Aussie mountain bikers of the year awarded

Some of Australia's best mountain bikers were awarded at the 2008 Australian Cyclist of the Year awards in Melbourne last weekend.

Canberra's Caroline Buchanan won an impressive two categories. The 18-year-old was named both the Elite and Junior Female Mountain Bike Cyclist of the Year. She was also a finalist in the junior female BMX Cyclist of the Year, but that award went to Lauren Reynolds from Bunbury. Buchanan will compete in the Australian National Mountain Bike Series second round this weekend on the Gold Coast along with male BMX Cyclist of the Year winner Jared Graves (Toowoomba).

For the fifth year in a row, downhiller Sam Hill took the Male Mountain Bike cyclist of the year award. Hill did not attend the ceremony because he was in America testing his new equipment for the upcoming season.

Sam Willoughby also claimed two awards. He doubled up by winning both the junior male BMX and Junior Male Mountain Bike Cyclist of the Year titles. Reynolds and Willoughby are overseas racing BMX in the American ABA races.

2008 Australian Mountain Bikers of the Year
Elite Male MTB Cyclist of the Year - Sam Hill
Elite Female MTB Cyclist of the Year - Caroline Buchanan
Junior Male MTB Cyclist of the Year - Sam Willoughby
Junior Female Cyclist of the Year - Female MTB - Caroline Buchanan