Buller National Round - Bec Henderson Report

The second of the MTBA Australian MTB National Series, or All Mountain Cup, was held at Mt Buller last weekend. The Anytime Fitness-Trek team were in attendence and racked up some impressive results. Unfortunately Ben Henderson is still feeling the effects of an illness so wasn't racing but Dan McConnell made up for it by riding his Superfly Elite 29r to a win in the Mens Elite XC and the All-Mountain overall for the weekend, while Bec Henderson raced her Elite 9.9 to a 2nd in the Elite Womens XC and 3rd overall for the weekend.

Here's a detailed report from Bec of her weekend:

After a roadie style beginning to 2012 round two of the All Mountain Cup (Australian National Series) meant it was time to put the road bike to the back of the shed and see how I am going compared to the rest of the Aussie mountain bikers.

Bec Henderson attacking during the Elite Womens XCO.

I missed the first round of the series back in November as I was only just starting up training again after the World Championships but Jenni King – the winner from Perth was definitely the hot favourite for the weekend.

MTBA have completely changed the style of the National rounds – turning them more into a stage race and taking away the emphasis of the cross country and more about the three stages for the weekend. The first was the Super D – a 12km descent from the top of Mount Buller, the second stage was the Cross Country – Olympic format and the third a point to point around the trails of Mount Buller.

We arrived to Mount Buller in the Anytime Fitness ‘truck’ on Thursday afternoon and headed out for a couple of laps of the cross country course. Exactly the same as last year – only dry the vibes around the Anytime Fitness camp were positive!

On Friday morning we decided it was important to have a practice run of the Super D. We took it fairly steady – luckily as there were many sketchy sections which would more than likely claim a number of riders. The track was just an open rocky fire road descent with unpredictable water bars and other obstacles to be expected on a mountain bike course. The problem was – the course didn’t necessarily require as much skill as it did guts. Many riders were riding outside of their comfort zone, and ability level but were unaware until they came unstuck.

Despite what MTBA have tried to do with the series – the cross country is still the main event in my opinion so the Super D was just about getting down safely. At the start of the Super D stories were going around about all the crashes in practice which left us all a bit edgy.

I got down the hill safe and sound – trying to ride within myself and push myself on the climbs. My finishing time was 3rd in the Women. After some awesome dinner cooked by the team Chef (wife) I was all recovered and ready to go for the Cross Country race on Saturday morning.

For the 2012 with Olympic selection in mind I decided it was important for me to race in the Elite category for both the competition and comparison against the best girls in the country.

Bec on the climb during the Elite Women XCO

With the training I have been doing in the lead up to the race I knew I was going to struggle with the pace set early on in the race but hoped to ride into the race and finish strong.

The gun went off and my prediction was correct. I had an awful start which went straight up a fire road drag and the power houses of the race took to the front. I sat in the group hoping that the girls in front of me would hold the wheel in front and I would not loose contact with the front of the race.

At about the halfway mark the course opened up and I managed to make a few passes and get closer to the front but the girls at the front were not letting up. I got into third wheel going into the big descent before the start/finish but unfortunately race favourite Jenni King was first wheel and Katherine O’Shea was in between us. With descending my strength I found it frustrating as Katherine dropped the wheel and Jen rode out of sight. It was not until Katherine got a rear flat that I managed to get around her.

For the rest of the descent I was going hard and managed to close the gap a little – I came through the start finish about 8 seconds behind Jenni.

Lap 2 of 5 was the toughest in the race for me – the pace was still a little quicker than I wanted to go but Jenny Fay and Jodie Willett were still chasing hard. Jenni opened up a bit more of a gap this lap and as I was riding through the last single track I could see her coming up the fire road in the opposite direction. She was looking strong!

By the third lap I started to feel a little more comfortable and stopped worrying about the girls behind. I was starting to ride into the race and feeling strong on the climbing sections. Finally the torturous road kilometres were starting to pay off. This lap I actually mad a bit of time up to Jenni but not enough to make an impact.

The fourth and fifth laps were relatively uneventful I tried to stay in a rhythm as best I could and do what I could to close the gap to first but the latter didn’t happen. I crossed the line still happy with 2nd place in my first official Elite race. A number of steps ahead from where I was this time last year I am confident I can have a good season.

On Sunday morning we had the Point to Point – a day to hopefully back up but have a bit of fun as well with the serious day of racing behind us. The race was a 25km race going up one big mountain before coming back to do part of the cross country course and then added an extra couple of kilometres of bumpy switchback grassy single track to finish off.

Again I started slow – really slow and the front group was well out of sight. The major climb suited me though – it was technical and steep in parts and I settled into rhythm. Slowly I caught the girls in front but again Jenni was fast off the start and had formed what I assumed was a significant gap. As I caught the girls most of them were all fair with their passing and I continued to chase down the next in front. It was just before the top of the climb that I caught Katherine O’Shea. With some tactics and blocking coming from here I eventually managed to find a suitable place to pass and pushed on.

At the top of the hill one of the spectators yelled out to me “15 seconds” and I thought what? Impossible? I descended as quickly and efficiently as I could catching some riders from the other categories. On a couple of the switchbacks I saw this orange flash – it WAS Jenni. Maybe she had gone out too hard?

I caught her on the next climb and managed to make a pass. I could tell she was suffering and after a few more minutes I was putting time into her. Feeling strong and now slightly more determined I pushed harder and knew I was getting away. We were also well past halfway and I knew if I stayed strong I would be right to win the race – which could also put me in contention for the All Mountain Cup this weekend.

Dan McConnell crossing the line to win the Elite Male XCO

Unfortunately though, it wasn’t to be and I flatted before the final climb. Gutted! I jumped off my bike and pulled my XTR wheel out – I had a fairly efficient change but so close to the finish the race was gone. I tried to ride hard for the rest of the race but was disheartened and frustrated.

I finished the stage in 5th position and third overall in the All Mountain Cup (only three seconds in front of Tory Thomas!) It was a good weekend of racing and the form and endurance was there so I finish the weekend looking forward to the next round on home soil – Stromlo!

Thanks to all of my sponsors and supporters who make it all happen! A massive thank you to Anytime Fitness who took care of us for the entire weekend and I look forward to having a good season on the new team!

Team Manager Richard Peil on his way to 4th in the Masters Men XCO.

Trek Commuting Giveaway

Here at Trek we love riding bikes. Whether it is on the road, on the trails, or on the bike path. We also love riding bikes for transport, and what better way to do that than riding to work!

Commuting comes with many challenges, but the rewards are also great. Going for a ride before a hectic day in the office, or clearing your head on the way home, can bring unquantifiable benefits. Sometimes it just feels great to be on a bike instead of behind a wheel.

We pretty sure we’re not the only ones who are like this, and want to hear your stories and see your photos!

We’re giving away a fantastic Bontrager ‘commuter’ prize pack to the best commuting 'story' submitted via Twitter.

Follow us @TrekBikesAust and use the hashtag #TrekAUCommute to give us a story, photo or video about your commute. Get creative!

Entries have to be in by midday on Thursday December 22^nd 2011 and we will giveaway:

• Bontrager Rollbar 8 multi-tool
• Bontrager Airpack
• Bontrager Pro Pack 50 seat pack
• Bontrager Ion 2/Flare 3 light set
• Bontrager keyed cable lock
• Bontrager RL Fusion GelFoam gloves

Jez loves the Remedy...and Bontrager tyres!

Venture Cycles is a Trek dealer in Noosa, on Queenslands Sunshine Coast. Jeremy is the owner and manager of the store, and he loves riding bikes. Jeremy recently got a 2012 Trek Remedy and sent through this short review along with a few photos:

Just like last years Remedy this bike is the jack of all trades, but with the DRCV fork and the slacker geometry it handles down hills even better, it’s just rock solid in corners and soaks up more of the big hits than a six inch bike should, all without sacrificing its ease of how it pedals up hills…….My session 88 is getting a complex.

Check out the photo below for a bontrager tyre shot….. Bontrager MTB tyres…What is keeping your face out of the dirt???

Cheers
Jez

Perth National Round - Report from Henderson

Ben Henderson of the Anytime Fitness-Trek MTB team checks in after the first National 'All-Mountain Cup' Round of the season in Perth:

The week began normal enough. Relaxation and recovery from the Highland Fling, two sessions of Pilates and a blood test which read… “parasitic infection”??? That was a new one! It seemed Malaysia was having a lasting effect. Add that to the current course of antibiotics for a chest infection and I was raring to go.

The first day of practice revealed a tricky riding surface. The locals call it ‘pea gravel’ and it was darn slippery. Asides the gravel there was plenty of flowing trails, rocky descents and short, steep climbs. A really challenging race track. ‘Anytime Fitness’ team mate Cam and local friend and guide Adrian showed me how it was done. I literally couldn’t keep up with them. Not a good feeling two days out.

The MTBA National Series has adopted a different format where several races count towards a cumulative overall time for the round. In this case the first race was the usual Olympic Cross Country, followed by the new Eliminator and Super D the next day.

Under a crystal clear, blue sky with temperatures around 30, the race got underway. After a clean start it was straight into a super steep fire road climb. It was of course covered in a nice layer of gravel and tyres skidded and elbows bumped as everyone tried to grab a good position as the single track at the summit loomed.

I crested what I’d later refer to as the ‘oven’ in around 7th position. Far from where I wanted to be but it was already clear that today was not going to be wholly satisfying. I accepted this and got on with the job of getting the best out of a body, which at least seemed capable of producing some power compared to previous days.

As the race wore on and the heat really set in, I continued to work hard. I was determined to get the best result possible and finish knowing I’d given my best. The course was really demanding and required non-stop focus. That I could do, and by lap 5 of 6 I’d moved into 4th position. With weary legs I finished what I’d set out to do and was rewarded with a solid 4th and a few important UCI points for this years World Cups.

Up ahead Andy Blair had taken out his first National Round win ahead of Sid Taberlay. Andy was on top of the world and I was very happy for him, a well deserved winner.

Sunday morning commenced with the Eliminator. First up was a time trial of the course to post a time for the overall and determine grids for the heats. I half held back and half gave what I could, and was fully smashed accordingly. I was a good 15 seconds behind on the two minute course. This had me lining up against the fastest guys straight off. I rode well and spent what energy I had when I needed to, making it through to the semi final.

The course consisted of an almost BMX style descent followed by a solid climb back to the finish. It was at the lowest part of the course where I managed to snap my chain. Still in 2nd position I instinctively started to run. I looked back and no-one was coming. Sid Taberlay and another rider had crashed. I ran more. I could see Sid coming now. With 400m to go it was tortoise and hair, cat and mouse, mouse not good at running. It was down to the final pinch and Sid was coming fast as I scrambled my way up. Had it been another 30 meters longer I would have been watching the final from the side line. I made it.

The final comprised Andy Blair, Pete Hatton, myself and Josh Carlson who had been untouchable all morning. He got into the start of the single track decent first, I second. I just mirrored Josh’s speed through the jumps and berms. It was ridiculously fast! By the bottom Josh pulled out a small lead and there was no way I could pull him back on the climb but the hair raising run down the track had left me with a comfortable margin behind, and I took second place.

Next up was the Super D, an individually timed downhill run usually with a few ups to get the lungs working. I found myself riding much faster and closer to the limit than I needed to. This track was essentially a four minute downhill and the Superfly felt super stable through the various rock gardens, loose corners and jumps. I was loving every second. I came down with a time good enough for another second place and to hold my 4th position overall, capping off what turned out to be a rewarding weekend.

For now it’s just time to get healthy and build the fitness back up again over Christmas. Hopefully come the first few months of the new year I’ll be prepared to tackle the big events with confidence.

Thanks to the ‘Anytime Fitness Mountain Bike Team’ and it’s supporters, Trek Bikes, Bontrager, TORQ, Shimano, Fox. Also my personal supporters in Stromlo Forest Park, Pete from Capital Bicycle Hire, my super coach Mark Fenner from FTP Training and the staff at Pilates Canberra in Erindale, all of whom put together major pieces of the performance puzzle.

Follow Ben on Twitter: @henderson_ben

Australian Trek Triathlete Update

As well as Trek supporting the global Trek/K•Swiss triathlon team, Trek Australia supports some of the best triathletes on the domestic scene as well.

One of these is Ollie Whistler who is supported by Clarence Street Cyclery. Ollie has spent several months in Europe this year and recently returned to Australia to compete in the Yeppon 70.3. He made his return to Australia worthwhile by winning the race!

It was a hard-fought win, but a credit to Ollie and the effort and training he has been putting in. You can read his race report on his website, here.

You can also follow Ollie on Twitter as he prepares for the upcoming 70.3 Shepparton and 70.3 Canberra.

Another triathlete Trek Australia supports is Cameron Good, from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Cameron is supported by Renegade Cycles and has also been competing in Europe over the last few months. Cameron competes in the shorter sprint distance events, and, while ranked 4th in Australia, has been finding it tough going in Europe, trying to find the form he knows he is capable of.

He is aiming for selection for the Australian team for the London Olympics, so follow him on Twitter as he trains towards that.

Trek District, customised

The Trek District is a fantastic bike for many different purposes. It's built light for speed, practical for commuting, is easy to maintain, and the sharp looks set it apart from the crowd. The belt drive means that you don't have to continually lubricate a dirty chain, and it runs almost silently.

However, some people are never content and love to customise whatever bike they ride. It's one of the great things about owning a bike! Gran Prix Bicycles recently helped a customer convert their District from a single speed to an 11-speed with the addition of a Shimano Alfine internal geared rear hub, still run from the belt drive!

Check out the photos below, and feel free to comment with some of your favourite ways to personalise your bike.

A Sad Day for Cycling

Below is a note from Trek President, John Burke, posted on his own blog earlier today:

This  morning I heard the news that Wouter Weylandt of the Leopard Trek Team died from a crash during Stage 3 at the Giro. I was shocked and saddened to hear this news. On behalf of the entire Trek family our hearts go out to Wouter's family.

Jb.

LEOPARD TREK website.

Justin Leov Master Class Video

Well, it has been a month since the Justin Leov Master Class was held at Stromlo Forest Park, and we have now had a chance to put together a video showing exactly what went down on the day.

Although the weather was a little fickle, Justin was a great instructor and the participants learnt a lot about body positioning, cornering, braking, jumping, climbing and descending.

Check out the video below, and keep following @TrekBikesAust for more great competitions in the future.

 

WIN A MTB MASTER CLASS WITH JUSTIN LEOV FROM TREK WORLD RACING

Trek Australia is offering 8 lucky people the chance to participate in a mountain bike skills master class with New Zealand World Cup downhiller Justin Leov, from the Trek World Racing team.

Known for being one of the worlds best downhillers, Justin possesses a wealth of riding talent that has helped him get to the World Cup podium on numerous occasions. That talent also comes in handy away from the race track when mountain biking on trails the world over, and it is these ‘trail riding’ skills that Justin has taught in previous skills clinics and will be teaching in this Master Class. A very easy-going guy, Justin is known as being an excellent teacher, passing on his many years of riding experience in a very understandable way to his pupils.

Now is your chance to participate in a Justin Leov Master Class at the world class MTB facility, Stromlo Forest Park. To enter simply follow the guidelines below.

Enter to win a MTB Skills Master Class with Justin Leov
How to enter:
1. Follow Trek Australia on Twitter: @TrekBikesAust (If you are already a follower, you don’t need to un-follow and re-follow)
2. Send a Tweet explaining why you would benefit from a MTB Skills Master Class with Justin Leov. Tweets don’t have to be just text. They could be a photo or something else. Get creative!
3. Tweets DO need to include the hashtag #TrekLeovClass
4. Justin Leov will pick the 8 best Tweets as the winners.

The Prizes:
1. The chance to attend a MTB Skills Master Class conducted by Justin Leov at Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra, ACT, on Saturday March 19th and Sunday March 20th, 2011. Spots are limited to 8 people.

Official Rules:
1. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
2. You must be 18 years or older to enter.
3. You must be following @TrekBikesAust on Twitter
4. Tweets must include the hashtag #TrekLeovClass to be eligible
5. Entries will close and judging take place at 6pm Tuesday March 15th, Canberra time. ***Competition extended to 6pm Wednesday March 16th, Canberra time!***
6. You must be able to accept the prize as it is outlined above. The prize is not transferable and is not redeemable for cash.
7. Participants in the Master Class could be photographed and those photos used in publications from Trek Australia or Australian Mountain Biking magazine.
8. The Class will start at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, March 19th, 2011, with an introductory BBQ. The remainder of the class will be conducted from 9am to approximately 3pm on Sunday March 20th, 2011.
9. Winners will need to make their own way to Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra, ACT, and provide their own accommodation, if required.

The most versatile bike?

Ever since mountain bikes started being divided into categories there has always been arguments about which bike is the most versatile. Of course, this depends a lot on the sort of terrain that you ride, and the sort of rider that you are, but that doesn't stop the specualting and the arguements.

In the Fuel EX and the Remedy, Trek have developed 2 outstanding mountain bikes that are very capable all-rounders. Of those two, the Remedy has longer travel and has become a favourite for those riders who love to hit the gnarlier lines and jumps while out on their trail rides.

One fan of the Remedy is Jeremy from Venture Cycles in Noosaville. Here's what he said about the bike recently:

Thought I’d flick you a photo of the Remedy in action one Saturday morning Shop Ride. The bike is still impressing me each ride in one way or another…a bike that handles the gravity trails and big hits with no complaints has no right pedaling up a hill as well as it does…truly an awesome bike..

So, the Remedy is definitely in the running if you are looking for a versatile bike! Check one out at your local Trek dealer!