Race Report: Fox Superflow | Stromlo

Fox Superflow successfully delivered in Canberra via new Rocky Trail Async Racing^(TM) Concept

Stromlo has always been one of the brightest gems in the crown of Super Flow racing, but COVID outbreaks and State regulations were looking at relegating that crown to a tin foil hat. That was until some easing restriction from ACT authorities and some amazing support from destination partner Events ACT caught up to the determination and out of the box thinking of Rocky Trail founders Juliane and Martin Wisata. By specifically developing a racing standard with the aim to temporarily adapting the ACT-based the Rocky Trail portfolio of events to Covid-19 regulations, the organisers managed to eliminate gatherings.

The Rocky Trail team spectacularly launched the Rocky Trail Acync Racing(TM) brand, which provided structure, procedure and risk mitigating measures to spectacularly deliver one of the biggest FOX Superflow events ever to be held at Stromlo. Close to 450 athletes participated across nine starting blocks and three days of competition to spread out the field.

“A huge thank you to our racers, sponsors and supporters for going through thick and thin with us! Our biggest reward is to see those big smiles out on the race tracks!”

Martin Wisata

Rocky Trail’s Race Director Wisata said that the year had been very challenging, “We have an amazing crew who works with us behind the scenes to deliver the events in these times. I must thank also our amazing destination partners. The management team of Stromlo Forest Park have been so supporting and the team at Access Canberra and Events ACT – they made sure we received all the newly introduced permits on time for the weekend. It was very hectic, but with their help we got it done.”

As one of the first events back on in Canberra during the Covid-19 recovery, the event and amended format had been a huge success he added,

“As event organisers we know we can support tourism destinations to get back on their feet and last weekend we have shown we can do it, we can and we are delivering safe and tight events even under the most challenging circumstances.”

Top five female podiums for Canberra

In the women’s it was a battle of the local Elite with the top five places all filled with regular Stromlo riders. Georgina von Marburg from Shimano pushed into fifth with a total time of 8:26.5 only 3 seconds behind local gravity powerhouse and super mum Claire Whiteman with an 8:23.4. Cara Paton also a super mum had to battle for the bottom step of the podium with a 8:17.4 behind local world class XC rider Zoe Cuthbert setting a very impressive 8:01.5 to be in second. But no one could take it away from current world class gravity racer Sian A’Hern who’s time of 7:53.3 was convincing.

Sian A’Hern was excited to slap a Rocky Trail race plate,

“So good to get out racing again after what has felt like the longest off season ever!”

Sian A’Hern about her race day

She had been “pedalling into the wind” on race day and had hoped all weekend that her times would hold up until the Monday. “How good are bikes? Stoked on first place at Rocky Trail’s Fox Superflow”, she posted on her socials when the final result was confirmed.

In the NSW/ACT series points classification in Elite Women, Zoe Cuthbert now leads ahead of Georgina von Marburg and Maeve Kennedy.

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Fox Superflow draws in Australia’s male enduro Elite

There are not many benefits of the COVID pandemic, and most are hard to find, but one that stands out is the quality of the Elite field at a FOX Superflow in September in Australia. Accounting for one 10th of the field, the Elite category was stacked with world class riders at Stromlo. Many said that they were having a COVID sabbatical year off from the international scene. As an example, kept out of the top 5 were names like Joel Willis, and Daniel Bender.

Taking fifth perennial pinner and local legend Tom Crimmins stuck a 7:09.4 just behind FOX Superflow favourite Jake Newell from the Central Coast who took fourth in 7:07.9. Interesting statistic: three out of three of the podium winners raced on Saturday in a blast of winter weather. The track was wet and it seemed fast.

Third place went to Tim Eaton riding for Commencal; he set a time of 7:03.0. Second by just 2/10 of a second went to World Cup regular Jackson Frew and KONA factory team rider in a 7:02.8. But in a breakout year and first year stepping up to Elite, young gun from central NSW, Ryan Gilchrist was very impressive, winning by nearly 3 second with a 7:00:1.

Ryan, after coming second to Jack Moir in the last FOX Superflow #2 at Jolly Nose and with Jack one of very few racers overseas getting podiums on the Enduro World Series right now, this has have placed Ryan right at the top of the series points in fourth. Certainly, the weekend’s result marks him as one to look at in the future on the world scene.

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Overall in the Elite Men’s NSW/ACT series classification, Jake Newell leads after three events in 2020 ahead of Jack Moir and Ethan Corney.

Gravity Juniors excel at Stromlo

Sensationally, young U19’s racers Cooper Lowe from South Sydney pushed into sixth outright on the Sunday with 7:09.9, just half a second behind Crimmins. We’ve known this junior athlete for years and how amazing how his performance is growing from strength to strength these last few years. In the U19 women’s, Tess Buckley from Wagga Wagga won in 8:41.9.

The Fox Superflow events have been drawing in huge junior crowds – at the Stromlo event well over one third of the field was under 19 years old. The largest race category were the under 17’s boys with 67 competitors followed by the under 15’s boys with 46 racers. The U13’s racers shone bright at Stromlo in the cool Spring conditions – local juniors Chloe Pragt won the female category in 10:41.3 and Angust Richardson spectacularly won the men’s, placing 26th in the entire outright field in 8:20.1!

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The event has become equally popular with the “master racers”, competitors over 40 years accounted for one quarter of the racing field.

The next Fox Superflow race will take place at the Central Coast’s Ourimbah State Forest later this month.

Virtual Podium Celebration

Thank you from Rocky Trail

Results

Podium getters 2020

1 2534 Ryan Gilchrist Elite Bonville 7:00.1
2 652 Jackson Frew Elite Gowrie 7:02.8
3 595 Tim Eaton Elite Canberra 7:03.0

1 586 Sian Ahern Elite Queanbeyan 7:53.3
2 2503 Zoe Cuthbert Elite Watson 8:01.5
3 769 Cara Paton Elite Kambah 8:17.4

1 2536 Cooper Lowe Junior U19 Engadine 7:09.9
2 737 Josh Arcus Junior U19 Ermington 7:24.2
3 714 Jasper McIntosh Junior U19 Waramanga 7:28.4

1 947 Tess Buckley Junior U19 Female Wagga Wagga 8:41.9
2 734 Ashleigh Weinert Junior U19 Female Kearns 8:56.3
3 763 Emily O’Brien Junior U19 Female Gordon 10:52.7

1 617 Jack Mcfarlane Expert (19+) Throsby 7:25.6
2 2508 Angel William Expert (19+) Sutherland 7:33.3
3 554 Lawson Shields Expert (19+) North Rothbury 7:40.3

1 787 Rebecca Bailey Expert Female (19+) Windang 10:02.8
2 589 Sally Cook Expert Female (19+) Canberra 10:12.0
3 865 Hannah Minehan Expert Female (19+) Wollongong 10:36.2

1 704 Tom Greaves Junior U17 Canberra 7:29.0
2 2529 Taj Carter-Smith Junior U17 Narellan 7:32.8
3 818 Wilkin Payens Junior U17 Faulconbridge 7:37.1

1 813 Connor Mielke Junior U17 Female Engadine 8:52.7
2 852 Maizy Evans Junior U17 Female Moss Vale 9:21.8
3 655 Alix Luckman Junior U17 Female Basin View 9:49.6

1 2562 Tom Jenkins Junior U15 Port Macquarie 7:51.4
2 2573 Alex Lord Junior U15 Beacon Hill 7:54.2
3 755 Nick Kennedy Junior U15 Port Macquarie 7:58.0

1 2527 Dana Martin Junior U15 Female Jerrabomberra 10:47.6

1 822 Angus Richardson Junior U13 Narrabundah 8:20.1
2 2522 Byron Best Junior U13 Nth Turramurra 8:42.7
3 569 Harper Nelmes Junior U13 Kotara 8:44.5

1 914 Chloe Pragt Junior U13 Female Coombs 10:41.3
2 2523 Butcher Indi Junior U13 Female Allambie Hts 15:14.0

1 946 Jake Devries Veteran (30+) Port Macquarie 7:26.3
2 878 Daniel Smith Veteran (30+) Berowra 7:42.3
3 559 Marc Williams Veteran (30+) Isabella Plains 7:44.8

1 608 Carissa Kirkpattman Veteran Female(30+) Kambah 9:02.2
2 798 Alison Frendin Veteran Female(30+) Ingleside 9:14.9
3 637 Leonie Wohl Veteran Female(30+) Coombs 10:05.0

1 920 Daniel Segeri Master (40+) FLYNN 7:32.7
2 575 Deane Rogers Master (40+) Farrer 7:33.8
3 2539 Mark Kemper Master (40+) SthTurramurra 7:46.3

1 817 Kathryn Passalis Master Female(40+) Duffy 8:45.5
2 613 Sarah Lewis Master Female(40+) Shoalhaven Hds 10:33.4
3 723 Amanda Porter Master Female(40+) Heathcote 11:25.7

1 884 Nicholas Bates SuperMaster (50+) Farrer 7:48.5
2 2545 Adam Beashel SuperMaster (50+) Balcolyn 7:50.3
3 738 Mark Baker SuperMaster (50+) Grose Vale 8:08.6

1 605 Michelle Inglis SuperMaster Female(50+) Watson 9:11.1
2 2548 Tara Sutherland SuperMaster Female(50+) Watson 10:00.6
3 2565 Celia Lewis SuperMaster Female(50+) Woronora Hts 11:19.9

1 2515 Brett Ryan GrandMaster (60+) FORESTVILLE 9:54.1
2 682 Ross Winley GrandMaster (60+) Appin 10:19.4

1 2519 Guy Petersen Hardtail Teralba 8:04.4
2 580 Glen Stretton Hardtail Stirling 8:31.7
3 687 Ben Porter Hardtail Heathcote 9:05.4

1 119 Joel Ryan e-Bike Cook 7:24.2
2 888 Lloyd Campbell e-Bike Cooma 7:41.4
3 886 Gareth Blom e-Bike Canberra 7:45.5

1 887 Alli Campbell e-Bike Orange 11:15.9
2 916 Tara Robertson e-Bike Orange 12:54.7
3 735 Tammy Weinert e-Bike Kearns 13:52.0

Photos: OuterImage.com.au

Race photos from the Fox Superflow in Stromlo are ow online! They are included in the entry with thanks to Fox Australia, Stan’s NoTubes and Events ACT with Visit Canberra, so download them now!