Champion duo lead formidable Aussie lineup for World Champs Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Reigning world four cross champions Jared Graves and Caroline Buchanan will lead a formidable 38-strong Australian team at the 2010 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships in Canada this August.
The championships, to be held from August 31 to September 5 in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, will celebrate twenty years of international mountain biking.
Australia played host to the mountain bike world championships in 2009 and in what was Australia’s most successful campaign in history, Graves and Buchanan took advantage of the home course and raucous crowd in Canberra to secure the coveted rainbow jersey. A silver medal for Shaun O’Connor (junior men’s downhill) and bronze for Michael Hannah (men’s downhill) and Holly Baarspul (junior women’s downhill) capping off the nation’s impressive performance.
Graves will ride into the 2010 championships as the raging favourite, dominating the elite men’s four cross event over the past two years. The 27-year-old is on track for back-to-back UCI World Cup titles, securing three out of four possible wins and a 175 point lead over his closest rival, Tomas Slavik (CZE), at the half way point of the season.
Buchanan’s preparations will take a different path, balancing training between both her mountain bike and BMX commitments. The 19-year-old will represent Australia at the BMX World Championships in South Africa in July before making her way to Canada in August.
Two-time world downhill champion Samuel Hill (2006 and 2007) will also don the green and gold, the 24-year-old joining five teammates in the men’s elite downhill competition, including O’Connor who makes the transition to the open competition.
Four cross rider Randall Huntington will be Australia’s oldest competitor, turning 40 during the championships, joining Graves to take on the world in the elite men’s four cross competition at the ripe age of 39. At the other end of the scale, Troy Brosnan will compete in the junior men’s downhill aged just 17.
Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) high performance manager Chris Clarke, said he was confident the squad will deliver some great results.
“This is a very competitive team across the board, led by our two reigning world champions Caroline Buchanan and Jared Graves,” Clarke said.
“We have a good mix of riders who have the experience and know what it takes to compete, and win, on the world stage, and those who will benefit greatly from the experience of these leaders and the international competition.”
MTBA President Russ Baker congratulated the members of the Australian mountain bike team.
"On behalf of the MTBA Management Committee, I congratulate all riders selected to represent Australia at the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships,” Baker said.
“To be selected to represent your country is a great honour, and we will all be eagerly watching your achievements."
2010 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships - Australian Team
Cross Country
Cross Country (XCO) – Elite Men
Andrew Blair (NSW)
Lachlan Norris (VIC)
Ben Henderson (ACT)
Daniel McConnell (VIC)
Cross Country (XCO) - Under 23 Men
Cal Britten (VIC)
Paul van der Ploeg (VIC)
Cross Country (XCO) - Junior Men
Kyle Ward (NSW)
Mitchell Codner (NSW)
Trenton Day (NSW)
Cameron Ivory (NSW)
Cross Country (XCO) – Elite Women
Rowena Fry (TAS)
Heather Logie (ACT)
Kate Potter (NSW
Katherine O’Shea (VIC)
Cross Country (XCO) - Under 23 Women
Gracie Elvin (ACT)
Therese Rhodes (SA)
Rebecca Henderson (ACT)
Four Cross
4-Cross (4X) – Elite Men
Richard Levinson (QLD)
David Habicht (VIC)
Jared Graves (QLD)
Randall Huntington (QLD
4-Cross (4X) – Elite Women
Caroline Buchanan (ACT )
Sarsha Huntington (QLD)
Downhill
Downhill (DHI) – Elite Men
Shaun O'Connor (NSW)
Bryn Atkinson (NSW)
Mitchell Delfs (WA)
Michael Hannah (QLD )
Samuel Hill (WA)
Chris Kovarik (QLD)
Downhill (DHI) - Junior Men
Troy Brosnan (SA)
Ayden Wyber (VIC)
Phillip Piazza (NSW)
Antony Moore (QLD)
Downhill (DHI) - Junior Women
Holly Baarspul (WA)
Emily Hockey (SA)
Bicycle Trials
Trials 26" – Elite Men
Joe Brewer (VIC)
Andrew Dickey (VIC )
Nathan Mummery (VIC)
The final date for appeals has been extended to COB (EST) Monday 5th July. Appeals can only be considered in accordance with the process and procedure given in Section A (General Selection Eligibility Criteria and Appeals Guide), Clause 8.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Michelle Cook - Jump Media and Marketing
03 9500 0122 or 0430 177 668
michelle@jumpmedia.com.au
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