World Champion, Craig Gordon proved too strong for Australia’s best mountain bike riders won his second Australian Marathon Championships in Coffs Harbour today. The Wollongong rider dominated the field finished the 95 kilometre race in a blistering time of 4 hours and 45 seconds. The 34 year old retains the inaugural jersey he won last year in Toowoomba. Gordon won by 9 minutes and 44 seconds holding off Canberra’s Shaun Lewis and Matthew Fleming (Helensburgh, SYD). Lewis outsprinted Fleming for second place. Early race leader, Ben Mathers from Launceston had a flat tyre which gave him an eventual fourth place.
Gordon went into the event as the favourite after claiming the prestigious World Championship in 24 hour solo racing last October. Gordon has earnt a lasting reputation as one of the sports best endurance athletes after he defeated six-time World Champion, Chris Eatough from the USA. Gordon spent three days in hospital after pushing his body tot he limit.
“If you do a 24 hour race like I did you just look back and nothing compares,” he commented.
Gordon was still elated to win his second marathon national jersey. “If you’re a defending champion it’s always harder,” he said. “It always feels good to win but you never underestimate your opponents.”
Mathers lay down the early challenge by leading the field for the first half of the race.
“When Ben went up the road I was asking the boys about him. I heard he was a strong road rider. That’s when I decided to go,” said Gordon.
Gordon rode most of the final sections of the course alone reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour. “I love it by myself,” he said.
The course received high recommendations from Gordon. “It’s got awesome single track,” he said. “I pre-rode a bit of it but I would say nearly 60 percent of it was single track.”
Lewis, 26, was content with second. “It’s one better than last year,” he said. “We knew Craig was too far in front to catch. He just had too much lead.”
The women’s race came down to a sprint for the line with Launceston’s Rowena Fry taking eventual honours. At two hundred metres to go, Fry out sprinted Brisbane’s Jodie Willett to win by 7 seconds. Fry rode an impressive 5 hours 16 minutes and 20 seconds after leading most of the race.
“I didn’t mean to take it out hard. I found myself out in front and just thought I’d keep it going while the going’s good,” she admitted.
“I was cooked at two hours into it and I just kept pushing through it. I managed to hold on,” she said.
The women’s field started before the men’s and by the 50 km mark Fry was leading the women’s race while her partner, Ben Mather, was leading the men’s.
“Ben passed me and then got a flat. It would’ve been good to get the double,” she said.
Fry is a member of the "Dirt Roads to London" program but was not expected to match the highly ranked Katrina Van Spiegel from Sydney who finished a creditable third. Brisbane's Imogen Smith finished in fourth.
Over 415 riders competed in the full, half or quarter distance event.
For more information contact:
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia
Gordon went into the event as the favourite after claiming the prestigious World Championship in 24 hour solo racing last October. Gordon has earnt a lasting reputation as one of the sports best endurance athletes after he defeated six-time World Champion, Chris Eatough from the USA. Gordon spent three days in hospital after pushing his body tot he limit.
“If you do a 24 hour race like I did you just look back and nothing compares,” he commented.
Gordon was still elated to win his second marathon national jersey. “If you’re a defending champion it’s always harder,” he said. “It always feels good to win but you never underestimate your opponents.”
Mathers lay down the early challenge by leading the field for the first half of the race.
“When Ben went up the road I was asking the boys about him. I heard he was a strong road rider. That’s when I decided to go,” said Gordon.
Gordon rode most of the final sections of the course alone reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour. “I love it by myself,” he said.
The course received high recommendations from Gordon. “It’s got awesome single track,” he said. “I pre-rode a bit of it but I would say nearly 60 percent of it was single track.”
Lewis, 26, was content with second. “It’s one better than last year,” he said. “We knew Craig was too far in front to catch. He just had too much lead.”
The women’s race came down to a sprint for the line with Launceston’s Rowena Fry taking eventual honours. At two hundred metres to go, Fry out sprinted Brisbane’s Jodie Willett to win by 7 seconds. Fry rode an impressive 5 hours 16 minutes and 20 seconds after leading most of the race.
“I didn’t mean to take it out hard. I found myself out in front and just thought I’d keep it going while the going’s good,” she admitted.
“I was cooked at two hours into it and I just kept pushing through it. I managed to hold on,” she said.
The women’s field started before the men’s and by the 50 km mark Fry was leading the women’s race while her partner, Ben Mather, was leading the men’s.
“Ben passed me and then got a flat. It would’ve been good to get the double,” she said.
Fry is a member of the "Dirt Roads to London" program but was not expected to match the highly ranked Katrina Van Spiegel from Sydney who finished a creditable third. Brisbane's Imogen Smith finished in fourth.
Over 415 riders competed in the full, half or quarter distance event.
For more information contact:
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia