It doesn’t seem like that long ago we were racing the Snowies MTB Festival in New South Wales’ Snowy Mountains. Planned to be an annual event, organisers thought it would be ideal to run the three day, five stage race in conjunction with the ITU Cross Triathlon World Champs, which meant that the Snowies this year would be in both February and then later in November. In my mind this was not necessarily a bad thing – it’s hard to have too much of the trails around Lake Crackenback and Thredbo!
The race in focus
Friday afternoon kicks off with a 7km time trial, with riders heading out in 30 second intervals across a technical loop of singletrack around Lake Crackenback. The ~14min effort for the elite men (~16min for elite women) has you bleeding from the eyes, fighting the lactic acid in your legs and in the case of some of the riders, trying your best to avoid the local kangaroos and ducks. The dynamic duo of Kyle and Jayden Ward flew across the line in first and second, while Samara Sheppard got her second Snowies campaign off to the perfect start with the women’s win. The reigning champs from the February edition off to the best start possible.
Day two starts with a 22km climb up the Thredbo Valley Trail. It’s not particularly steep in any sections, but will have most riders slugging it out for over an hour as the TVT winds its way up the valley, crossing the crystal clear river a good four or five times. This was always going to be a stage for the climbers, with Brendan Johnson announcing his arrival with the men’s line honours after a sprint with Kyle Ward. Sheppard once again took the female win, with Cristy Henderson and Swiss maestro Renata Bucher close behind.
Riders then get a few hours to hang out in Thredbo village – either attending the festivities at the pub or lying in the sun by the river sharing stories with mates. The two wheeled fun then gets going again as riders jump on to the chairlifts and head up to the summit for the enduro styled stage three, consisting of a timed descent down the amazing Thredbo All Mountain trail (again at 30 sec intervals). For those with the skills (and courage), there are plenty of gaps, jumps and opportunities for cool photos. For those with a more traditional XC-style skill set, plenty of fast berms, a few wall rides and some great rocky obstacles. It seemed those with dropper posts on their XC bikes made the right decision, as Brendan Johnson and his Fox Transfer post took his second stage win for the day and Samara Sheppard with her Specialized Command Post making it three from three.
Up and at it for the final day, riders line up in a slightly chilly Thredbo for stage four (probably my favourite) – bombing down the TVT. It’s certainly not all downhill, but after a short loop of the Thredbo XCO course, you hit the TVT and a whole lot of really fun flowing sections. Johnson, Tasman Nankervis and Ward filled out the men’s podium, while after the top four women came together for most of the stage, super talented youngster Zoe Cuthbert took line honours (note: this will not be the last we see of Cuthbert). Four stages have been completed and after hours of racing, the fifth stage is set to be the decider for final podium spots across most categories.
The final showdown at the Snowies MTB Festival
The final stage is a 45km half marathon, consisting of three 15km laps around Lake Crackenback. Not a great deal of climbing, but plenty of pedalling, singletrack, rocks, a muddy section or two (one which claimed me on one particular occasion), technical features and a loose, gravel decent I like to call Sketchy Mountain.
The start for stage five is not your typical hooter – rather the crack of a stock whip and the Man from Snowy River flying up the road on horseback (UNREAL). For a second I thought Jayden Ward might actually catch the horse, but turns out over 200m horses are faster than mountain bikers.
The stage starts near midday, which means it will be a hot two to three hours for the majority of riders – I certainly don’t think I am the only one with helmet strap tan lines. Pacing and nutrition certainly play a part and there were some great battles across all categories, with places swapping back and forth as riders tried to defend leads or gain time. Stage five was won by Johnson, which gave him the overall GC victory in his first Snowies and keeps him near faultless for 2016 (he has certainly won more races than he hasn’t this year). Reigning champion Kyle Ward finished second, with Tasman Nankervis, Russell Nankervis and Jayden Ward filling out the blocks. Another serial race winner in Samara Sheppard put her name on the GC trophy for a second time, followed by Renata Bucher, Briony Mattocks, Zoe Cuthbert and Kelly Bartlett.
Unfortunately the Snowies will be taking a break in 2017, but back with a vengeance in 2018. It’s a fantastic three day weekend away for riders of all abilities and a pretty cost effective option for ACT and NSW locals, drawing in some really talented elite, masters and even junior fields. Well organised by In 2 Adventure and really well supported by Thredbo MTB, Lake Crackenback and the NSW Government, it’s got everything mountain bikers look for – great trails, great views, great food, great wine, a lot of laughs and a free beer when you finish!
Title shot by Mandy Lamont.