2009 World MTB Championships

2009 World championships, 4/9/2009, Canberra, Australia.

Croissants, pizza’s, Limoncello and diesel fumes are some of the things I have become accustomed to associate with world MTB Championships over the past 6 years. This year was different, really different. Needless to say there was still an abundance of Swiss flags and cow bells that had managed to sneak over the ocean but for once, we were the main men and women out there in the spotlight.

It’s fair to say, being an aussie out there racing, the atmosphere was electric. Even on the Friday. As the five of us U23 lads warmed up on the trainers we had a huge crowd watching. Kind of unnerving, I focused on the straps of my shoes, averting the eyes of the on lookers. I needed to concentrate, I was about to put my body through the most hurt I could for 6 laps.

Called up 5th to the line was also a buzz and when the gun finally went off it was down to business, quickly. I had lined up on the left hand of the grid, as I knew that would shelter me from the wind for the start straight. I was right but struggled to stay at the front as riders bombed off the front, trying to break things up. I stuck like glue to Burry Stander's wheel, but as the singletrack loomed I got caught up and found myself in about 15th. Not a bad position, but not quite as good as I would have liked. I was in just behind a Belgian rider and soon regretted not beating him into the singletrack. He slowly dropped the wheel and I watched as a big group slipped away into the distance. By the time we hit the fire road, wind beating across, I was not able to close across to the lead group. I found a group for the start of the second lap and burned them on the climb, putting me into no man’s land.

I was now sitting in 12th and riding right on my limit. I was on my own which made the open sections on the course more difficult, but riding at a good tempo which I could control. The crowd yelling my name, cheering me over the steep cardiac climb and down over the ‘hammerhead’. The legs were starting to sear by lap 4 and I put the next two laps out of my head, just looking to finish the one I was on. I was not closing in on 10th place as I sat in 11th and worked with everything I had to get inside the top ten.

I was grovelling by the final lap and just managed to get around the course with reasonable speed. Realising I was not going to close in on a top ten finish I was disappointed but also relieved to cross the line to the best cheer I have had in 6 world championships. It was a race I could be proud of. My preparation over the past month and years could not have been better and the race itself went smoothly. A satisfying feeling to know that I had done everything that could be done and finished in a respectable 11th place. My best result to date.

As I sit here in Kuala Lumpur airport my mind is now focusing on squeezing the best two results out of the coming world cups in Champery and Schladmig. Stay tuned…

Thanks to everyone out there on the hill, my family and friends who travelled from far and wide to push me up the hills with the vocal chords. Thanks to my team mates for a most memorable world championships, one I’ll never forget on home soil.
Thanks to the support for DiscoverTasmania.com sponsors and staff. Thanks to The National Team staff for their hard work over the year and week.
Thanks also to all of my supporters including Castlemaine Cycles, Oakley, The University of Melbourne Sport, Reynolds and the VIS.