Jason English - JetBlack 12 hour Threepeat
For the third year in a row, current World 24 Hour Mountain Bike Champion Jason English, has won the JetBlack Western Sydney MTB 12 hour race. The 12 hour race was held at the exclusive MTB venue on Dargle Farm near Windsor west of Sydney.
The course ducks in and out of bush that surrounds farmland in the valley floor alongside the Hawkesbury River, and includes some of the best MTB racetrack in Sydney. There are a couple of steep pinches and one long downhill that will have you smiling for hours, while, in between, the trail twists and turns through rocky tree lined sections of sweet singletrack. It's well suited to an endurance race like this; with moderate fitness you can continue to punch out the laps throughout the day and have an absolute ball.
English, a 30 year old PE teacher from Port Macquarie completed 24 laps of the 10 km long track in just 11 hours 39 minutes.
He led early in the solo men's race with challenger Andrew Hall sitting in second place. With plans to race the following day's 8 hour Grand Prix, English intended to pace himself, but his plans changed just a few hours in deciding to ride with the Bernard Riders team. Near the end of the 12 hour mark English joined Hall who was only one lap down and with only 20 minutes remaining English called it a day. Hall finished in second place, on equal 24 laps in a respectable 12 hours 15 minutes. Third place was taken James Lamb with 23 laps in 12 hours 17 minutes.
The multiple lap format, as opposed to 'point to point' or 'out and back' of the Rocky Trail races makes for a fun and relaxing event centre. Team riders can take a break and refuel, or in the cooler evening, hang out and warm up at the bonfire before their next turn. The food and coffee is good, and sponsors have plenty of kit on display to keep the crowds amused. JetBlack Products were airing the sweet new carbon fibre framed Pivot Mach 5, and the guys from Blackman's and Mortdale Bike Shed were on site with spare parts and mechanical help.
The Mountain Biking Australia team was also there handing out magazines and showing off their smoking hot ZR6 RAV4. "It's 201 kilowatts of AWD fun and refinement, plus it has that bulletproof Toyota engineering-it's a great combination."
Despite not being in medal contention fourth placegetter, Mark Griffin from Croydon claimed the valuable Crocodile Trophy race entry. Racing his first ever 12 hour event, he completed 22 laps in 12 hours and 11 minutes.
"I just wanted to survive it," he admitted, though anyone who can complete a solid 12 hours of MTB racing solo deserves the accolades.
Griffin won a bonus prize on the day-an entry in the international Crocodile Trophy event to be held in far North Queensland in October.
"The Crocodile Trophy is a big event; it's world renowned," Griffin said. "It's one of those challenges you just have to say you've done it once."
Griffin said he'd now focus his training for the multi stage race, realising the scale of the challenge before him. "There are a few guys that have ridden it and they're really helpful. I don't have any delusions of grandeur. I know it's going to be tough."