Australian National MTB Championships - CN

Canberra, Australia, January 23-26, 2009

Photos

Race 15 - January 26: Downhill: Group A

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

Rhys Willemese on track for a national title.
Jared Graves boosts it through the rock garden.
Bryn Atkinson drifts it into one of the berms.
Rick Boyer has been a consistent performer all season.
Claire Whiteman is a consistent performer on home soil.
Emmeline Ragot is just too strong for her competitors.
Josh Button will have to work hard to retain his top rank.
Jared Graves looks the goods for a double in Canberra.
Cody Eichhorn moves well in practice for the downhill.
Darcy Murrell boosts the rock drop.
Riders love the hip jump.
Kaine Cannan launches off a rock at the top of the course.
Ben Bell bombs down the rock garden.
Emmeline Ragot looks a picture of control.
Jared Graves concentrates in downhill practice.
Shaun O'Connor experiments with lines in practice.
Claire Whiteman takes a conservative line in the downhill practice.
Andrew Blaire tests a new home-made cool suit for recovery.

Race 13 - January 26: Short track: Sport/U19 men

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

Michael Baker on his way to another win in the short track

Race 12 - January 26: Short track: Open women

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

The Torq team prepares for the short track cross country.
Katherine O'Shea was closely watched by Rowena Fry.
Zoe King and Jo Wall dice for position for the whole race.
Jodie Willett is unable to match the speed on the day.
Torq riders dominate the front of the race.
Rowena Fry sets the trap to pounce on Katherine O'Shea.
Rowena Fry punches it out of the back climb.

Race 11 - January 26: Short track: Elite men

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

A commentators job is a hot and dusty affair
The men's start set out at a frenetic pace.
Chris Jongewaard with an empty field behind him.
Sid Taberlay was one of the many riders unable to match Chris Jongewaard's pace.
Dylan Cooper was a powerhouse on his home track.

Race 8 - January 25: Cross country: Elite/U23 men

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

Defending national champion Chris Jongewaard rides consistently as usual, taking the win.
Canberra's Ben Henderson rides a spectacular race, picking up the silver medal.
The world 24 hour solo champion has a dig at the cross country nationals.
Beijing Olympian Daniel McConnell in fifth on his return.
Aiden Lefmann feels the conditions.
The men's start seems relaxed at first.
Dylan Cooper gives it his all on the climbs.
Perren Dellacourt has a crack at the cross country nationals.
A Rockstar racing rider tries the shorter format.
Under 23 racer Lachlan Norris pulls out a win in Canberra.

Images by Dave Bateman Photography / www.davebatemanphoto.com

Defending men's Champion Chris Jongewaard of Adelaide (Avanti) started strongly.
Canberra local Dylan Cooper (Trek) also got off to an aggressive start.
Ben Henderson (Mongoose) puts his Stromlo knowledge to great use.
The field was stacked with past Australian champs, including Tasmanian Sid Taberlay.
The Under 19 men's champion last year Charlton Durie stepped up to the Under 23s with great form.
Paul Traynor of NSW rides for Merida Flight Centre.
Chris Jongewaard built a lead of around two minutes.
Lachlan Norris (TIS) rides Stromlo granite.
Andy Blair of Redshift Racing follows up his top performance in the World Cup with another strong showing.
Veteran of the national scene, Perren Delecour (Yeti/GU), puts in yet another top 10, losing some bark in the process.
Shaun Lewis (Mongoose) had a rough start, rolling through the first tech zone on the rear rim, but later recovered.
Matthew Fleming of NSW (Clarence Street Cyclery) puts in another strong Nationals performance.
Canberra lad James Williamson (Giant) is the World 24 hours champion, and not to shabby at cross country either!
Jason English (GSC/BMC), Australian 24 hour champion, and runner up at the 24 hour worlds, proves adept at cross country.
Matt Potter, of Yeti/Gu, rides the rocks of Stromlo with confidence.
Matt Fleming picks up a bottle in the feed zone late in the race.
Paul VanDerPloeg (TIS), Aiden Lefmann (KOM) and Hamish Elliot (Rockstar Racing) (R to L) have all been Australian cross country reps.
Dan McConnell (TORQ), 2008 Australian Olympian in Beijing, made a late race charge but ended fourth.
Podium left to right, Dan McConnell (4th), Ben Henderson (2nd), Chris Jongewaard (1st), Dylan Cooper (3rd), Sid Taberlay (5th)
Defending Australian Champion Chris Jongewaard is dowsed with champagne by his fellow podium getters.

Race 7 - January 25: Cross country: Elite/U23/U19 women

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

KOM riders warm up before the big effort.
Launceston's Rowena Fry rides a conservative race from back in the field.
TORQ rider Jo Wall rides the best race of her career to finish in second.
Canberra star Rebecca Henderson rides a great race to take the U19 win.
Zoe King looks good on the hammerhead section.
Rowena Fry cramps after crossing the line.
Rowena Fry relaxes during an interview after the race.
Jo Wall thinks of what could have been.
Tory Thomas chases a wheel on the climb.
Rowena Fry over the back of the bike coming into the hammer head.
Nikki Fisher is chased into the hammer head.
Grace Elvin races on her way to taking the U23 title.
Jo Wall had Rowena Fry'ss measure in the third lap of the race.
There was action a plenty in Canberra over the Australia day weekend.
Rowena Fry celebrates her win on her comeback to mountain biking.

Images by Dave Bateman Photography / www.davebatemanphoto.com

Tory Thomas (TORQ) rides the technical downhill in the elite women's race.
Rebecca Henderson (Mongoose) climbs in the U23 women's race.
A TIS rider on of many berms at Stromlo Forest Park.
Eventual women's victor Rowena Fry from Tasmania rides past Stromlo regeneration.
Zoe King (KOM) shows the strain.
Zoe King eventually would finish third.
Rosemary Barnes of Redshift Racing knows Stromlo well.

Race 6 - January 25: Cross country: Veteran/Expert/U19 men

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Images by Dave Bateman Photography / www.davebatemanphoto.com

Michael Baker was dominant in U19 men's race.
James Peacock in the U19 men's race.

Race 5 - January 24: 4X

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Images by Evan Jeffery / www.evanjeffery.com.au

Caroline Buchanan looks forward to a promising future of riding.
The national BMX coach surveys the damage of his riders.
Riders get air in the late summer sun in Canberra.
Leigh Darrell was relegated to the B final with a fall in a semi.
Luke Madill finished fourth in a class field.
Josh Callan heads the charge into the first corner.
Caroline Buchanan dominates on her home track.
Lauren Reynolds finishes second, helped by her BMX background.
Sam Willoughby rides well into second place
Jared Graves leaves his competitors well behind by the final straight.
Graeme Mudd looked the goods with a strong Under 17 win.
Ryan Hunt performed well in the dry dusty conditions in the Under 19 race.
Jared Graves dominated all the motos and heats.
Shaun O'Connor missed the national title despite a strong performance in the four cross.