McInerney and Johnston cinch Port to Port crowns

Well they must have put their thinking caps on as the organisers came up with a great course for 2017. With a fresh start at Swansea Surf Club, the new course would rip up the street behind the beach before diving into the trails and across the golf course.

Also new was wave starts, based on rider's finishing positions the day before. With about 700 riders racing each day, wave starts would be a great inclusion for all the Port to Port stages, to keep the congestion low and the stoke high when the race hits singletrack.

While Brendan Johnston and Kathryn McInerney both had healthy leads coming into the final stage of Port to Port – nothing is ever certain in mountain bike racing. And with 40km ahead on a course jam-packed with singletrack, no one was hanging around to look at their competition.

The field quickly splintered, then came back again, then splintered, being broken up by the tight entrances into trails with some riders baulking, or even crashing.

Although the pace was flat out at the front, the trail quality rode a gentle crescendo all day, with each section being a little better than the last. Lots of grippy yet slidey sandy soil, natural lines and rutted old trails, mixed with flowing turns through the foliage above the beach.

And of course – the beach. Before we entered Glenrock proper we were dumped on the beach into some pretty soft sand. Newcastle has some beautiful beaches, but riding along them isn't everyone's favourite thing. Some liked it, some hated it. There was a hose at the end to flush the sand and saltwarer off if you needed to.

There was also a big hill to climb, and this is where Em Viotto lost contact with McInerney. The front of the men's race had stayed together with the usual likely contenders, but it was still Brendan Johnston who crossed the line first, 30 seconds clear of Ryan Standish, with 'new local' Jason English using his Glenrock knowledge (and big motor) to come in third.

From then, riders of all shapes and sizes crossed the line triumphantly. The park was a sea of colour, bodies lazing on the grass, swapping tales, eating food, drinking beer, and reliving tales of glory or despair.

There were no tales of getting lost on the golf course, or riders not staying neutral in the neutral zone, or of being bailed up by irate locals on bike paths. Port to Port nailed stage 4 this year, and they nailed the whole event. If this type of riding is your jam, you have to put Port to Port in your diary for next year.

Don't miss our full feature on the event in our next issue in July.

Want results? Find them here.