Andy Blair leads the elite men(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Luke Fetch crushed the U23 competition(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Robbie Rhodes in fifth in the U23 race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Luke Fetch win the U23 race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Andy Blair wins the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Junior men's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
U23 men's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Elite men's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Zale Ross Willmore in first in the U15 race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
John Henderson in first in the super master race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Benjamin Thoman in 8th in the sport men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Super master Craig Peacock in fourth(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jack Haig in 13th in the U23 men's race after a mechanical(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Ben Henderson in the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Josh Carlson in third in the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Andy Blair was the top elite man(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Ben Henderson leads Andy Fellows in the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Top U23 racer Luke Fetch(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Ben Henderson in the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Mitch Codner leads Kyle Ward in the U23 race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
U23 leader Luke Fetch(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Billy Sewell leads the U19 men(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Christopher Aitken in fourth in the U19 race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Sid Taberlay in second ahead of Andy Blair in a rock garden(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Andy Blair leads the elite men's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
U17 leader Hamish Prosser(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Damon Willmore in first among the master men(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jodie WIllett in second among the elite women(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jenny Fay in third in the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Rosie Barnes in fourth(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Holly Harris leads the U19 women(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Sarah Holmes in fifth in the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Sarah Tucknott in first in the U15 women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Emily Parkes in second in the U19 women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Master woman Sarah Hunter takes a tumble(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jenni King wins the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Women's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
U17 women's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jenni King leads the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Kyna Millan in third among the U19 women(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Sam Rubery in 9th among the U17 men(Image credit: Russell Baker)
David Harris in 5th in the masters(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Master men's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
U17 men's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Early on in the elite women's race, Jenny Fay leads Jodie Willett, Jenni King and Rosie Barnes(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jenni King sets the pace among the elite women(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Jodie Willet in second in the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Rosie Barnes in fourth in the elite women's race(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Top U19 woman Holly Harris(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Emily Parkes in second among the U19 women(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Sarah Tucknott, first U15 woman(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Elite women's podium(Image credit: Russell Baker)
Andrew Blair and Jenni King took victory in the opening round of the 2011-2012 MTBA National Series at Perth's Goat Farm on Saturday. Recent rain and temperatures in the mid 20s (degrees Celsius) made for perfect racing conditions.
In the men's elite event, Andrew Blair and Sid Taberlay fought continuously throughout the six-lap race. After a fast start, Athens Olympian Taberlay was leading the field as they entered the singletrack. By the end of the decisive first lap, a lead group formed containing Taberlay, Blair and Peter Hatton.
The trio continued to open up an advantage over Joshua Carlson, who was chasing alone in fourth. The technical nature of the Perth course took its toll on many rides, including Hatton, who failed to finish due to a mechanical incident.
With two laps remaining, Blair opened up a small advantage after Taberlay dropped a chain. Taberlay dug deep to close the gap, and the two leaders were together when they received the bell.
Early in the final lap, Blair opened up a gap at the top of the challenging and never looked back. With the overall classification in mind, he pushed all the way to the line taking victory in a time of 1:41:23. Taberlay came in second 1:26 later (1:42:49), third place was taken by Carlson (1:44:58). The first local rider to finish was Craig Cooke in sixth place.
Blair continued his good run of good form in Western Australia. Less than a month ago he took victory in the Cape to Cape Mountain Bike race in South West WA. Rather than travelling to the Northern Hemisphere to race World Cups over winter, Blair choose to stay in Australia, a prepare for national season skiing and racing cyclo-cross.
Blair made the initial selection, "Fortunately I made it into the front bunch without having to burn too many matches." Blair had Taberlay on his wheel for most of the race, "I had a voice in one ear saying he's going to stitch you up, he's going to stitch you up. In the other ear it was saying you can do it, you can put him away. It's definitely nerve wracking having a rider of Sid's caliber behind you. He is a smart racer and I couldn't believe it when I hit him on the last lap." After he consolidated the gap, "I wish I had a rear view mirror on my bike I was looking over my shoulder that much."
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Elite women
In the first race of the day, the elite women tackled the challenging Goat Farm course, and with 210 meters of climbing each lap, the course would suit a strong climber. Jenny Fay started quickly leading the field into the singletrack. Early in the first lap Jenni King came to the front and never looked back.
Over the five-lap race, King consistently extended her advantage by close to a minute a lap on Jodie Willett in second place. King was at home on both the climbs and the technical rocky descents. King crossed the line in a time 1:39:50, in front of Willett who finished in 1:43:53. Fay placed third in 1:47:22
Like Blair, King also won the recent Cape to Cape mountain bike race in WA. The experience gained racing World Cups in Europe earlier in the year put her in good stead for the season opener.
King was at home on the course. "I loved the course, it was pretty technical when you were riding quick. The rock gardens, drops and chutes were great fun. The climbing was tough, but I think the steeper climbs suited me."
With the remaining rounds of the national series in mind, the result was encouraging for King, "I trained really hard over winter, but saying that I am certainly not peaking yet."
Under 23 men
In the U23 men's category, Luke Fetch rode consistently to take the victory in a time of 1:25:57. Mitchell Codner started quickly but was unable to match Fetch when he was passed on the third lap. Codner finished second in 1:28:38, Michael Crosbie finished third in 1:30:19.
