22' Australian National Champs

It’s fair to say I had put a lot of effort into this race, after finishing 2nd twice before. I really wanted to win. Not only as this was my last race as a full-time racer, but also as the perfect way to round out my career. Once again Shaun "Polar Bear" Hughes came along to help me out for the week, just having him there in your corner is always a big help! 

We arrived early in the week to make sure we had plenty of time to get settled in and comfy. The course wasn't completed quite yet, but it was mostly taped so you could work out where you should go for about 90% of the lap. It wouldn't officially be open, and fully rideable, until Wednesday. 

Day one consisted of spinning my legs out with a couple laps on the fresh trail, but it was somewhat pointless as it just needed lots of wheels over it to bed everything in properly. In practice Wednesday everything started running nicely, the track was super dry and really dusty, slippery like dry mud — my absolute favourite conditions. 

Lap by lap, the course smoothed out as the dirt packed in. With the EXTREMELY steep and climb heavy nature of the track, I opted like last year, for the ARC – lightweight and responsive. It was always going to be a bit of a compromise, some parts suited the hardtail, others the SB115 would have been better. Having primarily done most of my training on the ARC, that was my bike of choice. Especially with my 4X racing years, I have always been comfortable and efficient on a hardtail. 

As race day got closer and more laps were had, I was feeling good and had the track dialed. I was even looking forward to all the climbing, which as one of the bigger guys isn’t exactly ideal. I knew what the 2021 course was like, and I got myself a bit lighter. My training power numbers had gone up and I was ready for the challenge. Most people were having a tough time with the course, and many couldn’t even get up the top section. AusCycling ended up shortening the loop, removing a section of the main climb. I was a bit bummed as I was well prepared to climb, but it was absolutely the right call. The track had over double what a normal race loop should have in vertical elevation gained per lap, not to mention how steep it was.  

The weather forecast was looking good for Saturday’s race day, but Thursday and Friday were looking a bit uncertain. Nothing much happened with the predicted rain on Thursday, but then we got well over the predicted amount on Friday, turning the course into a muddy mess for Friday practice. It was just the right amount to make the dirt absolutely perfect for race weekend. 

Suddenly it’s race day, the nerves were building – I was super keen to get things underway. I have always loved the process of training and preparing for races, all the way down to the smallest details, I just love having that feeling like you've really ticked all the boxes. It was nice to have a front row start this year and not have to work my way from the back like last year. My plan was to get into the top three as we entered the single track for the first time, and I was happy to let someone else set the pace. I did just that and settled into 3rd position. As we started the main climb, I wanted to move up, get to the front, ride the pace I wanted, and be in the lead for the descent. 

At this point I did all of that and everything was effortless. I was barely breathing, my legs felt completely comfortable, and my heart rate was nice and low – just settling into the pace I wanted to sustain for the next 5 laps. 

Then one of those dreaded moments came, and I got a couple inches offline – just enough to get stuck outside a rut. That one mistake sent me over the bars down the hill. I was pinned under my bike for what felt like forever, with a bit of course tape wrapped around my crank for good measure. On one hand, luckily, the bike was completely fine, but as I got going again it was obvious that the body wasn’t. My right quad had taken a solid hit and my hips got twisted, resulting in my lower back locking up. Between the two, every pedal stroke felt painful and I felt like I couldn't get any real power down, every advantage I had on the steep pitches were completely negated. I tried to regroup and hoped things would free up. I kept on going for the next three laps sitting right around 5th, but as things weren't getting any better, and it was becoming clearer I wasn't going to get back to the front (potential worsening of injuries at the top of my mind) I made the always hard call to pull the pin at the end of lap four. After all, I came to win, and I wasn't going to be happy with anything other than first. 

With that, the race was done, but I still had the next days Short Track to get some redemption. 

With a poor night’s sleep, I got up and went for an early spin to try and jump start the body. I was still sore, but it gave me some energy and motivation for the Short Track. I made the call to switch to the SB115 as I needed every bit of comfort to smooth out the ride for my battered body. 

I figured anything was going to be better than yesterday, so I decided to ride super aggressively to get to the front, and not give anyone a chance to pass in the few opportunities the track provided. I could feel my overall speed was fast. I was linking everything together and riding at a comfortable pace – I knew I would have plenty left in the tank if someone was going to put in an attack. I could see on the switch backs that lap-by-lap, rider-after-rider would drop off the front group, until it was just Cam Wright (who technically wasn't even racing me since he's still U23) and the newly crowned XCO champ from the day before, Matt Dinham. I've spent a lot of time racing Cam at the local races over many years now, so we both know each other’s racing and strengths. I was happy to have him in behind, and as a buffer to Matt. 

I planned to ramp things up after 15 minutes (Short Track: 20 minute race + 3 laps) but before I knew it the 3 lap board was out. I picked up the pace a little each lap and saw that with two laps to go, Matt started to fall back a bit. From there I knew I had the title, but it wouldn't feel legit if Cam beat me across the line. It became an all-out sprint where the track opened up and overtakes could easily happen.  

We were going the fastest we had gone all race on the final lap. As we approached the high point of the track there was a prime opportunity for a sneaky inside move around a slippery 90-degree left-hander. Cam had a sniff up the inside, but I soon shut it down — I think he, too, realized a charge would have brought us both down. We still touched but kept it clean. 

There were still two more insides to cover before lining up the finish sprint. I felt like I had all the power in the world to get across the line, which is where the years of 4X and BMX Racing paid off. And that's exactly what happened – I won! Pumped! 

It always feels good to get one back after such a disappointing result the day before. Taking the wind every lap was the hard way of doing it, but it was a short and tight course and position was extremely important. I didn’t want to give that up. 

So, with that, I officially wrapped up my full-time race career with another Elite National Title – my 10th over five different disciplines, something I can always be proud of. 

As always, a big thanks to Polar Bear. Having 100% trust in a mechanic is a huge deal to me and he's the best of the best! Also, thanks to the Meares family for the room to mess up and stay in. Accommodations in Maydena are scarce and a nice warm place to stay right by the track is a huge plus. And as always, Yeti Cycles for the ongoing support. 

Now, it’s time to refocus my energy into helping the Yeti riders achieve their best, and teach them all I know to get them to their full potential as fast as possible, something I have a huge passion for and gives me great satisfaction. I feel very fortunate to continue onto the next chapter and keep the dream alive with the best crew in the business! 

I’ve been so lucky over the past 20 years to see and do the things I love, and make a living doing it. I've enjoyed every minute and I’m excited to see where things go next.