Race Report - Australian Mountain Bike National Championships
By Sid Taberlay (Kenda / H2O Overdrive)

XC Race Report
The XC became a day of challenges. It started with a bit of an ordinary call up; I also got caught in a pile up, to then find myself entering the course proper in the high twenties. With the course being 95% tight single track and only having one very small open section in the middle I had to wait till the end of the lap to make up any ground. At the end of the first lap I was well and truly over a minute down, but feeling as fresh as a daisy. On the second lap, up the major climb of the course and the only open section I was able to get through traffic and move up into 4th and start hunting down the leading group of three. By the start of the fourth lap I had moved up into 2nd and twenty seconds off the lead. In my rush to close the gap I got a little loose and clipped a nasty rock, with only the one pits at the start/finish I had no choice but to put a tube in. Unfortunately I had some issues with my CO2 and didn’t get enough pressure, which lead to me pinching the tube and having to roll 3⁄4 of the lap on the rim. I ended up getting pulled with the 80% rule. A very frustrating day on many accounts, however I can take some comfort in knowing I have good form heading into the American season.  

Sid Taberlay (Kenda/H2O Overdrive) prepares to go down the rocky
drop off at the Australian National Mountain Bike Championships.

Short Track Report
Drama started before the start and I have to thank all my fellow competitors for having my back. I’m not sure what sort of lottery was used for the front row, but I didn’t make the top 8. Being the defending short track champ the guys made room for me on the front row, only to be informed by the official I needed to step back a row. Fortunately for me everyone used this as an opportunity to voice their opinion about the call up, which lead to the conclusion that there was plenty of room for 9 on the front row, so a big Thank you to the guys for standing up for me J

I had a good start, sitting 3rd wheel around the first corner. As the attacks started I didn’t quite get onto the decisive move of Jongewaard and Van der Plough and found myself dangling just off the back and unable to close the gap, to eventually be caught by Norris and Leftman. It became a battle at the front for gold and a second group battle for bronze. Jongewaard won from Van der Plough and me in third.

Sid Taberlay (Kenda/H2O Overdrive) during the Australian National Mountain Bike Championships.