Winning the third round of the National Series cross country race in Thredbo proved a point for Melbourne’s Dellys Starr (Smiths Gully). Starr returned to Australia just two weeks ago from her base in Colorado to prepare for her assault on the Beijing Olympics spot. The 31 year old Melbourne Commonwealth Games rider is hoping to secure the one spot allocated for an Australian elite female. The men also have one spot.
“I’m here for the national series and looking forward to the National Championships in January and going for Olympic selections,” Starr said.
Starr got the fastest lap in her second of four laps in 21 min 16 sec when she took over the lead from current series leader, Rowena Fry (Launceston).
“It makes me feel like my training is on track. It’s good to gauge where the rest of the girls are at. I’m only going to get stronger from here,” she added.
Completing the four laps in 1 hr 26 minutes gave Starr a one and a half minute lead over nearest rival, current National Champion, Tory Thomas (Mt Beauty, VIC).
Starr will not rest now and continue training and racing in Australia until March next year.
“I definitely never underestimate anyone. I’ve been keeping tabs on the results,” she said.
Starr now looks ahead to the National Championships at Mount Stromlo in Canberra at the end of January which will form a part of the selection process towards the Olympics.
“It’s a great course (Stromlo). I competed there last year. I wasn’t quite as prepared,” she admitted.
This year Starr sounds like she has a different plan and preparation is underway as her race results showed today. With still eight months to go to Beijing Olympics and several of the elite women could be looking like a candidate at this stage.
“Definitely it doesn’t seem to be cut and dried,” she said. “No one is dominating. It’s going to be tight and selection is going to be close.”
Fry finished in third place and retains the series lead.
The elite men’s race was a cat and mouse affair with the lead changing four times over the seven laps. Eventual winner, Canberra’s Dylan Cooper took charge in the fifth lap to finish in 2 hr 4 min. The 28 year old now leads the series and has his sights set on the overall series and next month's National Championships.
Second was Victoria’s Dan McConnell securing the fastest lap of 16 min 53 sec. The 23 year old crashed in the second last lap going over his handlebars sustaining lacerations to his right knee. A sprint finish gave Andrew Blair (Cooma, NSW) third place and series leader, Aiden Lefmann (Manly) claimed fifth and relinquishes the leader’s plate.
Under 23 men’s winner Paul Van Der Ploeg (Mt Beauty, VIC) got third fastest in the men’s race with an impressive ride for the world representative rider.
Final round will be in Mt Beauty in early February with the National Mountain Bike Championships beforehand in Canberra on the Australia Day weekend in January.
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia
“I’m here for the national series and looking forward to the National Championships in January and going for Olympic selections,” Starr said.
Starr got the fastest lap in her second of four laps in 21 min 16 sec when she took over the lead from current series leader, Rowena Fry (Launceston).
“It makes me feel like my training is on track. It’s good to gauge where the rest of the girls are at. I’m only going to get stronger from here,” she added.
Completing the four laps in 1 hr 26 minutes gave Starr a one and a half minute lead over nearest rival, current National Champion, Tory Thomas (Mt Beauty, VIC).
Starr will not rest now and continue training and racing in Australia until March next year.
“I definitely never underestimate anyone. I’ve been keeping tabs on the results,” she said.
Starr now looks ahead to the National Championships at Mount Stromlo in Canberra at the end of January which will form a part of the selection process towards the Olympics.
“It’s a great course (Stromlo). I competed there last year. I wasn’t quite as prepared,” she admitted.
This year Starr sounds like she has a different plan and preparation is underway as her race results showed today. With still eight months to go to Beijing Olympics and several of the elite women could be looking like a candidate at this stage.
“Definitely it doesn’t seem to be cut and dried,” she said. “No one is dominating. It’s going to be tight and selection is going to be close.”
Fry finished in third place and retains the series lead.
The elite men’s race was a cat and mouse affair with the lead changing four times over the seven laps. Eventual winner, Canberra’s Dylan Cooper took charge in the fifth lap to finish in 2 hr 4 min. The 28 year old now leads the series and has his sights set on the overall series and next month's National Championships.
Second was Victoria’s Dan McConnell securing the fastest lap of 16 min 53 sec. The 23 year old crashed in the second last lap going over his handlebars sustaining lacerations to his right knee. A sprint finish gave Andrew Blair (Cooma, NSW) third place and series leader, Aiden Lefmann (Manly) claimed fifth and relinquishes the leader’s plate.
Under 23 men’s winner Paul Van Der Ploeg (Mt Beauty, VIC) got third fastest in the men’s race with an impressive ride for the world representative rider.
Final round will be in Mt Beauty in early February with the National Mountain Bike Championships beforehand in Canberra on the Australia Day weekend in January.
Sharon Payne
Media Manager
Mountain Bike Australia