Previous Next

Olympian Changes to Mountain Bike to Take Title

WEDNESDAY, 25 MARCH 2009


BMX Olympian, Jared Graves showed another side to his bike skills by winning the Downhill Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Thredbo. The 26-year old Queenslander held off New Zealand's hot favourite, Wyn Masters, to take the title in a time of 6 minutes and 14.07 seconds.

Having swapped his BMX bike for his Yeti prototype Graves admits the transition was not easy.

"The cross over back isn't that hard as I've been riding downhill for ten years. It's a different kind of fitness though and that definitely is an issue," said Graves.

After qualifying fastest Graves bettered his run by just half a second after rain had dampened the course before the men's final.

"I wasn't thinking about the results," stated Graves. "Bits of the track felt slower especially the long fast straights. I'm pretty happy with that time."

Third was national series winner, Joshua Button. Canberra's Ben Cory and world number eight, Nathan Rennie, claimed fourth and fifth respectively. Rennie was content with his first race back after major knee surgery saw him on the side line this summer.

National downhill champion, Claire Whiteman from Canberra, claimed the women's Oceania Title in a close race beating fellow Canberra rider, Caroline Buchanan. Half a second separated the pair but Whiteman hopes the win will help her get to the World Championships later this year.

"It's been the best year yet," said an excited Whiteman. "It was tough. Generally I don't do well in the wet. This time down I decided to relax from the top."

Third place went to New Zealand's national silver medallist, Amy Laird.

The under 19 winner, Shaun O'Connor, was over four seconds ahead of nearest rival, Rhys Willemse. Third was Laurie Dinham. Fastest qualifier, Richard Leacock from New Zealand, placed fourth in the final run.

Many of Australia's mountain bike elite riders now head overseas over the next two weeks to compete in the World Cup series which starts in South Africa on the 11th of April. Riders are out to qualify for the upcoming 2009 UCI World Mountain Bike and Trial Championships to be held in Canberra in early September.

Photo from: evanjeffery.blogspot.com

Previous Next