Lewis wins Wombat100
Fay takes women's victory
Shawn Lewis and Jenny Fay won the Wombat100 this weekend. There was a focussed vibe in Woodend, Victoria, as riders arrived days early to ride parts of the Wombat100 course in preparation of round 1 of the Real Insurance XCM Series. The Wombat100 is one of two iconic Australian mountain bike events hosted by Maximum Adventure, attracting over 2,500 participants annually.
A chilly autumn Victorian morning greeted the riders for an early 7:00 am start at Cammaray Waters. Adrian Jackson set out from the gun driving record elite field of over 50 riders at a blistering pace. Teammates Shawn Lewis and defending XCM Series champion Dylan Cooper managed to match his pace, but it was Jackson to crest the top of the KOM climb first. This put Jackson in the lead in the KOM Series competition. Jackson will be marked at the next round in Canberra as he will be wearing the KOM jersey.
Andy Blair had an unfortunate early puncture and had to chase the leading trio with Ben Mather. The two very experienced riders were able to catch up the leaders just before the 75km mark, showing that they are on top form. The trio of Lewis, Jackson and Cooper put the hammer down as soon as they were caught and managed to open another gap, which they held until the end. A few kilometres before the finish Lewis and Jackson got away from Cooper and it was down to an exciting sprint finish. Lewis just pipped Jackson by a few inches for an important and well deserved win. Cooper followed shortly after with Mather and Blair rounding out the top 5.
The women's elite field was stronger than at any previous Real Insurance XCM Series event. Riders like Peta Mullins, Tory Thomas and Jess Douglas lined up alongside defending champion Jenny Fay. Fay and Mullins set themselves apart early, but Fay proved to be in a class of her own as she pulled away and won both the QOM competition and the overall event by a convincing margin.
The second leg of the of the Series will take the riders to Canberra for the Capital Punishment next weekend. Lewis and Fay will be wearing the coveted Real Insurance purple leader's jerseys, with Jackson and Mullins the King and Queen of the Mountain Jerseys. An even stronger field is expected to line up in Canberra next week as more riders are launching their campaigns in the series.
Brief Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Shawn Lewis |
2 | Adrian Jackson |
3 | Dylan Cooper |
4 | Ben Mather |
5 | Andy Blair |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Jenny Fay |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Rapha reports £21m annual loss with fewer new customers and RCC members as industry turbulence rages on
Seventh year in the red for the mainstay British brand in 2023 -
Smith Ignite aero helmet review: Plenty of safety features but lacking in aero performance
MIPS and Koroyd add safety features, but the wind tunnel performance puts it towards the lower third in our testing. -
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak still isn't done with pro cycling as she extends with SD Worx-Protime
'Becoming Dutch champion as a mother, it is an absolute highlight in my career. I can cycle my last year in red-white-blue, a career couldn't end more beautifully' says Dutch champion -
Victims of their own success? Belgian Cycling scraps bonuses for Worlds medals after 11 in five years
Five world titles between Evenepoel and Kopecky makes bonuses 'not sustainable'