Blair extends overall lead on day 4 and two more stages

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Stage 5

And three become two...or so it could transpire as Jason English fell away in today's stage 5 22km time trial, leaving yellow jersey rider Andy Blair, along with Aiden Lefmann, to put the pedal down for a face-off battle up front.

It was Lefmann who went harder out on his own, taking the stage win by 8 seconds in a time of 53:29. His result is rewarded with a 20-second time credit, meaning he overtook English to be second place in the overall standings. Blair took second in 53:37 (minus his 10-second credit), but in losing time to Lefmann becomes a marked man with no clear advantage for either in the remaining stages.

"There was a lot of singletrack in today's stage, so I knew it was a good opportunity to pick up some time," said Lefmann. "I knew it'd be hard to pick up anything on Andy, but I thought Jase (English) would suffer a bit in this one."

With only seventeen seconds now separating first and second, the race leader's jersey could feasibly change hands this evening in the stage 6 night race, however Lefmann predicts the 2011 MTB Enduro title will more likely be decided in tomorrow's final stage.

"I reckon we'll play it conservatively tonight with Andy and I working together to keep Jason at bay given night racing plays to his advantage.

"Tomorrow will be the crucial day, and it wouldn't surprise me if it comes down to the last 10km and a sprint finish, especially with time credits coming into play. It'll be every man for himself."

English isn't out of the picture entirely, being only one minute and 31 seconds off Lefmann's cumulative time and a further eight seconds from the lead. A tough ask, but with a night stage and some luck, English - the first yellow jersey wearer of the event - could still pull of a comeback win.

Anna Beck scraped back some time from overall leader Jess Douglas in the women's, taking a stage win in 1:06:27, nearly three minutes ahead of Douglas, crossing in 1:09:06. With time credits, Beck registers 1:05:57 and Jess a 1:08:56.

The stage 5 result means the pair go into the night race with only six minutes separating them. Barring mechanical, the stage is not realistically long enough for Beck to do much more than reel Douglas in more, if she can, to set up for a final day showdown and tilt at an overall win.

"Although my legs are very tired," said Beck. "I'm pretty exhausted overall, so the shorter the stages get the better for me!"

"I think a win is doable, but definitely not a given. I'll just try to ride smooth, do what I can. Jess will be strong in the night stage. I think it will come down to who can stick with the fast guys in tomorrow's stage and who can just hang on the longest."

Riders now check that their Ay Up lights are all charged and attached to bikes and helmets, ready for the 22km night stage over the same course as this morning's race, but as race director John Jacoby said, "Everything looks different in the dark - you may as well be on an entirely new course."

Stage 6

Intense. That's the word that rode back in from a pitch-black, relentlessly tight singletrack course tonight, a tight four-way sprint finish and a smattering of on course carnage defining the penultimate night stage in the Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro.

Andy Blair extended his overall lead after taking a slingshot ride on the final corner courtesy of rival team rider, Merida's Ryan Standish. He crossed less than a bike length in front of stage favourite, Jason English. Aiden Lefmann snuck into third with Standish falling to fourth in the final metres, despite his bull run.

Knowing that English would threaten in the dark, teammates Blair and Lefmann worked in tandem for most of the race to hold him off, much to English's chagrin.

"That's racing I guess," said English. "But you're supposed to let faster riders through," he said, tongue only half in cheek.

It was Blair who led most of the singletrack, keeping a solid tempo knowing that there weren't many passing slots.

"Jase (English) did manage to get through with a few kays of singletrack to go," said Blair."He lit it up a bit there and tried to unload a few passengers but we stuck with him onto the fire roads."

It was here in the open that a possible team tactical error unfolded.

"Ryan (Standish) went to the front with about 400 metres to go, trying to lead out English, but I got on his wheel and it was the perfect lead out. I wanted to be second wheel out of the corner, so I was in the perfect position."

With the 20-second credit, Blair pushes out his overall lead once again, drawing away from English, who trades back into second place overall and Lefmann who slips to third being outside the time credits.

The result tightens Blair's grip on the Enduro title. Even if he should finish outside the top three for the final stage, he will still win his first Ingkerreke Commercial Mountain Bike Enduro.

"I'll sleep easier tonight knowing that all I need to do is stay with the lead bunch."

Stage victory in the women's went to Jess Douglas, a win not without its challenges, including crashes for both Douglas and Anna Beck, who was leading at the time of her downfall.

"I had some pressure from a (male) rider behind me, hit a rock and crashed pretty badly," said Beck, who was shaken but safe at the finish, recovering to maintain fourth position and second overall.

Douglas' mishap ended her helmet's career, but didn't stop the race leader from taking the stage win ahead of Anne Antrecht in second and Jo Wall in third.

The race for the women's title has cooled a little with tonight's result making Douglas short odds to win with a good nine minutes up her yellow sleeve.

Tomorrow's final stage is a 40-kilometre ride on a new course.

Stage 5 Results

Stage 6 Results

General classification after stage 6 (day 4)