With a blisteringly fast time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds over the 44km distance, Newcastle rider Trenton Day made it a day to remember as he convincingly won the Rock Wallaby Mountain Bike Enduro at Appin. Day established a gap early in the first of two laps and never looked back, his final margin saw him almost 5 minutes ahead of Mark Tupalski and Jon Odams.
Day and the vast majority of the 240 riders entered said they thoroughly enjoyed the tough and technical nature of the Appin trails, describing it as a ‘real mountain biker’s course’. The 22km circuit comprised over 90% singletrack and featured some rehabilitated trails that have never been raced before. “We’ve always loved the riding here at Appin, it’s challenging and rewarding and we keep finding new trails to add to the course so we think the Rock Wallaby will continue to evolve and keep providing a fresh challenge for competitors” said Joe Ward, Race Director of event promoter Chocolate Foot. Event partner Wollongong Mountain Bike Club must take credit for building and maintaining some of these great trails and, with some newly constructed lines, even regular Appin riders were enjoying the refreshed club trail.
Rock Wallaby Enduro winner Trenton Day revelled in the tough and technical conditions. Photo: Dave Bateman Photography
The women’s categories may have been light in numbers but they were full of talent, with Danielle Pollock taking the Open Women for the second year in a row while Nicole Lancaster triumphed in the Masters Women, and it was a double celebration for the Pollocks as Doug Pollock won the Masters men category from Simon Christie and Richard Peil. Jason Morgan finished on top of a very well-credentialed field in the Open men, edging out Brad Glennan and Jorge Baron Morris. The Junior 44km category featured a second consecutive win by Peter McKellar-Stewart.
In the single lap 22km categories Ondrej Slezak was the fastest overall and winner of the men while Alisha Houghton took it out for the women, and in the juniors Callum Carson and Nicole Hutton were the victors.
Wollongong Mountain Bike Club were instrumental in helping design the final course for the race, and events like this can only happen with the kind assistance of the people of Appin including the Scouts and Dogs Juniors Rugby League as well as the support of great sponsors such as Finish Line, Jimmy Jack wine, NZO clothing, Hammer Nutrition, The Body Mechanic and Mountain Biking Australia Magazine.
Full results are available at www.chocolatefoot.com.au