Points Series Championship in February. This series involved 5 tough rounds of XCC and XCO racing at different trails interstate:
Rounds 1 & 2 – Nerang, Gold Coast in February, Rounds 3 & 4 Stromlo, Canberra in March Round 5 was in Mt Cotton, Brisbane the same weekend as the Oceania Championships.
I received gold and silver medals at each of the rounds I raced, and was coming equal first place with another rider, going into the final round of racing. Round 5 was my last chance to take the win! I managed to put over a minute time after the first lap of the extremely challenging wet course over my opponent. I held my lead over her for the rest of the race, and that’s how I won gold on the National series! During the races, what strategies did you employ to stay ahead of the competition and ultimately secure the title? I love this question, because in the sport of Cross Country Mountain Bike, you have to very quickly work out what the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents are, and use these to your advantage. For example, I discovered my biggest rival doesn’t ride well in wet slippery conditions, isn’t a technical rider, and REALLY doesn’t like when I sit on her wheel. She likes to chase and not be chased. This forces her to make mistakes on the course so I can then ride away from her. This is ultimately how I took the series win. The final Round 5 was wet, brutally hilly and extremely technical. The start is very important too. The race can be won or lost if you enter the single track in a position that doesn’t match your original strategy. Were there any standout moments or races during the series that you found particularly memorable or challenging? I found rounds 3 & 4 particularly challenging. The course at Stromlo is as close to a World Cup Cross Country course as Australia has. There parts of the track called ‘Hammer Head’ and ‘Cardiac Arrest’ where I was actually hesitant to ride. There were riders having really series falls during track practises. I was lucy enough to have Chris Clarke from the AIS in Canberra ride the track the day before round 3 to familiarise me with how to ride all the technical aspects of the track so I was prepared on race day. How do you maintain focus and mental resilience during high-pressure races like the National Series? The National Series trails were extremely technical, and I needed to stay focused, calm and maintain a strong and positive mindset. I enjoy overcoming my fears, and I have realised that I can get my body to whatever my brain tells it to do. I use my adrenaline to work for me, and try to not overthink anything when I am completing technical obstacles – Don’t think, just do. You can’t hesitate, and you also can’t let your rivals see any weaknesses you have especially on race day.
page 08/09
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online