Henderson shakes hoodoo for first national series win
By Cycling News published
King claims women's race in style
Canberra cross country rider Ben Henderson has finally shrugged off the 'bridesmaid' tag, claiming the first national series victory of his career in the opening round of the 2010-11 Jayco Australian Mountain Bike Series at the You Yangs in Victoria.
Competing on her home course, Victorian Jenni King caused an upset to defeat a quality field and snare her first national series victory in the elite women's race earlier in the day.
Henderson, who finished second in the overall cross country standings last year and collected three silver medals across the 2009-10 series, rode a perfectly-timed and patient race to snatch the win in the warm and dusty conditions.
Aiden Lefmann and Joshua Carlson shared the lead for the first half of the six-lap race (6.1km loop), before Henderson crept up from fifth position and shot to the front during lap five. From there he consolidated his lead and crossed the finish line nearly one minute ahead of the rest of the field.
"I'm really stoked," said Henderson. "I came pretty close last season and I was a bit nervous coming into this race.
"I rode my own race today and it all came together for me. I tried to get a reasonable spot at the start and then I just fought my way up. I still had plenty in the tank to go hard in that last lap. It's a really good start for me.
"My coach and I have been working with power both on the road and mountain bike. That's bringing me up that two to three percent and I have definitely noticed the difference.
"I won for my first NSW championships race a couple of weeks ago, and I was fairly confident coming into this race. My main goal is Olympic qualification, everything is working towards that."
Lefmann and Carlson displayed plenty of early season promise to complete the podium.
After sitting amongst the leaders early, last year's series winner Lachlan Norris suffered a mechanical issue at the end of lap two, forcing him to stop and change his rear wheel in the feed zone. Although he battled to make up the lost ground, Norris had to settle for fifth place behind Jason English.
Victorian Paul Van Der Ploeg was the best placed Under 23 rider.
In the women's elite four-lap race, Jenni King and Canberra's Rebecca Henderson shot out to the front from the gun, the pair setting the pace together early before King pulled away on lap three to eventually win by a comfortable two minute margin.
Henderson rolled in for second overall (first U23 rider), followed by Jodie Willett and reigning national champion Rowena Fry.
For King, who finished fifth overall in last year's series standings, her season could not have begun on a more positive note.
"It's definitely a confidence boosting performance," said King, "I didn't really think I was in that kind of form.
"Some of the girls have had a decent break and some of the others are a bit sick, so I was probably a bit lucky. Plus being in Melbourne, I was on my home course. I expect the next races to be just that little bit harder.
"Bec and I rode really well together on the first two laps. On the third lap I got a decent gap and then felt fairly comfortable on the last lap.
"I always like the technical courses more, I'm not as strong on the uphills."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Ben Henderson(Torq / Anytime Fitness) | 1:49:31 |
2 | Aiden Lefmann(Cannondale) | 0:00:58 |
3 | Joshua Carlson(Rockstar Racing) | 0:01:14 |
4 | Jason English | 0:03:16 |
5 | Lachlan Norris | 0:04:27 |
6 | Andrew Blair(Swell-Redshift Racing) | 0:05:06 |
7 | Paul Van Der Ploeg* (Felt Bicycles) | 0:05:56 |
8 | Ben Mather(Rapid Cycling) | 0:07:11 |
9 | Glenn Stewart | 0:07:28 |
10 | Adrian Jackson(Merida Flight Centre MTB Team) | 0:08:28 |
11 | Trenton Day* (Breakaway Cycles) | 0:08:39 |
12 | Michael Crosbie* | 0:09:08 |
13 | Kyle Ward* (Spearmen Cycles) | 0:09:17 |
14 | Peter Hatton | 0:09:19 |
15 | Luke Fetch* | 0:09:22 |
16 | Andrew Fellows(AYup lights) | 0:10:14 |
17 | Steele Von Hoff(Genesis Wealth Advisors) | 0:11:42 |
18 | Cameron Ivory* | 0:12:17 |
19 | Garry Millburn(Cannondale) | 0:12:30 |
20 | James Peacock* (Merida Flight Centre) | 0:12:31 |
21 | Chad Gossert | 0:13:16 |
22 | Shane Spicer | 0:14:05 |
23 | Peter Kutschera(Apollo Bikes) | 0:14:35 |
24 | Nick Both(Swell-Redshift Racing) | 0:14:44 |
25 | Lewis Rattray* | 0:15:29 |
26 | Nicholas Morgan | 0:15:56 |
27 | Ben Hogarth | 0:16:44 |
28 | Brenton Jones* | 0:18:25 |
29 | Mitchell Codner* (Rotor / FRS) | 0:22:24 |
30 | Matthew Rizzuto | 0:22:24 |
-1lap | Brendan Johnston* | |
-1lap | Matthew Molan | |
-1lap | Sam Chancellor | |
-1lap | Ashley Hayat | |
-1lap | David Schilg* (Kona) | |
-1lap | Geoffrey Schilg | |
-2laps | Shaun Lewis(Rockstar Racing) | |
-2laps | Cam Winn | |
DNF | Craig Borham | |
DNF | Matt Ligtermoet(Rush Racing) | |
DNF | Tom Chaffey* (Bike Minded) | |
DNF | Jack Lamshed | |
DNF | David Rawlins | |
DNS | Cal Britten | |
DNS | John Groves(Apollo Bikes) | |
DNS | James Devonshire | |
DNS | Gary Wearmouth |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jenni King(Torq Australia) | 1:28:12 |
2 | Rebecca Henderson* (Crowne Plaza Canberra) | 0:02:22 |
3 | Jodie Willett(Merida Flight Centre) | 0:03:48 |
4 | Rowena Fry | 0:04:27 |
5 | Katherine O'Shea(Torq Nutrition) | 0:04:52 |
6 | Peta Mullens(Apollo Bicycles) | 0:05:06 |
7 | Anna Beck | 0:06:48 |
8 | Amity McSwan | 0:08:57 |
9 | Joanna Wall | 0:09:00 |
10 | Rebecca Mates | 0:11:45 |
11 | Jessica Douglas(Torquay Cycling Factory) | 0:13:23 |
12 | Kelly Bartlett | 0:13:55 |
13 | Nicola Hogan(Drift Bikes) | 0:16:03 |
14 | Jaclyn Schapel(Giant Australia) | 0:21:24 |
15 | Shelly Flood* | 0:24:22 |
DNF | Heather Logie | |
DNS | Nicole Keily |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Billy Sewell(Gordon Street Cycles) | 1:19:38 |
2 | Rowan Brown | 0:01:21 |
3 | Christopher Aitken | 0:01:49 |
4 | Alexander Meyland(Rock and Road Cycles) | 0:04:57 |
5 | Jack Haig | 0:05:15 |
6 | Blake Polverino | 0:07:58 |
7 | Jacob Langham | 0:10:08 |
8 | James Hanus | 0:10:22 |
9 | Ben Comfort | 0:12:53 |
10 | Rodger Pogson-manning | 0:14:45 |
11 | Toby Stewart | 0:15:32 |
12 | Jarryd Jones | 0:15:39 |
13 | Alistair Crameri | 0:16:41 |
14 | Daniel McDonald | 0:18:38 |
15 | Bradley Rose | 0:19:25 |
-1lap | Ryan Lloyd | |
-1lap | Laurent Groom(Avanti Groman Plumbing) | |
DNF | Nathan Caithness | |
DNS | Simon De Campo |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Rosemary Stewart | 1:39:01 |
2 | Jess Wigan | 0:06:45 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Hamish Prosser(Mal Adjusted) | 1:04:12 |
2 | Ben Bradley(Specialized) | 0:00:24 |
3 | Jack Lavis | 0:00:41 |
4 | Peter McKellar Stewart | 0:04:00 |
5 | Simon Harrington | 0:05:33 |
6 | Hamish Middleton | 0:07:36 |
7 | Benjamin Green | 0:09:25 |
8 | Jack Jude(Cognition Bikes) | 0:09:37 |
9 | Jayden Ward | 0:10:34 |
10 | Benjamin Scott | 0:13:37 |
11 | Magnus Baker | 0:14:30 |
-1lap | Jack Gardner | |
DNF | Stefan Cotroneo | |
DNF | Todd Lavis | |
DNS | Felix Smalley |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Zoe Binder(Scott) | 0:59:29 |
2 | Kyna Millan(TLC cycles) | 0:02:27 |
3 | Elizabeth Baker | 0:21:26 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Liam Jeffries | 1:24:12 |
2 | Roly Stewart | 0:04:15 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Gabrielle Millan | 0:57:39 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Hayden Lebbink | 1:43:54 |
2 | Steven Cusworth | 0:04:31 |
3 | Mark McInnes(Kirrawee Cycles) | 0:15:01 |
4 | Michael Hogan(Merida Bicycle Garage) | 0:17:02 |
-1lap | Evan Jones | |
DNF | Rowan Smith(Hendry cycles) | |
DNF | Grant Lebbink | |
DNF | Andrew Choma | |
DNS | Ben May |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Rohin Adams | 1:21:46 |
2 | James Kennedy | 0:02:17 |
3 | Gawie Du Plessis(Van Nicholas / Spinergy) | 0:07:03 |
4 | David Ferroni | 0:07:35 |
5 | Scott Needham | 0:09:38 |
6 | Neil Robinson(Baum) | 0:18:15 |
7 | Andrew Brockway | 0:19:33 |
8 | John Anderson | 0:21:51 |
DNF | Ben Randall | |
DNF | Richard Whitlam | |
DNF | Pete Findon |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jacqui Clynes | 1:28:40 |
2 | Katie McKie | 0:05:35 |
DNF | Jade Forsyth | |
DNF | Rishi Fox |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Peter Kreilis | 1:05:39 |
2 | Evan James(Exact Giant MTB Team) | 0:01:38 |
3 | Anthony Natoli | 0:02:11 |
4 | Brian John | 0:03:28 |
5 | Richard Peil | 0:04:21 |
6 | Paul Morgan | 0:06:35 |
7 | Andrew Remely | 0:08:08 |
8 | Richard Eisner | 0:13:45 |
9 | Karl Neumeister | 0:18:41 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | John Henderson | 1:07:29 |
2 | Andrew Hall(Great Divide Coffee) | 0:01:39 |
3 | Kevin Jones | 0:02:39 |
4 | Guy Falla | 0:07:20 |
5 | Mark Grundy | 0:09:07 |
6 | Garry Lewis | 0:10:05 |
7 | Craig Peacock | 0:10:37 |
8 | Robert Faull | 0:11:18 |
9 | Paul Verheijden(Integrated Fire Services) | 0:12:36 |
10 | Timmy Tyler(Slick 7) | 0:13:49 |
11 | Doug Rose | 0:15:48 |
12 | Stephen Flood | 0:17:58 |
-1lap | Benjamin Baker | |
DNS | John Brennand | |
DNS | John Harvey |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Bruce Dickey | 0:51:00 |
2 | Kerry Ryan | 0:03:20 |
3 | Gary Poole | 0:08:15 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Tim Rowe(BikeNow) | 1:36:52 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Irene Whennen | 1:35:14 |

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