Ivory and Sheppard lead the National XCO Series
The National XCO Series kicked off in Orange this weekend, with strong elite fields battling in Kinross Forest.
The MTBA National XCO Series started with a bang in Orange this weekend. For the 2017/2018 season, Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA – now a recognised sports organisation) have put on 4 event weekends, with two rounds each, plus the National Championships in Armidale.
So with two rounds of UCI C3 racing on offer, the start lists for the first two rounds in Orange looked likely to fill out – and they did. With only a few abscences from the elite start lists due to innjury or season timing, this looked to be one of the healthiest starts to the National Series in years.
We took a look at the Specialized Epic S-Works that Samara Sheppard was racing.
The races were held at Kinross Forest, on the outskirts of Orange. The trails are traditional pine forest. Lots of sweeping corners, some rock or log rollovers, and plenty of roots. With a lot of a rain the week prior, the trails had settled really well but the weekend would a a story of dust more than hero dirt.
Saturday – form check
For many, Saturday was the first real chance they would have for this season to see how their form was going compared to their competition. There have been state rounds, Cape to Cape, road tours and more for comparisons – but for the majority of riders it's not until they line up in an Olympic Cross-Country race with an elite field that they really know where they stand.
Elite women were first to hit the dirt and New Zealander Samara Sheppard (who we are likely to claim as our own if soon enough if she keeps on living here) and Holly Harris were quick to move away from the field.
In time it was Samara Sheppard who edged away from Harris, with Kathryn McInerney in 3rd. Although in the U19 women's race (starting at the same time) Zoe Cuthbert was holding 3rd on the track – although her race is also shorter it's a great sign of elite talent lying in wait.
The twisty and lumpy pine forest course took its toll and the gap from Sheppards to Harris increased, with Sheppard taking victory, Harris 2nd, McInernery 3rd, Imogen Smith 4th and Em Parkes in 5th. Full results are online.
The elite men's race was held in the heat of the day at 2:30pm, and with a strong field of elite men and Junior men starting just behind them, the course was a cloud of dust.
Ben Bradley was first to the front but in time it was Cam Ivory who piloted his bike to the front of the race and didn't look back. With a lead that he worked to increase each lap, the only thing changing was the positions behind from the 2nd lap.
With Bradley in 2nd it was Tasman Nankervis in 3rd, with brother Russ ending up in 4th after Michael Harris had a crash. Ben Henderson moved into 5th. Full results are online.
Round two – Sunday
There's a certain skill in racing a double-header weekend. Some riders race better with a bit of hurt in their legs, and certainly the more experienced racers tend to do well in the 2nd day, with a better understanding of their body and what they need for recovery and warm ups.
In a sense, the results on Sunday reflected what people expected. The best still won, but just behind there was a bit of a shuffle.
The course for Sunday had much of the same start as the one for Saturday, but moved to a climb further out in the forest that weaved it's way through the pines and through fallen trees to get to the top of a ridge before a steep descent down, reminiscent of older trails in Bright, in part from the straight lines and sharp corners, and also the dust that developed with racing.
The same descent into the finish remained, popular with riders and spectators alike.
With the elite women off first, this time it was Holly Harris who grabbed the race by the horns, leading after the start loop and the first lap and the second lap. But then it was Samara Sheppard who moved into the lead again.
The order for the top 5 fell into the same pattern as Saturday, with Harris 2nd, then Kathryn McInerney 3rd, closely followed by Imogen Smith and then Em Parkes. Full results are online.
In the Elite men, people wondered could Cam Ivory back up? Anyone who knows Cam and how he races would understand that yes, he can. But it wasn't without a fight from Ben Bradley.
The latter laps really brought out the results as while Cam setlled into the lead, riders like the Nankervis brothers, Michael Harris, Andrew Blair and Sebastian Jayne worked their way through the field.
In the end Cam took the win again with Bradley in 2nd. Tasman Nankervis was 3rd with Michael Harris in 4th and Russ Nankervis in 5th. You can find the full results online.
The next two rounds head to Nerang, QLD on 13/14 January. They'll also be a test event for the Commonwealth Games, and one round is a key selection race for the Australian team for Commonwealth Games too – it's all to play for!
