MTBO – Aust Champs

AUSTRALIAN MTBO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mild conditions one day, torrential rain and hail the next. The weather gods really turned it on for competitors in the AUS Championships held near Mt Gambier, South Australia, over the June long weekend. Kay Haarsma takes up the narrative:

ALTHOUGH the event centre was based in Mt Gambier, two of the races were held just over the border in Victoria. This venue had the advantage of new areas never before ridden on, which made for fantastic racing. OASA is to be congratulated in taking the risk of mapping these areas and running the event some 450 kilometres from its main orienteering population in Adelaide. The Championships had a great atmosphere with most people accommodated at the event centre, the Comfort Inn – Silver Birch motel in Mt Gambier. The Sunday evening social evening at the motel was a real highlight - 130 people enjoyed a three course dinner while warmed by a roaring fire, entertained by a photo slide show, and rewarded with their Sprint and Long Distance event prizes. Three different areas, most people staying in the one motel, two days of riding without rain - what more could one ask in the middle of winter? Add 30 New Zealanders to the mix and it was probably the best MTBO AUS Championships ever. The Kiwis were there for the AUS v NZ Challenge in conjunction with the Championship events. The Sprint event was held in the small seaside town of Nelson, with a surprising complexity of small tracks in and around the town’s caravan park, and along the banks of the Glenelg River. Being cheered on by the children resident in the park was an unexpected mid-race experience. Sunday saw us assembled for the Long Distance event at Donovan’s Landing, a small village on the Glenelg River. The large “Caroline Forest” map was gently undulating pine forest highlighted by a section of rideable grassy clearings where there were a number of controls. Near the finish there was a ride option for most through a bumpy farm paddock pitted with wombat holes. Mt Gambier in June was always likely to be cold and wet ..... After two days of mild conditions we well and truly got hammered by the weather gods on the Monday when the Middle Distance event was staged at Mt Richmond, 75km east of Mt Gambier in Victoria. Torrential rain and hailstones doused most riders’ warmup activities and left a white blanket in some parts of the forest. Steep coastal sand hills and very sandy forest tracks churned up by trail bikes added to the degree of difficulty and made for some times longer than intended. However the views over the Southern Ocean in between rain storms were magnificent! The competition was fierce in the elite classes and most veteran classes. Kiwi pocket rocket Marquita Gelderman, (4th at the World Championships in 2008) stamped her authority from Day 1’s elite Sprint race with a huge 5min win over Thor Egerton and Melanie Simpson. Thor has recently moved from Brisbane to the colder climes of Melbourne. Melanie is concentrating on her internship as a doctor this year, so it was good to see her out and about. In the Long Distance the Aussies got a bit closer to Marquita (106mins) - just a 3min margin with Thor holding off Carolyn Jackson by a mere 4 seconds for 2nd place. The sandy conditions of the Middle Distance obviously suited Marquita (72mins) because she took a 7minute win over Carolyn and Melanie, just 14secs apart. Heath Jamieson, a 16 year-old from Gisborne (VIC) was often seen in a close huddle with Marquita after events quizzing exactly where she went. The M20 class he was riding and the elite women had the same courses so Heath was eager to learn what different route choices Marquita had taken or whether it was just quicker decision making. He was thrilled to claim a 29sec “victory” on the Long Distance course but had lessons to learn from her on the other days. This sharing of skills and methodology between competitors is what makes our sport so unique. Queensland’s Chris Firman, also just 16 years old, must have shivered in the cold, but he chased Heath home each day, especially in the Middle Distance, where he was just 4mins adrift. Ben Davis, a local lad doing his first MTBO events, was thrilled to finish 3rd in the Middle and Long Distance and receive his glassware prizes. The elite men’s class had 15 competitors but it was the foursome of Alex Randall, Paul Darvodelsky, Adrian Jackson and NZ’s Stu Lynch who shared the prizes and took most of the International Ranking points. Alex won the Sprint, 30secs ahead of Stu and a similar margin to Paul in 3rd. Adrian (AJ) had to settle for 4th after a fall resulting in a broken chain. Fuelled by that disappointment AJ obliterated the field in the Long Distance with a 13mins win over Paul, with Alex 19secs back in 3rd and

Stu a further 2mins behind. AJ had 4mins in hand in the Middle together and to the squad of course setters who created interesting Distance, with Stu gaining silver and Paul the bronze. challenges. The unflappable OHOC twins Michelle Chamalaun Di Michels (NZ) in W 40, Kathy Liley (W60) and Aussie MTBO and Jenny Bourne solved all things computer/ money / social, matriarch Joyce Rowlands were the other riders besides Marquita and many others who volunteered their time and didn’t even get and Heath to record a trifecta of victories. Di and Kathy both to ride to keep warm. triumphed in strong classes. Joyce was all alone in W70 but rode times that would have placed her midfield in W60, on the same Australia / New Zealand Challenge course. The 2009 AUS/NZL MTBO Challenge was convincingly won Many funny stories emerged from the weekend. One was when by New Zealand: NZL 13 - AUS 7 over the seven age classes the serving staff at the motel restaurant assumed that the prize contested. Australia won the M21E class for all three races and glassware was to be filled with drinking water and put on each W21E in the Long & Middle Distance races. However, the New table…. Another revolved around where to place your SI stick Zealand M40, W40 and W50 riders won all three races to seal when its attachment to the bike breaks. Down the front of your the Kiwi victory. The Australian M60 team salvaged some points knicks wasn’t a good choice for a veteran male. Unable to find winning the Sprint and Long Distance races, while the AUS M50 it at a control he dropped his knicks only to look up into the riders won the Middle Distance race. The next AUS/NZL MTBO befuddled gaze of an incoming female rider! Challenge is scheduled to be staged in New Zealand in 2011. The appointment of Jenny Casanova as event controller was Victoria convincingly won with the State Championship Plaque meant to motivate her to learn to ride a bike. As this skill yet again. Final points were: 1st Victoria (175); 2nd South remained unlearned by June, the process of checking control Australia (68); 3rd NSW (25); tied 4th ACT (23) & Tasmania (23); sites was undertaken by driving around the forest outskirts with 6th Queensland (17). her father as navigator (a sport hereafter known as Subarallying) and then running in to the controls. Class SPRINT MIDDLE DISTANCE LONG DISTANCE The organising committee had explained to Jenny M14 Tim Jackson (V) Jack Allison (SA) Angus Robinson (V) the peculiarities of Mountain Bike Orienteering, M16 Darian Panter (V) Marc Gluskie (T) Mark Gluskie (T) including the start set-ups. A quick check of the M20 Heath Jamieson (V) Heath Jamieson (V) Heath Jamieson (V) MTBO rules convinced Jenny that they weren’t M21E Alex Randall (V) 29.31 Adrian Jackson (V) 72.53 Adrian Jackson (V) 99.57 just making it up as they went along and then the only complication was matching up the regulatory Stu Lynch (NZ) Paul Darvodelsky (N) 30.00 30.44 Stu Lynch (NZ) Alex Randall (V) 76.41 78.13 Paul Darvodelsky (N) Alex Randall (V) 113.10 113.29 requirements of the AUS-NZ challenge starts with the M40 Pete Swanson (NZ) Pete Swanson (NZ) Rob Davis (N) IOF rules for an International Ranking Event. M50 Dave King (NZ) Darryl Smith (T) Bruce Meder (NZ) Despite the mud, hail and rain all competitors enjoyed themselves and were glad they had made the M60 M70 Michael Wood (NZ) John Sheahan (V) Rick Armstrong (N) Eine Meuronen (A) Rick Armstrong (N) John Sheahan (V) effort to visit the Mt Gambier region. Put the dates W21E Marquita Gelderman (NZ) Thorlene Egerton (Q) 24.01 29.09 M. Gelderman (NZ) Carolyn Jackson (V) 72.44 79.38 M. Gelderman (NZ) Thorlene Egerton (Q) 106.25 109.39 of Oct 16-17 2010 on your calendar for a 2-Day Melanie Simpson (N) 29.14 Melanie Simpson (N) 79.52 Carolyn Jackson (V) 109.44 event there prior to the AUS Champs in Victoria the W40 Di Michels (NZ) Di Michels (NZ) Di Michels (NZ) following weekend. W50 Viv Prince (NZ) Viv Prince (NZ) Jacqui Sinclair (NZ) A big thanks to mastermind, mapper and chief W60 Kathy Liley (V) Kathy Liley (V) Kathy Liley (V) organiser Andrew Slattery for putting this event W70 Joyce Rowlands (V) Joyce Rowlands (V) Joyce Rowlands (V)

Overseas MTBO News

Unfortunately the 2009 MTBO World Championships in Israel had the lowest ever number of entrants of the seven WOCs held to date. This was due to worry caused by the fighting outbreak some months earlier and thus many riders chose to prioritise the European Championships in Denmark rather than committing to WOC. The only Australian representatives were Adrian Jackson and Carolyn Jackson. No New Zealand riders raced the World Championships this year.

Men Women

Israel 09 82

51 Poland 08 110 58 Highest ever (2005) 130 (2002) 72

MTB JWOC 2009

The 2nd MTB Junior World Orienteering Championships were held in the Danish town of Hillerød, just north of Copenhagen. There were 22 countries entered, comprising 35 girls and 62 boys. At the same venue and time, 140 elites competed in the MTBO European Championships, including Australian representatives, Alex Randall and Anthony Darr. In the MTB JWOC Sprint the Russian junior women were strong, taking four out of the six podium places. Fastest of all was Svetlana Poverina, who beat Kaisu Yli-Peltola (FIN) by eight seconds. In the men’s class the gold medal went to Czech Republic. Frantisek Bogár had a clear 46-second margin over Finn Antti Vainio. The Middle Distance event saw the Norwegian team gain their first ever medals in MTBO World Championships! Participating for the first time they gained silver in the girl’s race and a bronze in the boy’s. Russia’s Svetlana Poverina again took the gold, while Czech Marek Pospisak improved from his 5th in the Sprint to stand on the top dais this time. In the Long Distance event Austria’s Kevin Haselsberger and the Finn Susanna Laurila were the delighted winners, having both been 4th in the Middle Distance; 2nd place for Kaisu YliPeltola gave her two silvers and a bronze in the individual events. Svetlana Poverina, winner of both the Sprint and Middle Distance had to settle for 4th while Britain’s Emily Benham was again on the podium in 5th. In the Relays Finland and Russia were the dominant nations. In the boy’s Relay Finland #1 had a clear 7min win over Finland #2, with Russia and Austria next. In the girl’s Relay the favoured Russia #1 team won by 6mins from Finland, Russia #2 and the Czech Republic. This saw Svetlana Poverino collect her third gold medal of these Championships. In the European Championships Sprint event Alex Randall finished in 19th place, 2mins 20secs behind the winner Ruslan Gritsan from Russia, and Anthony Darr was 65th. Austria’s Michaela Gigon took out the women’s title. In the Middle Distance, Danish riders won both EOC Championship categories. Rikke Kornvig won the women’s by just 4secs from Finnish star Ingrid Stengard, with Austrian Michi Gigon third. The Danes won two medals in the men’s race, with Erik Skovgaard Knudsen winning in 53min15sec and Lasse Brun Pedersen in 3rd. Times were close so Alex Randall had to settle for 31st , just 6mins down, while Anthony Darr was 75th in 78mins.

The men’s Long Distance event saw Denmark, the host nation, have a sensational result with their six riders finishing in the top-10 of the 82 strong field. They also took the quinella, this time with Lasse Brun Pederson (100mins) having a 2min victory over Erik Skovgaard Knudsen. Denmark’s success was not unexpected as the men won the World Championship Relay last year. Alex Randall finished 24th in 109mins, while Anthony Darr was 68th in 138mins. A look at the splits over the championship indicated that Alex was riding well enough to make the top-10 in several events, but small mistakes are very costly in international fields in MTBO now. Russia’s Nadiya Mikryukova won the women’s Long Distance in 92mins, with Austrian Sonya Zinkl breaking into the medals for the first time in a major international event in 2nd (94 mins) just ahead of her compatriot Michi Gigon. The increasing depth of women’s MTBO was reflected in that 9 nations were represented in the top-10 in this race. The Relay again demonstrated the depth of the Danish men when their #1 team incurred a mispunch but their #2 team came through to win the gold, just 90secs ahead of Estonia, with Russia taking bronze. The women’s event was even closer with Finland prevailing by just 25secs over Austria, and Denmark gained another bronze medal. On the last leg Finland’s Ingrid Stenmark started with a 90sec lead with Austrian champion Michi Gigon chasing hard. Adding to the intrique was that both girls were on exactly the same split. A 60sec mistake by Ingrid going to #19 saw Michi get within sight but she couldn’t bridge the gap, despite taking fastest time for the day.

Czech 5 Days

In Czech Republic in early July, Alex Randall was placed 16th overall out of 81 starters, with day by day results of 56th, 10th, 14th, 12th, 22nd. Anthony Darr had a DNF followed by 61st, 58th, 63rd and 46th. Alex then raced in the Lithuania 3 Day event that included two World ranking events. Estonian Erm Tonis won overall while Alex was 6th overall and also 6th’ and on the podium in the Middle Distance World Ranking Event (WRE). He was then 12th in the Long Distance WRE and a fine 3rd in the second Middle Distance race on Day 3.

Other news

Adrian Jackson raced in the ultra-hard Trans Germany 7 Day stage race in July. This covered 657 rugged kilometres with 15,600 metres of climb! On Day 1 he was 12th out of 180 elite riders, just 6mins down. He had several other top twenty results but also two days beset with mechanicals, so did well to finish 19th overall. His team of Merida Multivan, comprised also a Swiss and two German riders, easily won the best team category.

Ann Scown W50 (ACT)

Viv Prince (NZ) won W50 in the Sprint and Middle races

All photos by Troy Merchant

Rob Prentice (NSW) 2nd M50 in the Long race.

Phil White (NZ) M40

Di Michaels (NZ) dominated W40 Peta Whitford W50 (Vic) Joyce Rowlands (Vic), won Women’s 70+ on each day Bruce Meder (NZ) on his way to M50 victory in the Long race

Tim Jackson M14 (Vic)

Jamie Goddard (Vic) shows how to punch without stopping. Chris Firman M20 (Qld)

Heath Jamison (Vic) put in some great rides to win M20 on each day.

Stuart Lynch (NZ) came 2nd M21E in the Sprint and Middle distance races Anthony Darr (NSW) making short work of the hills with his big 29er wheels World No.1, Adrian Jackson (Vic) suffered a broken chain in the Sprint, but won both of the other races

Marquita Gelderman (NZ) earned maximum World Ranking points after winning all three races

The final control in the Sprint, on the banks of the Glenelg River in Nelson.

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