NIAS: Mountain bikers achieve good results

In between regional training sessions, the riders have racked up competition experience at events including the Superflow, the Awaba Grand Prix and the University of New England Mother's Day Race.

Read also:

Returning rider Kaden Thistle also went to Canberra for the Rocky Trail Entertainment Grand Prix 4 event.

Thistle described the trails as very smooth.

"The course Rocky Trail had set for the GP included a couple of technical sections on the climb and lots of very smooth downhills," he said.

After crashing on the first lap, Thistle and his teammate regrouped to finish fourth in their age group.

At the Superflow enduro event in Awaba, NIAS riders Jock Barwick, Harrison Crowley, Leon Hystek, Jack Mackay and Fraser McQueen were in action.

Some had not competed in a Superflow before, but they all came away with great results.

In the under-13s, Barwick bettered his times with every attempt on the hard trails - finishing in 21st place.

Crowley got the team started in under-15s, while Mackay and McQueen competed in the under-17s.

McQueen, a first-time Superflow racer, said: "Fox was my favorite track ... It started with a technical section, with lots of corners and off-camber bits, followed by a smooth straight where you could easily pick up speed."

Hystek finished eighth out of 60 racers, only missing a top-five finish by a five seconds.

Thistle and fellow NIAS rider Andy Blair competed at the New England Mountain Bikers (NEMTB) XCO Championship that same weekend. They joined 34 other riders and rode the Revelation, The Rock and Poplars trails.

More regional events took place shortly after that - with Hollis, Barwick, McQueen and Blair racing in the NEMTB Mother's Day event and then the NEMTB NIXC Series a few weeks later alongside MacKay, Thistle, another NIAS rider Ben Shaw and former NIAS athlete and current trainee coach Lachlan Butters.

More recently, the athletes travelled to Glenrock to compete in an endurance-based grand prix at the Glenrock National Park trail network.

Hollis rode in the solo category, where he finished first despite having also competed at the Hunter schools MTB event the previous day.

Hollis said he made "good time on other riders over the technical sections because of the multiple line choices in some spots". He also utilised "some braking technique and cornering skills I've learnt with NIAS".

At the same grand prix, Barwick and fellow NIAS competitor Tom Dundon averaged 25 minutes per lap to claim the win, with Crowley and Blair finishing third.

The squad have a number of engagements coming up including a training session in Armidale.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: