Elite Men
Pristine conditions on the mountainside made for an enthralling and action-packed final day of XC racing at the 2023 AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championship in Thredbo.
An attacking effort in the mid-section of the race by Sam Fox (Launceston MTBC) proved to be the difference in the Elite Men’s XCO competition.
Daniel McConnell led the field by 15 lengths after the first of six laps, but was soon joined in a lead group with five others including Fox, Cameron Ivory, Brendan Johnston, Cameron Wright, and Tasman Nankervis, who at one point rode into second place after starting from the back of the field.
The unexpected ride from Nankervis prompted a response from the Tasmanian on the fourth lap.
“The tempo was pretty hot on the climb each lap. Tasman [Nankervis] really drilled it up there on the fourth lap, and I was swinging. I was really hurting, and I thought to myself, ‘If I’m about to drop, these guys are going to be really hurting, so I’m going to attack.’ And it worked. They were struggling, and they still came back but it was enough to put that gap in,” Fox said.
WATCH THE FULL REPLAY ON SBS ON DEMAND
Full replay: AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships - Elite Men's XCO
The attacking move burned up petrol tickets, with the Commonwealth Games rider describing the win as “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” while also paying tribute to the field.
The win completes a perfect weekend for Fox, who took out the gold medal in both the XCC and XC Team Relay.
McConnell came past Brendan Johnston and Cameron Ivory to move into the silver medal position with Ivory taking the final spot on the podium.
U23 Men
Domenic Paolilli (Hawthorn CC) dominated the Under 23’s XCO from start to finish, winning by more than 90 seconds over Friday’s XCC winner Isaac Fletcher, while Joel Dodds took home the bronze.
Paolilli said he was pleased how the race came together after months of planning.
“It's definitely tough. I think it’s that first climb. Just sort of pacing yourself really well. I think I might have gone out a little bit too hard in that first lap, but just stayed nice and composed and got through,” Paolilli said.
U19 Men
A two-horse race emerged in the Junior Men’s XCO, with Jack Ward (Blackburn CC) and Cohen Jessen opening up a 35 second break from the rest of the field after two laps, and riding through the entire Under 23’s field with the exception of eventual Men’s U23 winner Domenic Paolilli.
The pair paced one another throughout the race, and it wasn’t until the final downhill sections of the course that Ward created a small gap, that proved to be enough to hold on by two lengths.
Today’s racing caps of four days of high-quality racing before the action moves to Downhill racing from Wednesday next week.
Elite Women
Rebecca Henderson's (ACT) winning streak continued today, riding to her 10th Elite Cross Country Olympic National title at the AusCycling Mountain Bike Championships in Thredbo, NSW.
The world No. 4 came into the race as the heavy favourite, and showed why she claimed three World Cup wins last year.
Rebecca Henderson attacked on the first climb of the opening lap, breaking up the race immediately. Zoe Cuthbert (Trek-Shimano) and Katherine Hosking (Orbea Women's Racing) formed up in chase, while Peta Mullens (Roxsolt Liv SRAM) was stuck in between groups behind.
Henderson didn’t worry about any of the riders behind, showcasing her world-class talent as she flew up the climbs, continuing to push on the downhills and flats as she stamped her dominance on the event, racking a lead of a minute and 50 seconds by the end of the second lap.
The Canberran rode solo to victory with a margin of three minutes to Zoe Cuthbert (ACT), who crossed the line for silver.
“It's pretty special obviously,” said Henderson post-race. “I love to represent Australia, I’m very proud to be an Aussie and overseas I’m very much known as the Aussie girl and I like to keep it that way."
“It was about me doing my own thing,” she said of her early attack. “They actually dropped off sooner than I expected, I thought Zoe would stick around for a few laps.”
Once Henderson had established an unassailable lead, the battle was on for the silver and bronze between Cuthbert, Katherine Hosking (NSW) and Peta Mullens (VIC).
Mullens bided her time before bridging the gap to overtake Hosking, who was racing in her first year of elite, to finish with the bronze.
Henderson's win is her 19th National Championship across elite and junior categories, her tenth consecutive Elite XCO championship victory.
WATCH THE FULL REPLAY ON SBS ON DEMAND
Full replay: AusCycling Mountain Bike National Championships - Elite Women's XCO
U23 Women
Under 23 race favourite Izzy Flint (Launceston MTBC) sealed the cross-country double, claiming the XCO title today after an impressive win in the XCC on Friday.
Flint put close to four minutes into her nearest rival and eventual silver medalist Hayley Oakes, with Lillee Pollock a further six minutes back in third.
“It was a bit of a surprise. I think everyone thought I was the favourite but I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out,” Flint said.
“The girls gapped me in the first climb and I thought I might have been in trouble, but I just backed myself to descend and I saw a bit of an opportunity half way through that first lap and I thought I’d run with it.”
U19 Women
In her usual fashion Dobson, who also won the short course title on Friday, led from the front crossing the finish line with close to a 4-minute margin ahead of Maya Martin who won silver, and Ella Menigoz in third place.
“I only started riding and racing about four years ago so it’s good to build up to this and get this success quite early, so I’m super happy,” Dobson said.
