On the first day of the 2013 Bike Buller MTB Festival, it was Paul Van der Ploeg who took the win in the 50km XC race. After a very fast start where young gun Michael Crosbie immediately put the pressure down on rest of the field, a lead group of four riders formed including Van der Ploeg, Crosbie, Adrian Jackson and Josh Carlson.
The four leaders stayed together until the Stonefly climb where Van der Ploeg managed to get a gap and held on to it until the finish.
While Carlson fell back, Jackson and Crosbie kept on fighting for the podium and finished respectively three and four minutes behind the winner.
In the woman’s field there was no holding back Jenni King. She took first position from the start and finished with a very comfortable ten minute lead over runners up Jess Douglas and Jo Wall.
Tomorrow’s stage is a Brakeburner Enduro where riders will try to ride as many laps of the Copperhead trail as the can over 3 hours 45 minutes before flying down the 12km 1100m vertical descent Super-D and finishing at the Picnic in the Park festival in Mirimbah.
The Bike Buller MTB Festival ends on Monday with a 25km XC race starting and finishing on the Mt Buller Village Square.
Stage 1 50km XC Results
Premier Male
- Paul Van der Ploeg 2:30.57
- Adrian Jackson 2:33.30
- Michael Crosbie 2:34.31
- Murray Spink 2:39.23
- Sam Chancellor 2:39.40
Premier Female
- Jenni King 3:09.46
- Jess Douglas 3:20.26
- Jo Wall 3:20.35
- Sarah Riley 3:30.53
- Deborah Chambers 3:36.15
Stage 1 30km XC Results
Male
- Scott Smith 2:25.10
- Cameron Pascoe 2:35.14
- Ben Warner 2:35.48
Female
- Berit Barton 3:20.54
- Cordelia Kerr 3:33.06
- Kelly Holiday 3:34.21
Full results are listed here.