by Race Director Bob Morris
Over 250 mountain bikers competed in a four and seven our race at the Daisy Hill MTB Trails on 1 August, supported by the Logan City Council. The organisers of the event were Rocky Trail Entertainment who launched their popular cross-country racing concepts in Queensland. Having run races across NSW and the ACT since 2008 the privately owned business has established a local team – Jo Parker and Bob Morris have been leading the charge and whilst many aspects of the race had to be reviewed, adapted and temporarily changed local and visiting riders embraced the day’s racing.
In the following, Race Director Bob Morris provides a Race Report:
Wow what a weekend! So great to be back delivering high quality XC events again and for the first time with Rocky Trail Entertainment in Queensland. What I enjoyed most was catching up with racers and racing families who we have been friends with for many years.
Bob Morris
Young athletes stand out in the 4-hour competition
Cameron Wright is one of the finest athletes in our sport and he proved he can still race at the highest level whilst still remaining one of the nicest and most down to earth young humans you can meet. He took out the 4hr Solo Male ahead of the 18yo Brayden Martin and the ever fast former QLD champion and Australian Team rider Nick Peddler.
Dusty day out at Daisy Hill with Rocky Trail Entertainment for the Shimano MTB GP 4 hour! Stocked to nab the win after a long tussle with Nick Pedler and Brayden Martin! Good to finally get the racing legs going on the MTB again!
Cameron Wright
It is always great to watch Holly Lubke race. She has endurance and power beyond her years. She took out the 4hr Solo Female ahead of Grace Brunton-Makeham and Sharon Heap. Sharon said it was great to get back to hard racing and dusty again after COVID had cancelled many events she’d planned to race in.
Had lots of fun and left it all out there to take the win with 10 laps! Thanks to all of the organisers and volunteers for a great event.
Holly Lubke
Alexandria Larssen in the female pairs was one of the fastest females lapping and at 13yo makes her one to watch in the future as she teamed up with her coach Donna Dall to take the 4hr Team Female event.
Two exceptional young men and great riders Caleb Dodd (17yo) and Sanden Carpenter (15yo) teamed up to take the win in the 4hr Team Male.
Caleb’s Brother Joel Dodd (2020 U17 XCO National Champ) and Hayley Oates (2020 U17 XCO National Champ) paired to win the 4hr Team Mixed.
Highlights from the 7-hour competition
Solo 7hr Male race was a brutal affair ultimately taken out by Alwyn Miller who stated his goal this year if to beat Jason English in a Shimano GP 7hr and with the form he has shown you would be a fool to bet against this happening. Alwyn’s 17 laps represent 131 kms and the only other rider to complete that much was Max Hobson who at only 18 years old looks to be a great prospect for the future.
Had a really great race up at the Shimano MTB GP Logan QLD 2020! […] Pretty loose & rocky track so i had my tyres a bit lower than normal, which seemed to pay off. No flats and only 1 crash for the day. There was no major steep climbs but enough elevation to tax the legs over 7hrs. Roughly 130kms / 2110m of climbing. Managed to get overall fastest solo of the day in every category and put 20 minutes into the next second place (18-29 year old) so I’m pretty happy with how I rode. The long hours on the bike are paying off.
Alwyn Miller
Michelle Newstead took the win in the small but competitive Solo 7hr Female category only 4minutes ahead of Michelle Woods.
Bobby Blinco and Cameron Holling from GIANT Nerang paired to set the most laps of any entry with 19 including one of the fastest of the day in the last lap at 22 minutes. Cameron stating the track was so good and so well built that it was running as fast at the end of the day as at the start of the race and with little traffic he could smash himself with no thought of another lap.
Local support helps showcase Logan Region
Former Logan resident Robbie McEwen, three time winner of the Tour de France points classification event and an athlete on Logan’s Wall of Acclaim, was also there talking to riders at the start of the event and leading the pack off the start-line. Returning to the trails he grew up on riding his BMX now to compete on a mountain bike, he summed up the “Race, Stay & Play” theme of the event perfectly,
Awesome weekend teaming up with my son Ewan for the Logan GP 4hr & my daughter Claudia doing her first MTB race on Saturday, then a long lunch w/ great friends on Sunday to put back in 3 times as many calories as I burned on Saturday.
Robbie McEwen
The Logan City Council supported the event and the local RATS Cycling Club and Daisy Hill Trail Care Groups assisted in the race lead up, proudly showcasing the popular trail network to local and visiting riders.
Logan City Council’s City Lifestyle Committee Chairperson Councillor Laurie Koranski said it had been great to see riders of all abilities from the elite through to novices taking part.
“Logan City Council is delighted to have hosted the Shimano MTB GP on Saturday, August 1, at our Daisy Hill mountain bike trails.
Logan City Councillor Laurie Koranski
“Council would like to thank everyone involved in successfully running the first cross country mountain bike event at Daisy Hill.
“We look forward to hosting more events and seeing riders returning to enjoy these superb tracks and hopefully others visiting Daisy Hill for the first time.”
Links:
Photos: OuterImage.com.au
Photos may be used in print and online with photo credits for coverage of Rocky Trail events or news only. Contact Juliane Wisata, Marketing Director, for further information.
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