Racing resumes with the Real Insurance XCM Series in Bright

The Real Insurance XCM Series was instrumental in lifting the profile of elite marathon racing in Australia in 2011 and 2012. Tying some of the most well known and readily accessible marathons together, with guaranteed media coverage and good prize money, attracted deeper fields more consistently, and the racing moved up a level. Racers with an XCO focus turned their attention to XCM – and course records dropped.

2013 just did not happen for the series. There were a variety of reasons, but what was in place was not the best fit for race promoters and the series sponsor. Racers themselves were disappointed, as from the outside it looked like the series had been a great success.

In late 2013, Cycling Australia relaunched the series, with 6 races in a very tight schedule. At first, it wasn’t that popular. There were few details save for dates, and those were within a very tight timeframe, and clashed with other popular MTB events. But the reasons were sound – the national body needs to highlight which the most important races are. But this will take time in a discipline awash with highly popular, prestigious events that are run very successfully by private promoters, without affiliation to either Cycling Australia or Mountain Bike Australia. It’s difficult to persuade a rider or racer to enter an event they don’t know of, instead of one where they know they will be challenged, and they have a ‘PB’ on a familiar course that they would like to beat.

Now five races, and with the popular Convict 100 the last round of the Series, the Real Insurance XCM Series is back. The first round in Bright may not have been as big as promoters would have hoped, but on the back of the Subaru National MTB Championships, and on a public holiday only enjoyed by Victoria, that’s a push. Bright is a fantastic venue for mountain biking, and mountain bike racing. Although details of the race were lacking until the days before the event, the ‘road’ course was a complete misnomer.

Each lap was about 50% single track, using some of the XCO race course, either up or down, some long fire trail climbs, off camber steep switchbacks, and an ‘Enduro style’ descent that was probably the most talked about topic on the start line. The 3 laps of about 26km add up to far less than the 100km ‘standard’ for an Australian marathon race – but it would be hard to find someone at the race finish who would have liked to do a 4th lap. A marathon race, and course, should be set by the terrain – not the distance!

With a strong field in both the elite men and elite women lining up, it was no surprise that some of the strongest racers from the XCO were now splitting up the men’s field. Adrian Jackson never looked in trouble, and the names behind were the kind you would expect in a national level XCM event: Cooper, Chancellor, English, Hughes, Spink, Hall, Downing… AJ crossed the line in a speedy 3:25:38, almost two minutes ahead of a fast finishing Dylan Cooper, with Chancellor just behind. Jason English was adrift in 4th, with a couple of mechanicals including a wardrobe one. Jarrod Hughes finished 5th to round out the podium.

Mel Ansett just about lead from the gun, showing the form that took her to the Cyclocross World Championships, then back to the Subaru National Series, and into winning form for the start of the series. A great bike handler and focused athlete, Mel won ahead of Western Australian Jo Bennett and her Liv/Giant team mate Sarah Riley. Imogen Smith crossed the line for 4th place, ahead of Lucy Bechtel in 5th.

So that’s the first round done. The racing was fast at the front, and the course really delivered on being fun and competitive. Although it might not have been the strong start to the series that would be hoped for, the facilities in Bright, the trails, and the climate were perfect. I know I hope to race there again. With better legs.

Full results are online, and more information about the series can be found on the series website.