2009 Australian MTBO Championships

Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Kathy Liley (W60) winning the Sprint race at Nelson

Victoria wins State Championship for 11th time
After a weekend that more than 130 MTBO participants from Australia and New Zealand will not forget, contested near the South Australia/Victoria border in the streets and tracks near Nelson, the forests along the Glenelg River, and the wet and windy conditions at Mt Richard, Victoria emerged with the State Championship Plaque for the 11 time since 1998. Only at Bussell Brook, WA in 2006 has any other state managed to score more points over the age classes for M/W-14 to M/W 70+ than our Victorian MTBO enthusiasts. With a change this year to recognize the three races contested, the result was emphatically VICTORIA. Final point totals: 1st Victoria – 175 (Sprint= 65; Long=60; Middle=50), 2nd South Australia (68), 3rd NSW (25), tied 4th ACT (23), Tasmania (23), 6th Queensland (17).

Three Victorians won their class at each of the 3 races: Heath Jamieson M-20, Kathy Liley W60 and Joyce Rowlands W70+.
Adrian Jackson M21 (L & M), John Sheahan M70 (S & L) and Rick Armstrong (M60 (L & M) won 2 races, while Tim Jackson M-14 (S), Angus Robinson M-14 (L), Darian Panter M-16 (S), Alex Randall M21 (S) and Rob Davis M40 (L) each won 1 race.
Well done to the whole Victorian team!

Many thanks to the South Australians for putting on the championships using a completely new area. At the Sunday night presentation dinner (attended by a record 95 participants) the SA organizers, lead by Andrew Slattery, were given three cheers for an outstanding long weekend of races. Next year is Victoria’s turn to host the Australian MTBO Championships. Already the New Zealanders have promised to bring more than 40 riders!

National MTBO Series
Victoria swept all three races in M21E and M-20E and only lost the sprint race in W21E, while consolidating the Nuggets strong first place position in all 4 age classes at the conclusion of Round 2. Round 3 will be staged in Queensland in early September.
National Series Standings

Australia / New Zealand MTBO Challenge
The 2009 Aus/NZL MTBO Challenge was convincingly won by New Zealand: NZL 13 - AUS 7 in the age classes M21-, W21-, M40-W40-, M50-, W50- and M60-. Despite winning the M21E- class for all three races (Sprint, Long and Middle) and W21E- in the Long and Middle races, the M40-, W40- and W50- riders from New Zealand won all three races to seal the Kiwi victory. The Australian M60- team salvaged some points winning the Sprint and Long races, while the AUS M50- riders won the Middle Distance race in driving rain and wind.

A terrific atmosphere developed between the visiting 31-strong Kiwi team managed by Di Michels and the host Aussie team over the fortnight. The next AUS/NZL MTBO Challenge is scheduled to be staged in New Zealand in 2011.

Complete results are on the SA webpage.

Blake Gordon