It was a weekend of chasing mountain bike national titles in Australia and New Zealand, delivering both the continuation of some impressive runs from well entrenched players, Rebecca Henderson and Anton Cooper, but also foreshadowing the emergence of a new generation of challengers.
In Australia as the racing unfolded at Mt Buller on Sunday ,Henderson took an impressive 13th elite women’s national cross-country title in a row. The Orbea Fox team ride claimed victory in dominant style even though she was picking her way through the course carefully after last year crashing in brutal wet conditions and unknowingly racing to her 12th title with a fractured shoulder.
“I was so hyper-focused the whole way I never really rode into it, my eyes hurt because I was just laser focused, seeing every rock and risk averse,” Henderson said in an AusCycling media release after adding her 13th elite cross-country Australian title to the short-track one she claimed earlier at the event.
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The U23 women’s riders were also out on the course at the same time, but starting a minute later for their five lap event. Still that didn’t stop U23 winner Ruby Taylor – who last month won two stages on the road at the Hertz ProVelo Super League’s Tour of Tasmania – catching and passing all but Henderson on her way to victory in her first year out of the junior category. The 18-year-old who had an average lap time of 14:44, just 11 seconds more than Henderson, carved out a gap of 3:30 to her nearest U23 rival Ella Menigoz.
“I just wanted to rip the first lap and put everyone in the red and I could recover quicker and go from there,” said Ward, who also won the short track title.
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