Brosnan and Hannah Win Downhill Gold in Bright at the Subaru Australian Mountain Bike Championships

Troy Brosnan (SA) and Tracey Hannah (QLD) are the 2014 National Downhill champions after a day of spectacular action at the Subaru Australian Mountain Bike Championships in Bright, VIC.

Racing on the final day of the Championships took place in the Downhill and Cross Country Eliminator disciplines.

In Downhill, the star-studded Elite Men’s field was headlined by two of our best riders over the last decade, Mick Hannah (QLD) and Brosnan.

World championship medalist Mick Hannah (QLD) was the fastest rider in Saturday seeding. Young gun, former dual junior world champion Troy Brosnan had severe mechanical issues with his bike on seeding day. Instead of starting in his customary position with the fastest riders at the end of the field, he would start first.

Brosnan set the weekend’s fastest run with a 3:42.90, leaving the field to chase his time. He summed up how to ride in Bright “I made a couple of mistakes but I didn’t really lose too much time, in the end on a track like this you have to make mistakes to go fast”.

As widely predicted, Brosnan would sit in the Subaru hotseat for a long time, making it a long and nervous wait to see if his time would hold up.

Hannah came down the hill last, but it wasn’t to be his day. “I felt like I was having a really good run and just had a little mistake. I started to lose the front a bit and couldn’t get my foot out in time and hit the ground, getting tangled up in the trees and tape.”. He would go on to place 5th.

It was clear before Hannah finished that Brosnan was the Elite National Champion for the second time, 2012 being his first Elite title.

“It feels amazing to win, my run was smooth, fast, I was feeling fit and strong” said Brosnan. He has high goals for 2014. “I definitely want to get in a World Cup win this year, there are a few tracks that I know I can win on”.

Connor Fearon (SA) has been racing with Troy since juniors, and he would ultimately come the closest to Brosnan today with a 3:45.14. Jack Moir (SA) took 3rd and Todd Madsen (WA) finished 4th.

Under 19s action saw Andrew Crimmins (NSW) took the win from Aiden Varley (VIC) and Max Warshawsky (QLD).

“It’s great to be national champion, it’s my first year in U19s so it’s a bit different stepping up” exclaimed Crimmins.In the Elite Women’s racing, there was a stunning field, and then there was Tracey Hannah (QLD).

Hannah today won her sixth national championship, with the last three being consecutive. Hannah was last rider down the hill and blitzed the field by phenomenal 35.91s recording a sensation time of 4:22.44.

“It feels good for the first serious race of my season to come away with the win, and to be able to wear the Aussie flag on my sleeve for another year overseas is the best” said a proud Hannah.

It’s been a tough few years for Hannah with injuries since returning to the sport in 2011. “Coming back from a few seasons of injury I’d just like to get through the whole season and hopefully get some pretty good results the World Cups”.

Emma McNaughton (NSW) won the silver and Shelly Flood (SA) took the bronze.

In the Under 19s racing the Women’s National Champion is Tegan Molloy (NSW). “It’s pretty special to win, I didn’t really have the best run but I’m still happy to come away with the win and ride such a fun track all weekend”.

Cross Country Eliminator

Jared Graves (QLD) and Peta Mullens (VIC) are the newly crowned Australian Cross Country Eliminator Champions.

The Cross Country Eliminator race format sees riders complete a timed run for seeding, and then 4 riders race against one another on a short course over a variety of terrains. From each heat 2 riders proceed to the next round, and the other 2 are eliminated.

Australia celebrated its first World Champion in the discipline with local Mount Beauty rider Paul Van Der Ploeg winning in South Africa. Recovering from shoulder surgery, the popular Van Der Ploeg was on site and provided expert commentary on racing action.

The Elite Women’s final included short course legend Rowena Fry (TAS), 2013 Cross Country National Champion Peta Mullens (VIC), 2013 Marathon winner Jenny Fay (NSW) and newly-crowned U19 Cross Country winner Holly Harris (ACT).

Racing was fast and furious, and Fry lead riders out onto course, but the real action was in the final straight. Fry and Parkes led the group, and a battle ensued between the two.

Mullens showed her road form and put the power down in an outside move to outsprint Fry and Parkes and take the win. Fry would finish second by half a bike length and Parkes took third.

Mullens was almost shocked. “It was a little bit of a surprise, not my main focus for the weekend but I came with some pretty good form and a little bit of tarmac helped me get across the line.”

The Elite Men’s XCE was the very much ‘the Jared Graves show’. Graves has excelled in every off-road cycling discipline, including being a BMX Olympian and a Four-cross World Champion.

Graves sprinted hard from the start and entertained the large crowd with his enduro pre-season power. He won convincingly from a talented field including newly-crowned Cross Country Champion McConnell (VIC) who would place second and Subaru National Series Eliminator Champion Cameron Ivory (NSW) who rounded out the top 3.

“The discipline suits me pretty well after spending years as a sprinter, I’m always happy to get a win”. Graves was impressed by the location. “It’s a great area here in Bright and I’d love to come back here on a holiday”.

Russ Baker AM, President of Mountain Bike Australia, the organisation delivering the championships, reflected on the event. “It’s been a very successful national championship with great racing, amazing courses and the perfect host town. Today saw high speed action in both the eliminator and downhill where Australia’s best athletes excited the crowd at Bright.”

President of hosts the Alpine Cycling Club Aaron Smith was happy with the Championships. “It’s been great for the town to have some of Australia’s best athletes racing and excellent to see some locals on the national podium”.

Racing continues tomorrow in the add-on marathon mountain bike event – the first Round of the Real Insurance XCM series where riders will ride 1, 2 or 3 laps of an approximately 26 kilometre course.

Entries are available on the morning and spectators are welcome free

http://mtb.subaru.com.au/national-championships/

All photos Copyright: Tim Bardsley-Smith