Tupalski and Blair take Port to Port lead
Now in its second year, the Port to Port MTB race has just started north of Sydney. Mark Tupalski has shown his cards on stage one.
As the sun shone down on the tranquil Nelson Bay Marina, 200 riders from all over Australia gathered for the first stage of the second annual Port to Port MTB.
Kicking off the 34km race, riders rolled out of Nelson Bay Marina before an uphill tarmac sprint to the approaching first single track. A series of short steep climbs and the rutted Box Beach descent was followed by another tricky climb to Fingal Bay.
It was here that TORQ Merida Team Riders Mark Tupalski and Liam Jeffries and Trek Racing Australia’s Peter Hatton broke ahead of the pack. With his eyes focused ahead, the 2014 Port to Port MTB champion Andy Blair kept a close hold of the 3 leaders, followed closely by a big bunch.
As they entered Tomaree National Park, they hit a fast firm firetrail through to Gan Gan Road before the three dreaded steep and loose shale climbs of Three Bears.
“Those things we’re brutal,” recalls stage winner Mark Tupalski, “there was just no traction.”
As the lead pack split over these three testing climbs, Peter Hatton tried to hold on to Mark Tupalski but had to sit back a bit and recover.
“This is when Andy came across and I really had to dig deep for a while to hold off his wheel,” Hatton said.
The course then doubled back to take in a mixture of trails towards Fingal Bay, headed down a fast smooth run, followed by a final rough and rooty descent down Government Hill. It was here that Peter Hatton attacked Andy Blair and got away. Upon reflection, Blair was glad Hatton challenged him.
“My time would have been slower and the gap between us and Tupac (Mark Tupalski) is less because of his attack,” he said.
Popping out of Tomaree National Park with only 4km to go, the pack crossed town and then darted through a twisty maze of singletrack in Fly Point Park. Tupalski kept the pace and after a final quick sprint along Victoria Parade finished a full one minute and three seconds ahead of Peter Hatton and Andy Blair respectively.
After claiming the Cross Country Marathon Championship earlier this month, Jenny Blair was tested by 4Shaw Deuce rider Rebecca Locke in the women’s race.
Jenny Blair Powers Her Way To Another Win (Photo Credit: Gilbert Romane GiRo – Photo)Jenny Blair, who also won the Port to Port MTB last year, praised Locke’s riding. “She was just unbelievable today,” she said, “she just kept me on my wheel.”
After crossing the finish line only a wheel behind Jenny Blair, Rebecca Locke looks ahead at the next three days, “the telling sign will be how we back it up now,” she said.
The second stage tomorrow begins at the famed Lindemans Estate, finishing at Briar Ridge Winery in the Hunter Valley.
