Over 2000 riders signed up for a weekend Fling in the scenic NSW Southern Highlands town of Bundanoon, where Australia’s largest mountain biking event took place on Sunday 13 November 2011.
As the highland mist lifted to clear skies, riders were greeted with a blast of bagpipes, while a special screening of The 7 Year Itch, to celebrate the 7th year of the Fling, kept the growing coffee queue entertained.
Featuring a field of mountain biking elite, and an even bigger field of weekend warriors, the Briars Highland Fling once again proved to be a highlight in the annual mountain biking calendar.
2010 Men’s Elite winner and World 24 Hour Champion Jason English arrived for his first 100 Mile (165km) Fling without a timing responder. Proving the importance of a good support crew, he was on the line before the gun fired and led the field onto the course. That same timing responder reported his winning time of 6:17:07. Andrew Hall crossed the line in second place, ahead of Andy Fellows in third.
Women were less represented in the 100 Mile with a solo competitor Libby Adamson crossing the line in just over 7 hours.
The hotly contested battle for the men’s Full Fling between some in-form elite riders proved to be just that, with the first three riders furiously hitting the line within one-second. Dylan Cooper took line honors with a one-hundredth of a second lead over Ben Mather in second, and Andy Blair in third.
Cooper said: “I blew up three times, but luckily I got back three times too. At the half way point I thought it was over, but I didn’t want to give it up.”
Dylan Cooper also wins the inaugural Real Insurance XCM men’s series.
With just as competitive a field, the female Full Fling was won in 4:54:00 by Jenny Fay, with a clear lead over Peta Mullens in second, and Becky Mates in third.
Fay said: “I had a strategy. I raced smart. I headed in easy and then attacked the hills to get my gap and never looked back. I worked with the other girls and the competition from them was relentless; they rode well.”
Jenny Fay takes out the Real Insurance XCM female series.
Huw Kingston, Event Founder says:
“The 7th Fling has been our biggest yet with over 2000 riders taking part. The battle at the line for the men’s Full Fling was intense. It was so close we had to check the results a few times to make sure we had it exactly right. But, just as important as the top-level competition are the ‘weekend warriors’ for many of whom The Fling will have been their first mountain bike race. Every year the numbers increase, showing the popularity of the sport. There’s not too many other sports where you can line up next to the elites, race and enjoy the incredible community atmosphere that mountain biking, and events like The Fling offer.”
Half Fling Male
Trenton Day (2:07:47)
Cameron Ivory
Andrew East
Half Fling Female
Rowena Fry (2:39:24)
Michelle Ainsworth
Karen Evans
Full race category results will be available at www.wildhorizons.com.au