Claire Buchar makes another trip to her second home of Australia(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Sam Hill posted the best time in Saturday's seeding runs in the downhill.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Mitchell Delfs will be one to watch on Sunday's downhill.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Will Rischbeith carries the hopes of Adelaide being the hot local(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Caroline Buchanan in the gate with Adelaide city in the background.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Caroline Buchanan looks the goods in her new world champion kit.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Sarsha Huntington tags the gate for maximum use of track.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
The dirt jumpers were throwing it all down in the hot Adelaide sun(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Luke Madill was as smooth as usual - taking all the heats with ease.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
David Habicht was a fine performer early in the racing. He put down some good rounds.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Caroline Buchanan heads to another national title.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Leigh Darrell with Tom Hubert looming in the background.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Cross country riders traverse the hill above the event village.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Dirt jump action entertained the crowd during the day's events.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
The women's podium looked stunning in the evening light.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Randal Huntington took the second in Adelaide.(Image credit: Evan Jeffery / evanjeffery.blogspot.com)
Luke Madill racing the Australian four cross national championships(Image credit: Chameleon Photography / www.chameleonphotography.com.au)
Four cross world champion Caroline Buchanan(Image credit: Chameleon Photography / www.chameleonphotography.com.au)
In the rainbow jersey of world champion, Caroline Buchanan claimed her fifth Australian four cross title at the Australian Mountain Bike Championships at Eagle MTB Park in Adelaide on Friday. Luke Madill took the men's event.
It was the first outing in the rainbow jersey of world champion for the 19-year-old Buchanan. Starting as the outright favourite, she coped well with the pressure putting in an almost flawless ride.
The women's race was only ever a race of two as Sarsha Huntington challenged Buchanan through the first two berms as they rubbed shoulders fighting for the lead, but the multiple-Australian champion eventually got the better of the battle. Emily Hockey claimed the bronze medal in front of her home crowd.
"I wasn't too sure what was going to happen in that first corner. It got pretty close in the first turn and I was ready for some carnage," Buchanan said. "I knew that Sarsha would be close and it's great that she pushes me all the time.
"Being my first mountain bike race since worlds I was feeling a little bit rough in areas but I wear the rainbow jersey with pride and I had an absolute ball with it out there today. I was just as nervous for this race as I was for the world titles.
"This [Australian] title feels just as good as the first one."
In addition to being the first outing for Buchanan's rainbow jersey, it was the debut for the new four cross course at Eagle MTB Park that the current four cross world champion rated as world class.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"With four cross it's important to get the lines equal so there's not one fast line from top to bottom and they've done that here," Buchanan said.
"It's on a really good slope. They've made it really technical and it will make for really even racing."
In the men's race Luke Madill took his third Australian title after going through the quarter final and semi-final comfortably, but got pushed to the line in the race for gold by Randal Huntington who made it a husband and wife combination in the silver medal position. The bronze medal went to Graeme Mudd.
"Having that strong first straight helped me a lot and got me out of trouble in the final," Madill said. "But it's still hard and you never know who's behind you because with this track there's lots of different lines so anything can happen.
"Once you get to the final experience really counts. But having the younger ones push us is good."
On Saturday, elite cross country racers will go for green and gold jersey.
