glennan
Welcome race fans to the run down from race 2 of the 8 Hour Working Week Series. Team Endevour Cycles had to make some changes to the line up for the 3 man teams as Scotty Nolan's wedding was the day before, so Big Troy from the MG X Factor road team stepped in as a last minute replacement.
We also decided to change the batting lineup for the Penrose Forest race, with the run that starts these races a little intimidating for young Andrew who is about 5 foot nothing, Big Troy was promoted straight into the opening position. I figured no one would try and push Troy around! Well I guess the bigger they come the harder they fall, because Troy came down, before he even got to his bike! Not the best of starts!
The initial plan was again to do 2 lap stints, but the blood coming form Troys knee was a bit of a worry, so Andrew went out after one lap. I am sure Andrew made up some time again for us, but I hav’nt seen the full results as yet. I went out for my first laps, and yeah, the track had changed a bit form last year. There was a lot more single track replacing the fire road, and a lot was fun fast flowing singletrack. I was feeling really rusty (again) in the dirt, but I guess that’s what happens when you only ride your mountain bike every couple of months when a race is on! I then punctured, and decided to limp back to the finish rather than fix it, but this was stupid, as this lap was about 6 minutes slower. Lap 2 felt better, I knew where the track went now, and felt a lot more fun.
At the first time check, we were about 7th in the 3 man teams, about 13 minutes down! Not the best of starts!
From there on in, we slowly made our way back up the leaderboard. I am not sure of the exact gaps, but about halfway we were 5 min, then into the last hour, we were 30 seconds behind! I am not sure who it was that put us in the lead, but we did it, so team Endeavour Cycles has now won 2 in a row! I am not sure where we were overall (3rd overall Ed.), but a good day was had by all. Thanks to my brother Troy for coming down and giving his best for us, I think he had fun????
Other Sutherland club riders who rode were Alison Anderson and Felicity who had to do a 2 person team after one of there riders was injured. Kimberley Flemming (who got 6th at the National's!!!) won the mixed pairs with husband Matt. Josh Flemings team won the 4 man teams and Dan Beresford did the race solo!!! NUTTER!
Next 8 hour round is at Killiingsworth on the 19th of June.
Brad Glennan
Round 1 - Working Week Series 8hr - Report from Brad Glennan
The First round of the Working Week Series was held last weekend (20th) at Lithgow, at the Lilsdale course. One half of the successful Endeavour Cycles team from the Mont 24hour, being Andrew Arthur, Scott Nolan and myself (Brad Glennan), have decided to team up again and launch an assault on the 8 hour series.
With a 4am departure time form the shire, rain and fog were the main ingredients of the trip up to Lithgow. Having arrived with plenty of time to spare for a change, a pre race carb loading meal at Mcdonalds ensured we were fueled up for the day ahead. Upon finding the track, a few people had already decided to pack up and go home, as the track was basically a mudpit!
After setting up base, we decided upon the tactics of 2 laps each. We weren’t sure what way the track went, let alone how long it was, so 2 laps sounded like it would give us each one lap to learn where it went, the hopefully a fast (er) lap. Andrew got us of to a great start, coming back from lap one in 4th place, not too far behind the “factory” teams of Kona, Yeti and Cannondale, but ahead of the Japanese factory Trek team. The rain had basically stopped by now, but Andrew came back covered in mud, so the track would still be difficult. I took the first lap fairly easy, to try and learn where the track went, and not to crash in the mud, which there was plenty of. The track seemed like quite fun, mainly pine forest Canberra style single track, with a few fire road sections thrown in. The trickiest bits were probably a couple of slippery descents followed by tight corners leading back up into slippery climbs. I got threw my first stint of 2 laps, feeling better on lap 2, but running into more lapped traffic.
Scotty took over for his stint, keen to see if his forks could hold together longer than they usually do! By then end of the 6th lap, we were holding a comfortable lead in the 3 man teams, and dicing for 4th overall with the Japanese Trek duo.
The Sun actually came out for a little while around lunch time, drying the track a little, making the track a little faster with a bit more grip. Andrew pumped out another couple of fast laps, only around a minute of the pro’s times. I went out for my next two laps, keen to keep up the faster pace. My second lap resulted in a big crash in the biggest bit of mud on the course, at the bottom of a descent, where I crashed straight into someone else stuck in the mud, ended up over the bars, and somehow also wrapping myself and bike around a fallen log. One of the Japanese Trek boys got past, so I chased, and was pleased to be able to stay with him for the rest of the lap.
Scotty took of for his next stint, with the storm clouds rolling in. It got that dark, Scotty was calling for some lights to be fitted! On his second lap, it poured down!! The course basically turned into a river of running water, and combined with the darkness, visibility was virtually none! With the threat of Hail, plus lightening and thunder, the organizers took the wise move of stopping the race. Scott took great delight in making sure the spectators got as wet as he did on the final run down to the finish line. We think? We came 1st in 3 man teams and probably 5th overall. (The presentation was also cancelled!)
The next round of the Working Week Series is to be held at the Southern Highlands, less than 2 hours drive away, on the 1st of May. Any one who can get there hands on a mountain bike should come along, the 8 hour series is a great way to spend a day on a mountain bike with a few mates, in a less serious way than the usual race presents. The courses are usually a lot of fun, any tricky bits usually have easy lines you can take, so basically the whole course is usually very rideable. There is a huge variety in abilities of riders and bikes, so you probably wont be the slowest, or fastest rider there!
Oh, Thanks heaps to Jodie Nolan and Alison Anderson for sharing there pit setup with us!
January 2005
Marathon rules.
In light of the recent formulation of marathon rules by the UCI MTBA has added marathon rules to its MTB technical regulations recently sent to you by post. The marathon rules will be released shortly.
New UCI rules on outside assistance at XC races.
Some of you may be already aware that the UCI recently instituted a relaxed view on the issue of outside assistance at XC competitions. MTBA is currently drafting our position on this matter, but in the meantime the current rules (no outside assistance is allowed) remain in force.
Junior participation in MTB endurance events.
Recently MTBA has been concerned about ensuring that such as 4 hour to 24+ hours and marathon events is appropriate.
To this end we have recently published a policy, which came into force on 1/2/2005 that details, in the first instance, the appropriate and mandated ages for juniors participating in solo race categories in 4hr - 24+hr races and individual participation in marathon events (XC events over 60km in length).
The policy is available in the "policy and documents" section on the MTBA website and is also attached here for your convenience.
National level TD course.
MTBA calls for expressions of interest in suitably interested people to nominate to attend the 2nd national Technical Delegate course to be held in conjunction with the 2005 national championships. Accommodation in Eildon will be arranged and funded by MTBA. The duration of the course is still to be decided but will be at least 3 days which will include all competition days. Allowances may be made for participants who are also competing but our preference will be given to those that have no other obligations during the course. Please send names and contact details of interested people to MTBA by 31/1/2005.
National TD accreditation.
In an effort to fast track the establishment of a core group of national level technical delegates MTBA is also calling for clubs to nominate suitably qualified people as being potentially suitable for being accredited as a national level TD through prior learning (previous national level or state level commissaire courses) or by way of extensive experience in managing MTB activities at a high level. Please send MTBA the names, contact details and a brief note of prior learning or experience by 31/1/2005. MTBA will sift through the names and make recommendations for fast track accreditation based on your recommendations and our knowledge of the persons ability.
Level 1 Coaching accreditation.
In an effort to fast track the establishment of a core group of level 1 MTB coaches MTBA is calling for clubs to nominate suitably qualified people as having the prior qualifications or experience needed to be accredited as a level 1 MTB coach. Please send MTBA the names, contact details and a brief note of the date the level 1 course was taken, if accreditation was obtained through completion of a hands on program and if active coaching duties have been performed since.
2005-2006 National Season.
The 2005 - 2006 national MTB season will commence in October 2005 and conclude in late February 2006. The shifted dates are needed due to the 2006 Commonwealth Games being staged in Melbourne in March 2006. Expressions of interest are now sought for a XC, DH, MTNX and OT event in each month concluding with the finals at the end of February. Good consideration and preference will be given to venues that can host multiple disciplines on the same weekend at the same location in particular XC and DH.
2006 National Championships.
The 2006 national MTB championships will be staged on 12 - 15th January 2006. Expressions of interest have been distributed to known likely candidates. If you feel that your club has the the ability and location to host the nationals in 2006 - 2008, can host all 4 disciplines together on the same time frame and have not been sent an expression of interest please contact MTBA.
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