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Australian 24 Hour Solo National Championships - CN
Mt. Majura, Canberra, Australia, March 22-23, 2008
2007 Results Results Past winners
English and Van Der Spiegel crowned national champions
By Dan McKay in Canberra
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For the second consecutive year, the Australian Solo National 24 hour Championships were held in Canberra's Mt Majura Pine forest. The twisting, dusty trails provided a perfect venue for what was to be an intensely fought battle for the coveted green and gold jerseys - not to mention also a trip to the 24 hours of Adrenalin World Championships in Canada coming in July.
The women's field included experienced 24-hour racer and current 24 hour National Champion Katrin Van Der Spiegel (Clarence Street Cyclery, Trek) along with the winner of the recent Scott 24 hour Alexandra Kiendl (Kona, Mt Bulla, Shimano) and local hopeful Claire Graydon.
The men's field was missing current 24 hour National Champion Andrew Bell, who was busy celebrating a new arrival to his family, but was stacked with strong contenders. John Claxton (Giant, Geax, Skins, Nightlightnin) was back to better his second place in last year's nationals along with third placed Daniel Mackay (Giant, The Bike Shed) Also showing strong form was BMC rider Jason English, 24 hours of Adrenalin Champion (in 20-25 years-old category) Joel Donney, and fourth place finisher at the 2006 Scott 24 hour solo, Mark Fenner.
The race got underway under unusually cool conditions on a dry and dusty track. Within a few laps, the lead men had formed a high-speed train with Claxton and English driving an torrid pace. Donney, Fenner and Troy Bailey were all amongst the early action with Mackay sitting comfortable a few minutes off the lead.
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As the race progressed, the fast pace began to whittle down the lead bunch as first Donney then Bailey cracked. Fenner held a strong pace but gradually lost contact with the leaders. At the front, English and Claxton were treating their bodies with causal disregard as both attempted to take and hold an advantage. The lead swung back and forth throughout the night with the gap never more than a few minutes.
Behind them Mackay was maintaining steady pressure and gradually closing in on the fading Fenner. After the sun rose, an exhausted Claxton made an error which ended in a spectacular high speed crash. This opened the door for English to gain the upper hand as he gradually opened a lead. Both leaders had significant crashes - with English's crash on the first corner, conspicuously in front of the transition area, leading to a few rather sheepish jokes from the battling leader.
Behind the leaders, Mackay rolled Fenner and was steadily eating into Claxton's lead. English finished the race with a win, two laps ahead of Claxton with Mackay 19 minutes further back. English completed 47 laps or 428 Kilometres (266 miles) in his 24 hours of racing.
The women's race was a superb demonstration of fast, consistent and unrelenting riding. Katrin Van Der Spiegel gained the early advantage with a good start and was never seriously challenged. Throughout the race she continued to build her lead and she finished three laps ahead of Alexandra Kiendl. In fact, her 38 laps in a little over 24 hours would have put her in ninth overall - a spectacular performance (undoubtably helped by the number of bananas she ate!).
Behind Van Der Spiegel, the race for second and third was fought between the experienced Kiendl and local heroine Claire Graydon. Consistent performances by both riders placed Kiendl four laps ahead of Graydon who was a further two laps ahead of fourth placed Melinda Behrens.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by CORC/www.corc.asn.au
- Jason English (BMC) reaches for a bottle.
- Jason English (BMC) on his way to the national championship title and 47 completed laps.
- Jason English (BMC) passes by for another lap.
- Jason English (BMC) covered in dirt and dust.
- Jason English (BMC) approaches the finish.
- The winner Jason English (BMC) is almost done after a long day.
- John Claxton (Giant) on his way to second.
- John Claxton (Giant) races at night.
- John Claxton (Giant) crosses the finish line.
- Daniel Mackay (Giant) leads the bunch.
- Daniel Mackay (Giant) after the race.
- Daniel Mackay (Giant) negotiates a wooded section.
- Katrin Van Der Spiegel (Clarence Street Cyclery) racing to a convincing win.
- Katrin Van Der Spiegel (Clarence Street Cyclery) at night
- Katrin Van Der Spiegel (Clarence Street Cyclery) won with 38 laps.
- Katrin Van Der Spiegel (Clarence Street Cyclery) after the race.
- Alexandra Kiendl (Kona) figures out what to eat.
- Alexandra Kiendl (Kona) rode to second.
- Claire Graydon (TORQ, Mal Adjusted) finished third.
- Claire Graydon (TORQ, Mal Adjusted) riding in the woods.
- Is that a gorilla or am I hallucinating?
- Riders never knew what they might see en route!
Results
Overall Male open 1 Jason English 47 laps 2 John Claxton 45 3 Daniel Mackay 45 4 Mark Fenner 42 5 Scott Chancellor 39 6 Jason McAvoy 39 7 Garry James 38 8 Tristan Bennett 38 9 Anthony Manning 38 10 Sam Warmington 35 11 Phillip Haughton 35 12 John Evans 35 13 Shane Taylor 33 14 Steve Partridge 33 15 Neil Dall 32 16 David Power 31 17 Carl Maroney 30 18 David Butler 30 19 Scott Abercrombie 30 20 Dave McGregor 30 21 Edward Hood 28 22 Nicholas Lee 27 23 Grantley Butterfield 27 24 Stewart Kerr 26 25 Andrew Blair 26 26 Brad Mertens 26 27 Kevin Wells 25 28 Simon Tarp Jensen 25 29 Paul Floro 25 30 Vaughan Caseley 24 31 Mark Tupalski 24 32 John Harvey 24 33 Matthew Cordery 23 34 Jacob Agger Troelsen 23 35 Jack Spahr 22 36 Carl Norell 22 37 Glenn Apps 22 38 Brendan Johnston 21 39 Joel Donney 21 40 Clayton Locke 21 41 Lucas Lodi 21 42 Ashley Harvey 20 43 Joe Arrouk 20 44 Errol Schmidt 20 45 Nicholas Wilson 19 46 Andrew Tupalski 19 47 Geoffrey Clarke 19 48 Cameron Dalton 19 49 Shay Wahrlich 18 50 Chris Carson 18 51 David Thomas 17 52 Steven Baldwin 16 53 Brendan Cranney 16 54 Andrew Beddie 15 55 Peter Merrick 14 56 Mike Brennan 14 DNF Craig Armour DNF Nathan Versey DNF Troy Bailey DNF Craig Peacock DNF Ashley Hayat DNF Damien Wood DNF Jason Dreggs DNF Hieu Nguyen DNF Morgan Pilley DNF Karri Golding DNF Sasha Pesic Female open 1 Katrin Van Der Spiegel 38 laps 2 Alexandra Kiendl 35 3 Claire Graydon 31 4 Melinda Behrens 29 5 Karen Foat 27 6 Rachel Edwards 26 7 Nicole Lancaster 24 8 Nicole Seale 24 9 Philippa Rostan 21 10 Rosemary Barnes 20 11 Kathryn Bicknell 20 12 Ria Johansen 18 13 Bethany Thompson 18 14 Amanda Tokley 16 15 Adair Ferguson 13 16 Rebecca Henderson 12 17 Jenny Firman 6 By category Men 18-24 1 Scott Chancellor 39 laps 2 Phillip Haughton 35 3 Edward Hood (ED) 28 4 Joel Donney 21 5 Lucas Lodi 21 DNF Morgan Pilley Women 18-24 1 Bethany Thompson 18 laps Men 25-29 1 Jason English 47 laps 2 Daniel Mackay 45 3 Tristan Bennett SS (Tristan) 38 4 Shane Taylor 33 5 Nicholas Lee (nlee) 27 6 Cameron Dalton 19 DNF Craig Armour (SpoonBoy) DNF Nathan Versey DNF Ashley Hayat DNF Karri Golding Women 25-29 1 Claire Graydon (Claire) 31 laps 2 Karen Foat (K Foat) 27 3 Nicole Seale (Angel) 24 4 Philippa Rostan 21 Men 30-34 1 John Claxton 46 laps 2 Sam Warmington SS (Kiwi Sam) 35 3 Steve Partridge SS 33 4 David Power SS 31 5 David Butler 30 6 Grantley Butterfield SS 27 7 Brad Mertens SS (Sydney Single Speed Society) 26 8 Kevin Wells 25 9 Paul Floro (pfloro) 25 10 Andrew Beddie 15 11 Mike Brennan 14 DNF Hieu Nguyen Women 30-34 1 Alexandra Kiendl 35 laps 2 Melinda Behrens 29 3 Rachel Edwards 26 Men 35-39 1 Mark Fenner 42 laps 2 Jason McAvoy 39 3 Anthony Manning (antman) 38 4 Scott Abercrombie 30 5 Stewart Kerr 26 6 Matthew Cordery 23 7 Glenn Apps 22 DNF Troy Bailey (BMC DNF Damien Wood (Woody) DNF Jason Dreggs DNF Sasha Pesic (Sushi) Women 35-39 1 Katrin Van Der Spiegel 38 laps Men 40-44 1 Carl Maroney 30 laps 2 Vaughan Caseley 24 3 Clayton Locke 21 Women 40-44 1 Nicole Lancaster 24 laps Men 45-49 1 Garry James 38 laps 2 John Evans 35 3 John Harvey 24 DNF Craig Peacock Women 45-49 1 Jenny Firman 6 laps Men 50-59 1 Neil Dall (NPD) 32 laps 2 Dave McGregor 30 3 Jack Spahr SS 22 4 Errol Schmidt 20 Women 50-59 1 Adair Ferguson 13 laps Male 6+6 1 Andrew Blair (Andy smells) 26 laps 2 Simon Tarp Jensen 25 3 Jacob Agger Troelsen 23 4 Carl Norell 22 5 Joe Arrouk 20 6 Andrew Tupalski 19 7 Geoffrey Clarke 19 8 Shay Wahrlich 18 9 Chris Carson 18 10 David Thomas 17 11 Steven Baldwin 16 12 Brendan Cranney 16 13 Peter Merrick 14 Open women 6+6 1 Rosemary Barnes 20 laps 2 Kathryn Bicknell 20 3 Ria Johansen 18 4 Amanda Tokley 16 Men U18 6+6 1 Mark Tupalski 24 laps 2 Brendan Johnston 21 3 Ashley Harvey (ash) 20 4 Nicholas Wilson 19 Women U18 6+6 1 Rebecca Henderson (Bec) 12 laps
Past winners
Men Women 2007 Andrew Bell Katrin Van Der Spiegel 2006 James Williamson Kim McCormack 2005 Craig Gordon Katrin Van Der Spiegel 2004 Josh Street Tory Thomas
