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Merida 24 hour - NE

Kooralbyn, Queensland, Australia, April 22-23, 2006

Results 

Melbourne courier Andrew Bell delivers victory at Merida 24 Hour

By John Michael Flynn at Kooralbyn, Queensland Australia

Andrew Bell
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

Melbourne bicycle courier Andrew Bell has emerged as Australian endurance mountain biking's 'man of the moment' with a stunning victory in the Merida 24 Hour at Kooralbyn in Queensland.

In what could only be described as one of the most impressive rides yet seen in a 24 hour cross-country endurance event on Australian soil, Bell completed forty laps of the demanding 10 kilometre Kooralbyn circuit, amassing a grand total of 400 kilometres in the saddle.

The 31 year old Victorian's monumental effort proved a fitting climax to the largest 24 hour mountain bike event ever staged in Queensland. Bell's lap tally ranked higher than many of the four and six member teams in the field of 450 riders.

"I had to dig deep, I was ready to stop about six hours ago," an emotional Bell told Cyclingnews at race end.

"The last four laps I thought 'bugger it I'm not stopping, I'm just going to go through and see what the body can do' and it held up.

"It hurt a lot, a hell of a lot."

A perfect day for racing

Riding under lights
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

Set amid the backdrop of South-East Queensland's spectacular Scenic Rim, Kooralbyn turned on perfect weather conditions for the Merida 24 Hour, with the race beginning at midday Saturday and finishing at midday on Sunday.

The ten kilometre circuit took riders on a journey through open eucalypt forest and grass tree country, featuring undulating single trail, moderate climbs and enough technical riding and switchbacks to keep riders wanting to come back for more.

That was certainly the case for Victoria's Andrew Bell, whose description of the course as "phenomenal with lots of rolling hills" was mirrored by many fellow competitors.

The name 'Andrew Bell' is now very much a talking point among Australia's endurance mountain bike community, following back to back wins at the NZO 24 hour, and now the Merida 24 Hour, within the space of a few weeks.

In a sense it was just another day (or two) at the office for the father of two, whose wife and kids were awaiting him at the finish line.

"I'm training for Mont [the famed Mont Canberra 24 hour in October] and I thought this is the best way to do it, go out there and just get my ass off the seat and ride my bike," Bell said of the Kooralbyn game-plan.

"I work as a bike courier so I spend nine hours a day on the bike, regardless."

Praise for Bell's efforts came from every corner of the picturesque Kooralbyn circuit, but none could have been more credible than that levelled at the Victorian from his main rival in the Merida 24 Hour.

Mount Barney
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

Queensland's Ross Uhlmann, who was stepping up to the 24 hour solo discipline for the first time, finished nine laps in arrears of the solo race winner after being burdened with a knee injury.

"I Finished second, proudly second, because I wasn't going to touch Andrew," Uhlmann said in tribute to the solo race winner.

"He did stuff I didn't believe was possible. His final lap was as fast as my first or second lap, the man's a legend."

Fellows backs up for two-man team win

Another of the form riders in Australian endurance mountain biking, Queensland's Andrew Fellows backed up from his podium performance at the recent CORC Solo 24 Hour event, to win the two man teams category at the Merida 24 hour.

Fellows teamed up with fellow Queenslander Lynton Byrne and set the foundation for an aggressive race with a blistering opening lap.

"We got off to a cracking start because Andy came equal second after the first lap, got us in a good position," Byrne told Cyclingnews at the race presentation.

Ross Uhlmann
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

Working to a game plan, the duo quickly established a one lap lead, which increased when darkness fell over Queensland's spectacular scenic rim.

"At Eight O'clock (in the evening) we had two laps on second, next thing we had six laps up," Byrne said. You've just to be out there doing it (lapping).

Gold Coasters win race outright

The future of Australian mountain biking was very much on show at the Merida 24 hour, and none more so than in the six man teams event, which produced the outright race winners.

Gold Coast team 'Dirty Mongrels', led by one of the terminally defiant hard-men of cross-country racing in champion masters competitor Brett Stevens, relied heavily on its younger recruits, including emerging downhill and cross country talent Daniel Hallam, to set a fast pace through both day and night.

A cracking pace
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

"Oh there's only one race strategy, you've gotta come out real hard and demoralize them," Stevens said of what turned out to be a perfect race plan.

The Gold Coasters led from start finish, with Hallam setting a sizzling pace on the first of his team's 51 laps of the Kooralbyn circuit.

"Yeah it's a really good feeling," Hallam said of his 24 hour race experience.

"We worked hard just putting in the consistent laps and going like a bat out of hell every lap."

Second overall at the Merida 24 Hour and winner of the four man team's category, the Race Elements outfit also featured a smattering of Queensland and Australia's best young mountain bikers including national champion James Maltman, Ryan Gittins and Andre Wilcher.

Race Elements (50 laps) finished just one lap behind the Gold Coast team in the final tally.

Team captain Simon Frederiksen admitted his toughest task was ensuring riders (Maltman in particular) were awake when it was time to hit the trail.

Brett Stevens
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image)

"Just consistency I think and giving this guy (Maltman) about four calls every time we needed him up to do a lap," Frederiksen joked post-race. The Race Elements team also impressed with Queensland's largest 24 hour event to date.

"Yeah amazing, like we've raced at Mont and I'd compare the track as interesting as Mont," Maltman said. "To have 480-odd people here is amazing, especially for Queensland."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com

Results

Solo men                                  laps  time
 
1 Andrew Bell                               40  24.35.57
2 Ross Uhlmann                              31  22.29.47
3 Shane Russell                             28  23.48.55
4 Greig Smart                               23  23.51.45
5 Allan Ferris                              23  23.57.15
6 Martin Comer                              21  23.32.11
7 Ben Madden                                20  23.21.05
8 Brad Poidevin                             20  23.58.49
9 Hayden Lester                             18  24.00.28
10 Bob Crawford                             18  24.03.24
11 Ian Moore                                17  24.02.50
12 Mad Mike Zande                           16  12.15.05
13 Michael Walsh                            16  21.29.19
14 Carlos Steenland                         16  23.11.10
15 Wayne Holloway                           16  23.21.10
16 Ryan Hawson                              16  23.28.13
17 Vang Nguyen                              15  22.57.23
18 David Wilson                             15  24.23.19
19 Dillon Price                             14  24.17.13
20 Noel Kerger                              14  24.22.20
21 Kris Bust                                13  22.35.58
22 Vaughan Caseley                          12  18.42.14
23 Pierre Lee                               12  24.04.32
24 Brendan Walker                           10  23.18.17
25 Dan Lewis                                 8  20.09.40
26 Gerard Corbett                            8  22.45.57
27 Paul Wesener                              5   4.52.40
28 Rod Field                                 4   2.33.05
29 John Flynn                                1   1.08.10
 
Solo women
 
1 Wendy Jones                               18  23.11.21
2 Tanya Britton                             14  23.09.57
3 Tamyka Bell                               12  22.53.46
 
2 Open
 
1 Vicious Power                             44  24.15.39
2 Sprocket Rockets                          36  24.09.32
3 TC's Wanna2b's                            30  24.03.58
4 MTB Dirt "What The"                       29  24.02.52
5 Insert Witty Team Name Here               23  24.01.47
6 Green Ham & Eggs                          20  22.59.00
7 Entropic                                  16  23.25.38
8 MTB Dirt Samples                          10  21.50.40
9 Nite Rider                                 1   3.28.08
 
Buff 2 Women
 
1 Hard & Soft                               14  23.51.56
 
4 Open
 
1 Race Elements                             50  24.16.49
2 Fat Bastards                              49  24.25.06
3 Anaconda A Team                           45  23.58.28
4 Cycle City Spinners                       44  24.18.16
5 NRG                                       43  23.58.30
6 Redback Cycles                            42  24.06.02
7 Bicycle Riders                            41  24.29.19
8 Anaconda B Team                           40  23.28.47
9 Slippery Roots                            40  24.11.16
10 Team FBR (Fat Boy Racing)                40  24.23.00
11 Wrinkles                                 39  24.09.37
12 Still Entropic                           39  24.33.49
13 MTB Dirt Knuckleheads                    38  24.00.03
14 The 4 Discycles                          36  24.00.41
15 2 + 2                                    36  24.17.53
16 Team Liquid Chicken                      36  24.41.21
17 MTB Dirt De Castella's                   35  23.51.30
18 Team Discovery Channel                   34  24.00.21
19 Lights Out                               33  24.02.24
20 The Hairy Goats                          28  23.39.03
21 Rawhides                                 28  24.10.17
22 Team Mud, Sweat & Gears                  27  21.41.03
23 Chuckleheads                             27  24.12.46
24 Saddle Sore                              22  23.02.43
25 Trycycles                                21  22.56.57
 
4 Women
 
1 TC's Girls                                41  24.13.13
2 NRG Girls                                 37  23.57.39
 
4 Mixed
 
1 Very Last Minute                          42  24.11.43
2 Three Feeneys & A Phanny                  41  24.07.20
3 Little Red Engine                         38  24.27.01
4 Netti Corpnet XC Racing                   33  22.29.40
5 Anaconda Dirt Virgins                     29  22.59.07
6 Midnight Maniacs                          29  23.47.17
7 Mayhem 2                                  29  23.47.55
8 Super Shakti                              25  24.21.23
9 Team Virgin                               16  23.46.18
10 Little Red Caboose                       16  24.11.46
 
6 Open
 
1 Dirty Mongrels                            51  24.08.10
2 MTB Dirt Astrovisual                      49  24.21.33
3 Merida/Stem Chewen Roadies                47  24.09.34
4 Team Raceface                             46  24.05.58
5 Crazy Nomads                              44  24.00.08
6 Once Were Couriers                        44  24.25.10
7 TC's Top Cats                             44  24.33.50
8 MTB Dirt Ventana                          43  24.12.47
9 Mountain Roosters                         43  24.30.21
10 The Muppets                              42  24.14.16
11 MTB Dirt Crocs                           42  24.16.51
12 MTB Dirt Unconfirmeds                    39  24.25.59
13 The Ring Busters                         39  24.41.51
14 Dirt Slaves 1                            38  24.09.40
15 MTB DIRTy Rotten Scoundrels              38  24.41.03
16 Daggs Inc                                37  24.00.05
17 Team Sram                                37  24.00.06
18 Bushrangers # 2                          37  24.10.19
19 Dirt Slaves 2                            37  24.24.05
20 Westside Rollers                         35  23.27.18
21 NDC                                      34  24.32.49
22 NRG Stringers                            32  23.11.13
23 TC's Battlers                            32  24.14.30
24 Slick Nobbies                            31  24.05.07
25 BBQ Bunch                                29  24.31.28
26 Team Goldilocks                          27  22.01.27
27 MTB Dirt Team Tortoise                   24  24.19.50
28 MTB Dirt Jesus Pirates                   20  22.26.09
29 The "A" Team                             13  23.56.02
 
6 Women
 
1 Wenches With Wrenches                     34  24.07.24
 
6 Mixed
 
1 Blackstone Express                        44  24.06.00
2 Nerang Mountain Bike Centre               42  24.03.56
3 MTB Dirt Digglers                         39  24.31.13
4 Chainsaw Jugglers & Friends               37  24.04.10
5 Mayhem                                    34  23.52.39
6 MTB Dirt Megasaurarse                     33  24.24.35
7 MTB Dirt Fall Over                        31  23.01.59
8 Broke Back Mountain Bikers                30  23.50.38
9 Cyclescene                                18  14.02.06
10 National Hire                            11  22.03.36
 
6 Junior
 
1 US Coastal                                24  23.13.42