We had never done a 4 hour DH event(as many runs as you can race in 4 hours)but the prize money was appealing and so was the challenge. Either way, we found ourselves in the midst of it and then on top of the podium!

The track started off with a massive fire road sprint into fast & flowy single track with jumps, berms, rock gardens, loose corners, a bit of everything. It was a mass start of chaos and dust and by the time it ended, Chris had clocked 40 runs and took the Open Men win! I was the only female entered but finished 5th overall out of 55 competitors with 37 runs total.

There was definitely some strategy involved with the shuttle system and we began figuring that out after a few runs. I had to laugh a few times at the shuttle van scramble, so funny. I think one of the hardest parts was lifting your bike in and out of the trailer. My shoulders! Anyways, we were very stoked to not have any major mechanicals, our bikes held up amazing! When do you do that many runs without checking over your bike? Sometimes, you didn’t even have time to grab a drink of water! 

Anyways, it was great to be a part of a cool grassroots event like this. Thanks to D’Aguilar Range Cycling Club and all of the event sponsors like Ashgrove Cycles(thanks for letting me use your pump!), Maxxis(Claire’s personal sponsor yay!), Podium Lubes(which I am so stoked on, they make a great biodegradable bike wash)and including our very own NS Dynamics who help us out with suspension tuning while in Australia. Special thanks to For The Riders, Brisbane based bike shop, who have helped us out tremendously over the years! And thank you to the shuttle drivers, all the volunteers and spectators. Love the vibe at Aussie races.

Full results here

Claire truckin’ on after hour 3 while others enjoy a cold beverage. Jealous! Photo: Brendan Kovarik.

The only thing that would have stopped him was a mechanical and he had his fair share this year so congrats! Bikes held together amazingly. Open Men podium.