Cooper wins men's race

Dylan Cooper and Jenny Fay streaked the field to win the second edition of the Capital Punishment MTB Enduro and in the process became the leaders in the inaugural Real Insurance XCM Series.

After the rain and mud of the 2010 event, the start line was abuzz with the expectation of some great trails in perfect conditions. As wave after wave dove into the Kowen forest, the leaders emerged from the other side and headed for the famous Majura Pines. Dylan Cooper was off the front and took the KOM points on Hackett Hill. He maintained the lead until the untimed section where he sat up and took full advantage of the 45 minutes allowed to complete this section. James Downing went past and was first across the line but Cooper had used the rest to recover his energy and power home over Mt Stromlo to take the victory by three minutes from Peter Hatton and Ben Mather.

Jenny Fay was a dominant victor in the women's class, leading from start to finish in a polished performance. Her winning margin was an impressive 38 minutes. Sue Thompson, a veteran, was the next woman home and Emma lovelock rounded out the overall podium. Vanina Vergoz and Beth Thompson were the second and third elite women.

The race wasn't just about the elites with 1500 keen riders, some competitive, some riding for the pure enjoyment, giving their all on the day to reach and conquer Mt Stromlo. The atmosphere at the finish line was one of exhaustion and accomplishment with riders catching up with new friends they made on the course and swapping stories of horror mechanicals and painful cramps to reach the end with a smile on their face.

Full Results