09/10 National XC Series. Official Thread.

[Raw Toast Man]

Time to start thinking about the National Series once again. Lets get a thread started about races, shit talking and results etc.

Does anybody know if any dates have been set yet? I had a look around but couldn't find much.

 

[akashra]

EOIs are now open and details are available in the document below via the MTBA website:
http://www.mtba.asn.au/cms/uploads/news/0910nationalseriesvenuehosting.pdf
EOIs close on August 17.

The nomination dates for 09/10 MTBA National Series rounds are as follows:
Month Dates XC DHI 4X
October/November 31-1 #1 #1 #1
November 28-29 #2* #2 #2
December 12-13 #2 #2* #2*
January 13-17 National Championships
January 23-24 #3 #3 #3
February 27-28 #4 #4 #4
March 13-14 #5 #5 #5
March 19-22 Oceania MTB Championships (NZ)

Those marked with an asterisk represent the optional dates, and can also be used to host either/or XC and DH only rather than both.
The DH optional date clashes with the Victorian State DH Championships.

 

[Lanky Love]

In some other thread Le Matelot mentioned the possible dates. There were about 6 or 7 I think, but there is still going to be just 5 rounds plus the Champs In Radelaide.

Is anyone considering racing the enduro series as anything more than a social ride? Im considering racing a few of the enduro rounds in 2010 if a) it is actualy being raced seriously and b) if any of the events are reasoanbly close.

Also any specualtion on where the rounds might be this year? I've heard nothing but good reports about You Yangs and Buller so I imagine they will be back, and I loved Illinbah but I imagine that its probably a bit too remote for the series if they are trying to attract a wider variety of people.

 

[akashra]

Also any specualtion on where the rounds might be this year? I've heard nothing but good reports about You Yangs and Buller so I imagine they will be back, and I loved Illinbah but I imagine that its probably a bit too remote for the series if they are trying to attract a wider variety of people.

Interesting you say that - everyone I spoke to had nothing good to say about Buller at all aside from myself, which was disappointing :/ Based on feedback I've heard from riders and spectators, I'd be surprised if they were awarded another round, but hey, you never know - and I'd like to see it go back there. If it goes back to Buller, it and Glenorchy would likely be the only two rounds I consider attending in 2010.

I've heard plenty of rumours about venues, but to be completely honest there's little point just speculating and passing these on. I know of three venues/clubs who in discussions with them have mentioned they'd like to host a Nationals round (again, no names), so don't be surprised to see new venues throwing their name in to the hat, but we'll leave that for them to announce their intentions if they decide to do so.
But I agree on the location issue, both Illinbah and the You Yangs, for a Nationals round, are way too far from sufficiently available accommodation (IMO if you can't ride to the venue, it's too far).

 

[taylorc]

shame that illinbah is so hard to get to, there are so many other good tracks here in brissy bit closer to the airport. But the local government dosnt get behind anything

 

[Kizzmtbr]

But I agree on the location issue, both Illinbah and the You Yangs, for a Nationals round, are way too far from sufficiently available accommodation (IMO if you can't ride to the venue, it's too far).

You Yangs is rideably from accommodation. If you stay in little river its only a 10km ride there. Don't know why you need to be able to ride to a race. It means that you would be slightly tired when you get there and you would have to carry a fair bit of gear. Personally i would love to see the youies raced again even though the DH track is pedally.

 

[akashra]

You Yangs is rideably from accommodation. If you stay in little river its only a 10km ride there.

Is there accommodation or 800-1200ish attendees in Little River? That's the kind of figure I meant, not a handfull of people snapping up the very limited available places, similar to at Illinbah where realistically you had to stay on the Gold Coast (and even then, the nearest town was a 30 minute drive).

 

[Kizzmtbr]

Is there accommodation or 800-1200ish attendees in Little River? That's the kind of figure I meant, not a handfull of people snapping up the very limited available places, similar to at Illinbah where realistically you had to stay on the Gold Coast (and even then, the nearest town was a 30 minute drive).

didn't think of the numbers. Still lara and geelong and werribee have plenty of accommodation.

 

[ScooterXC]

didn't think of the numbers. Still lara and geelong and werribee have plenty of accommodation.

thats great. but national rounds are to expensive to run. no you-yangs this year(i'm fairly certain). i was hoping they would do a world cup style of thing where they split the dh and xc for venues because everyone raved about the xc course but the dh'ers hated the dh course..
As you saw Amiel win on a Giant reign..

 

[Beechie]

Nats 2090/10

I thought the EOI allowed splitting of rounds.

 

[bigev]

I'd be interested to know how many people who have raced XC in the past WONT be going this year. XCO racing is now limited to U17 U19 U23 and Elite. XCC Elite only with an Enduro event on the Sunday that a). is not a substitute for XCO racing for those not catered for by Saturdays catagories and b). by all accounts appears to be very unlikely to satisfy the majority of enduro racers.

I'm 41 and train hard and enjoy racing XCO seriously against like minded peers but I couldnt realistically expect to last more than 4 laps before being lapped in Elite.

MTBA's decision to change the National Series format means I will most likely not attend any National Series events this year, will not renew my MTBA lisense and withdraw any support I had recently thrown around for Adelaide Mounatin Bike Club to join MTBA. I wonder how many other people are in the same boat.

 

[W.bat]

What is the difference between XCO and XCC.

I'm 46 and was chomping for the nats series. Have they seriously canned the masters etc?

I was looking at the WA series results yesterday and the masters category was one of the most heavily attended.

 

[bigev]

What is the difference between XCO and XCC.

I'm 46 and was chomping for the nats series. Have they seriously canned the masters etc?

I was looking at the WA series results yesterday and the masters category was one of the most heavily attended.

XCO is Olympic Cross Country... the regular XC racing format, approx 2hrs for elite, approx 20min laps.

XCC is Short Track Cross Country... approx 90 sec laps, 25min race duration, like a dirt crit.

and yes masters is gone, along with vets, ultra masters, sport and expert

 

[W.bat]

XCO is Olympic Cross Country... the regular XC racing format, approx 2hrs for elite, approx 20min laps.

XCC is Short Track Cross Country... approx 90 sec laps, 25min race duration, like a dirt crit.

and yes masters is gone, along with vets, ultra masters, sport and expert

That is ridiculous. So are the beginners meant to ride elite.

Why not a combined masters, vets, ultra masters?

Expert to Elite, ok(?).

Is it numbers thing? Take a look at the farkin forums page and I challenge you to find a time when there are more DH's looking at their forums than XC. The demand is there.

Can they review their decision?

 

[bigev]

That is ridiculous. So are the beginners meant to ride elite.

Why not a combined masters, vets, ultra masters?

Expert to Elite, ok(?).

Is it numbers thing? Take a look at the farkin forums page and I challenge you to find a time when there are more DH's looking at their forums than XC. The demand is there.

Can they review their decision?

The idea (I think!) is that non-elite riders participate in the enduro event the following day. Something that IMO is not a substitue and completely unappealing in the form MTBA are proposing.

Ive tried contacting the MTBA CEO, XC rep and SA rep for comment. So far only the SA rep has responded and claims no knowledge of the changes despite being on the MTBA comittee. He is however in agreement with me and chasing up some answers.

 

[Raw Toast Man]

I thought that the National Series races are the U-17 to Elite then the club could run Masters/Vets etc if they wanted to but no points would be tallied.

 

[W.bat]

I thought that the National Series races are the U-17 to Elite then the club could run Masters/Vets etc if they wanted to but no points would be tallied.

Now that me feel special.

What is the issue here?

What does IMO mean?

 

[bigev]

I thought that the National Series races are the U-17 to Elite then the club could run Masters/Vets etc if they wanted to but no points would be tallied.

According to the MTBA's information for clubs hosting national series events there is no provision on the schedule for incorparating additional classes. I may be wrong here but so far I cant get any info from MTBA about this issue at all. While I can understand not having a series tally for sport and expert where the criteria for entering those classes is ambiguous at best, it seems unfair not to continue with masters and veterans where the entry criteria is clearly defined and the demand is there.

 

[akashra]

I thought the EOI allowed splitting of rounds.
The rounds are still up to clubs that want to run these events as I understand it. Last year clubs found the financial burden versus rewards as ..... not desirable.

Yeah, that was what was originally discussed, but I was surprised when the EOIs came out to see that only one round made this available as a possibility, and only on two particular dates. This is surely not what some clubs would have had in mind.

According to the MTBA's information for clubs hosting national series events there is no provision on the schedule for incorparating additional classes. I may be wrong here but so far I cant get any info from MTBA about this issue at all.

I have not heard anything along these lines either - the mention of it here is the first it's ever come up that I've seen or heard.

I'd be interested to know how many people who have raced XC in the past WONT be going this year.

As I said, I might do Buller and Glenorchy if they get a round, but that's about it. There's other tracks in there there's no way in hell I'd consider racing in with Elite though. A large part of this decision is the fact that I can book accomodation there, and ride to the venue (and be there within about 15 minutes). FWIW, there were only 7 people across all categories who did every round, of which three of us were in Sport Men (1st, 2nd, 4th); two others were in Expert men from memory (2nd and 3rd).

But on the safety side of things, you only need to look at the time differences between what we were doing in Sport and those in Elite. At Illinbah, in the mud, AJ kept plugging out 24mins, our times sat around the 37mins, and Nathan, Simon and myself almost collected each other on different laps on the muddy descent where none of us had any control. Similar story with the rest of the guys at the You Yangs (my times at that round aren't very representative . There's no way I'd want to be in a situation like that in front of Elite riders who can handle those conditions just fine.

Perhaps something MTBA should consider is just awarding series points to Masters and Vets based on the Elite race, like they do with U23. Give the winners of those categories a trophy at the end of the season.

 

[trav]

thats great. but national rounds are to expensive to run. no you-yangs this year(i'm fairly certain). i was hoping they would do a world cup style of thing where they split the dh and xc for venues because everyone raved about the xc course but the dh'ers hated the dh course..
As you saw Amiel win on a Giant reign..

You never know the You Yangs may still be on the Nationals calender for 09/10 series.