We are days away from the final round of the Real Insurance XCM Series, the Briars Highland Fling. The series started well in 2011, but it has exploded in 2012, drawing racers from up and down the East Coast of Australia to compete in some of the premier Marathon MTB races that make up the six race series.
The ‘Fling’ is a prestigious race in its own right – a win here is a huge achievement, regardless of what the Series is doing. However some of the people most likely to contest for the win are at the front of the series too. Looking over the Elite Men’s and Women’s start lists, there are a multitude of racers who could take the win this Sunday.
Elite Men
All eyes will be on Andy Blair (Swell-Redshift) and Shaun Lewis (Rockstar Racing). These two have only 250 points between them in the Series. Lewis has won the Fling twice, and Blair has come close numerous times. With Lewis having team mates Dylan Cooper, Matt Fleming and Troy Glennan – the race could really be taken to National XCM Champion Andrew Blair.
Andrew Blair, current XCM Series Leader
The Series has shown plenty of strong XCM racers this year, and Andrew Hall should be well recovered from his strong 3rd place at the Scott 24hr. James Downing always has a strong top 10 ride – will clean white gloves push him onto the podium? While Adrian Jackson hasn’t had a big Marathon win this year – he knows how to win big races. He has been consistent for much of 2012, so he needs to be considered a strong contender for the Fling. Another rider keen for a big win would be Trenton Day. he has an impressive list of 2nd places in the big races this year, with some great wins too. After a win in the NSW State Championships on November 4th – he should be on form.
Trenton Day – time for the big win?
The Croc Trophy ended on 28th October, and Ondrej Slezak, Jason Chalker and Justin Maddog Morris are all down for the Elite Fling. If super compensation has kicked in for these three, they should all have great races, and factor inside the top 10. And yet there are more contenders: Shippard, Ward, Johnston… Marathon racing has really taken off in 2012. This field is arguably deeper than the Australian XCM National Championships!
Justin Morris – if he has recovered from the Croc, he could factor in the Fling
Elite Women
Until this point, the XCM Series has not been well contested in the Elite women’s field. Jenny Fay is one of the most consistent Marathon racers in the country, but she has had to resort to racing against the Elite men to keep herself pushing. The 2012 Fling should prove different. Fay will be racing 2011 XCM National Champion Jenny King, 2012 XCM National Champion Peta Mullens, Myrium Guillot and Jodie Willett. Any of these women could prove victorious. They have all had great seasons, with impressive wins either in Australia, or great results abroad.
Jodie Willett – she started with World Cup XC in 2012, and is finishing with XCM
Beyond the Elite races, there are close to 2000 other avid mountain bikers racing in the Southern Highlands this weekend. Everyone will have someone or something to beat. be it a mate, a previous personal record, or just someone who is on the trail in front of you. If you’re going to be down there, have a great weekend!