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Brendan Scale - a decade of mountain biking (1996 - 2006) |
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By Brendan Scale:
Although my contribution to mountain biking began in 1996, I began riding in 1994 on my brother's Graecross Summit to try and get over Chronic Fatigue, something that I battled with for over a year. I rode the Graecross regularly for a year or so until my brother brought back a bike for me from America - a Macalu Cross Country hardtail.
In 1996 I designed a cross-country course at Delhuntie Park, where I grew up and where I was living at the time. Once this was done I put on a race which attracted around 30 or so local riders. Mid way through 1996 I moved to Melbourne where I started working at Bicycle Workshop part-time and began cross-country racing.
By 1998 my riding interest had changed from XC to downhill and I competed in my first DH race - a National event at Mt Buller. I managed to pinch flat on my race run about 3/4 of the way down the course so I got off and ran with my bike to the finish. I pulled a 6th place in novice!
My interest in DH racing grew until 2000, where we launched a shop team of 6 riders that I was the manager of. Bicycle Workshop was our sponsor and
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| Brendan at his first race on the XC course he built at Delhuntie Park in 1996. It was the first MTB course he designed. Nice look hey! |
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I managed to hook up Weet-Bix as another sponsor. We raced pretty much every race in Victoria and we occasionally went interstate.
I was riding a Giant AC2 and by the end of 2001 I went from sport class to elite, where I managed my first top 10 finish. Giant bikes began supporting me and throughout 2002 I finished top 10 in almost every race in Victoria. I was only one of two riders in elite not racing a DH bike.
2002 was the year that I first heard of 4X and got a sniff of the potential of the sport. I had a talk with my parents and they agreed to let me build a course at Delhuntie Park.
At the time I had no idea that it was arguably the first national standard 4X course in Australia or how far reaching it's reputation would become. Very few people in the MTB scene had heard of me or the Trafalgar course in Victoria, let alone throughout Australia.
However, when I ran the first race there in mid 2002, the Rock Shox Bikercross, things changed dramatically.It was to be the biggest 4X event in Australia.
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| Brendan at his first DH race - Mt Buller, 1998. |
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It remained as such until the end of 2005, when the Sydney round of the National MTX Series surpassed it.
I remember the Rock Shox Bikercross, watching riders racing down the course with spectators crammed everywhere, trying to get a look at the action. Flashes from cameras were going off left, right, and centre. It was certainly a very rewarding day for me.
Shortly after this I began running Open Days at Trafalgar where riders could come and ride the course without the pressure of racing. Open Days certainly grew over time, to the place where more riders would attend these than some national races.
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| Team Weet-Bix/ Bicycle Workshop, 2001. Brendan was manager of the team from 2000 - 2003. |
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From the word "go", the media took to the Trafalgar course. Freewheel was a big supporter of it initially, as well as the local TV station and paper.
The following events I ran there continued to attract media attention and in 2003 Freewheel called the course "the most exciting 4X track in the land".
My collection of media coverage of the Trafalgar course over the years shows its popularity - calendars, DVD's and various magazines.
At the end of 2002 I moved to Western Victoria, which meant I would be around 5 hours away from Trafalgar.
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| Simon Anderson @ Rock Shox Bikercross 2002 - the first race at Trafalgar, the course Brendan designed. |
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However, I continued to upgrade the course and run events there. I ran the 2003 State Championships there as well as regular Open Days.
To help promote the 2003 State Championships race I started up a web site. It contained background info on the course, entry details, maps and other info for the event.
After the event I wrote some follow up stories and then I began promoting other events at Trafalgar and around the area. |
| Media coverage of Trafalgar 4X events - includes magazines, DVD's, and calendars. |
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At the end of 2003 I changed the name of the site to 4XFEVA.com and began covering stories from around Australia.The site was receiving around 150 visits each week, with up to 500 or more when events were on. This has continued up until today.
Today 4XFEVA.com remains as the only dedicated 4X MTB site in Australia and still receives emails from riders around Australia.
By 2004 the travel and commitment required of me for Trafalgar began weighing on me so PUSHI kindly offered to help out with events.
In 2004 I continued my interest in DH, racing at the National Championships and placing 6th in Veterans.
I built a DH course in Stawell, and co-ran a couple of events there. However, as the land it was built on was quite fragile, the land owner closed the course for racing. Also in 2004, GT bikes and Troy Lee Designs joined forces with me.
2005 saw me run my last event at Trafalgar - the Norco Battle of Trafalgar. |
| Michael "Tiger" Robinson won the 2003 Vic Champs and raced against the motorbike. He lost by 0.64 seconds. Pic: Gavin D Andrew |
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The highlight of the day for me was the dirt jump comp and the lake jump session.
Also, I got to race my brother down the course. He is a pro ATV rider. Even with my chain coming off half way down the course (damn chain guides!), I was 3 seconds quicker than him. Admittedly, the course was way too tight for an ATV.
PUSHI continued to run Open Days at Trafalgar throughout 2005, which has kept the momentum of the course going.
I built another DH course in 2005 in Ararat.
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| Adam Miller, Pro Motocrosser raced against the MTB's in a time trial as a feature at the 2003 Victorian Championships at Trafalgar. Pic: Gavin D Andrew, gavind.com.au |
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Club Mud helped out with the construction and they are keen to run the 2006 State Championships there.
Toward the end of 2005 I was getting to the stage where the work of my involvement in the sport was far outweighing the fun I was getting from it.
I still enjoyed riding my bike for fun and fitness, but I had had enough of putting in time for others to enjoy the sport. I decided that 2005 was going to be my last year of giving to the sport. It was time for others to take over.
I've had a lot of fun in the sport over the years.
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| Brendan raced against his pro ATV riding brother, Rodney at the 2005 Norco Battle of Trafalgar. Brendan won! Pic: Gavin D Andrew, gavind.com.au |
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It has kept me fit and has given me a lot of adrenaline rushes. It has been a honour to be supported by companies in the sport and I have appreciated the money they have saved me.
I will continue to enjoy riding my bike and look forward to the spare time I will now have.
I'd like to thank God most of all for my time in mountain biking. All good things come from Him, and MTB'ing is one of them. For more on God, click here.
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| The lake jump was a huge hit at the 2005 Norco Battle. Pic: Gavin D Andrew, gavind.com.au |
Brendan racing at Trafalgar, 2002. Pic: Darryl Snowdon. |
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Brendan @ 2004 National DH Championships. Pic: Gavin D Andrew, gavind.com.au |
Brendan @ an Open Day @ Trafalgar. Pic: Gavin D Andrew, gavind.com.au
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| Although he has ended his formal involvement in the mountain bike scene, Brendan still loves riding and will continue to do so recreationally. |
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Armidale postponed. 29.11 |
Next weekend was to be the date for round 4 of the National series but as this release on Farkin.net notes, it is postponed. Read on for more info.
Ongoing bad weather has forced the organizers of “Round 4 of the National Mountain Cross Series” to postpone the event until early next year.
Armidale's Race Director, Mr Dave Rugendyke, said although the race track is in good condition, due to the unusually high amounts of rainfall in the area over the past month, the rain soaked event site surrounding the 4x course has unfortunately suffered badly.
Read more here . |
Hot stuff @ 3 Chillies Farm - Nat Rd #3. 29.11 |
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Huge thanks to Daniel Sprague - Former World BMX Champ, turned Elite 4X/ MTX rider, turned reporter and photographer for 4XFEVA.
Below are his words from the race. Nice work Daniel.
"The latest installment of the National 4X Series hit the hills of Chittering Valley at Paul Neve's 3 Chillies Farm on Nov. 27. |
Pic: Elite Men final - Rando leads Beare, Strom and Hill through the berm. Courtesy: Daniel Sprague. |
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Elite Men Big Guns in the running for victory early on included Giant's Jared Rando, former 4X National Series Champ and Specialized mounted Dennis Beare, Hi way Cycles WA DH Champ Miikael Kinnunen and Iron horse's superstar Sam Hill. |
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The track featured big jumps that have been spoken about for a few months now - a Tabletop launching riders some 10-15 feet high, a technical rhythm section that tripped up some of the best riders,big doubles and step ups that gave riders a race-run filled with airtime madness.
This gave spectators something to cheer about all day long.
After the qualifying heats were done, only Jared Rando and former World BMX Champ Daniel Sprague were the two Elite Men left undefeated . The quarter finals saw some big names eliminated with Miikael Kinnunen, Adam Smithson and Rick Boyer all missing the cut.
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| Pic: Semi final action - Sam Hill fully hooks into the corner, Wyn Masters hooking in under him and Luke Strom taking the berm. Check out the spray of dirt from Hill's rear wheel! Courtesy: Daniel Sprague. |
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Semi Finals saw the demise of Kiwi Wyn Masters and Sprague's undefeated run when he crashed in the first turn while going for the lead and ending up in the orange trees.
The Elite Men's final was just as action packed as the qualifiers and Jared Rando showed his international class by getting the holeshot and leading the field down the hill. Battling out for second was Dennis Beare and Sam Hill, the latter ran into trouble but managed to salvage third followed by Luke Strom.
Junior Elite saw Joel Bain continue his amazing riding display by taking another National Round victory and capping off a stellar week for the young WA speedster. He is definitely one for sponsors to keep an eye on with two DH National round victories in two starts and no major sponsor as yet....(It won't be long before this guys got a Factory ride)
Elite women was won by Emma McNaughton with BMX er Kylie Patroni snapping at her heels.
The whole event was filmed for TV and should feature on FOX sports in the coming months so stay tuned for further TV-schedule details!" - By Daniel Sprague. |
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Pic: Qualifying heats - Former World BMX Champ, Daniel Sprague leads '05 National Series Champion, Dennis Beare in an Elite Men qualifying heat. Courtesy: Daniel Sprague. |
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| Results (Elite Men): |
| 1. Jared Rando |
| 2. Dennis Beare |
| 3. Sam Hill |
| 4. Luke Strom |
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Traf ends '05 on a high. 23.11 |
Riders at the last Open Day at Trafalgar for 2005 were greeted with sunshine on the weekend.
Petri, Manager of PUSHI and coordinator of the day said it went really well. Petri says, "There were a fair few little kids on dodgy bikes going off as usual" as well as a decent turnout of some regulars and some new faces.
There were a couple injuries on the day but St Johns took care of those.
With the past two events at Trafalgar being cancelled due to bad weather, it was good to have riders at Delhuntie Park again.
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Petri said, "It is such a cool track, people need to ride it more."
We just got an email from a guy who rode at the Open Day. He says, "I just wanted to thank you for opening the track as it was the best day of riding I've had! The track is awesome and I had heaps of fun."
When I (Brendan Scale) built the course in 2002, my aim was simple, "Make a course that riders will have a lot of fun on". After 3 years now, I am stoked that riders still get a rush from riding the course at Delhuntie Park, Trafalgar.
A big thanks goes to PUSHI for keeping the Trafalgar dream alive.
Look forward to more exciting events at Trafalgar in 2006. Take a look at the calendar page for a list of events there.
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Last Trafalgar Open Day for the year. 8 Oct |
The last Open Day for the year at Trafalgar, Victoria is set for Sunday, November 20 - just over a week away.
With the last 3 events at Trafalgar being canned due to bad weather, we'll be praying that this one goes ahead. A decent turn out is expected due to a serious lack of other 4X events in Victoria.
PUSHI will be hosting the day. For more info go to the event info page or call PUSHI on 0404 023 469. |
SBS Rocks! 7 Oct |
How sweet was it to see the first ever stand alone MTX event broadcast on SBS yesterday? A full half hour with no ads!
SBS took their cameras and the "cycling guru", Mike Tomalaris to the Sydney round of the National MTX Series and broadcast the event yesterday at 11.30am.
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It was great to see the decent crowds and the pro look of the event. Great for mountain biking.
The down side of the event is that the course looked quite slow. This is understandable considering there is only an alleged 13 metre vertical drop from the start to the finish. Also, the course wasn't very long. Again, if you want a 4X/MTX course in the middle of Australia's biggest city, you may not have a lot of choice.
Another gripe - riders say it again and again that twin lines on corners and straights do not work - one line will always be faster than the other and it doesn't take riders long to figure out which one it is. It certainly is a BMX'ers course - nothing overly technical and heaps of pedalling.
Having said that, it is still a quality course and the average person watching the show would have no idea of these things and would only see the cool shoulder to shoulder racing. Great work SBS. We look forward to heaps more action in the future.
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Poor turnout @ Round 2. 4 Oct |
A disappointing 36 riders turned out to the second round of the National MTX Series at Hobart on the weekend.
After a record 180 plus riders at Sydney the week before, it was expected that numbers would be solid, especially considering the sweet wrap that the Hobart course had received.
There weren't a lot of top class riders there either. The only world cup riders there were Jared Rando and the current Junior World DH Champion, Amiel Cavalier.
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1. Amiel Cavalier |
2. Andrew Mills |
3. Luke Strom |
4. Jarod Rando |
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Perth MTX Round set to be good. 4 Oct |
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Joel Bain launches it on the all new tabletop at the 3 Chillies Farm, W.A. The course has been recently upgraded. Courtesy: Daniel Sprague. |
| We just got word in from the boys over west that they have been doing some upgrades on the 3 Chillies course. Daniel Sprague says, "The course features bigger jumps, double berms with lots of options and more speed!" He says that it is set to be fully ready for action shortly. The National Round to be held there is November 27. |
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Biggest Oz MTX ever! 28 Oct |
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The opening round of the 05/06 National MTX series at Sydney's Olympic Park on the weekend was the biggest MTX event to be held in Australia, ever!
MTBA president, Tony Scott said there were around 180 entries, beating the previous record held by the Rock Shox Bikercross at Trafalgar, Victoria in 2002 by over 60 riders.
Tony says it was "By a very long way the largest MTNX event in this country." Although he agrees that the event was pivotal, he does recognise that it is only one race and it remains to be seen if the rest of the series follows with such support from the riders.
Tony has a dream of getting local governments involved and encouraging them to see MTX/ 4X courses in a similar way to the way they see skate parks.
In a word, he would like to see all local governments taking on the concept. He says, "Now that would be exciting!".
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| Pic: Nathan Rennie whipping it on his way to 3rd in Round 1 of the National MTX series at Sydney's Olympic Park on the weekend. Courtesy: Tom Baker. More pics of Tom's here. |
Numbers at the event could have been boosted all the more if the other dozen or so pro's Australia boasts had of been there. Notably absent was World Champs 2nd place getter, Jared Graves, also Sam Hill, Chris Kovarik and Bryn Atkinson. |
Lethal BMX pros weren't there also as they had a UCI BMX Super series round in New Zealand on the same weekend. These included GT's Luke Madill, "Tiger" Robinson, and the powerful Wade Bootes.
Despite the absence of some pros, the Elite Men start list still included such names as Mick Hannah, Nathan Rennie, and Jarod Rando. However, it was the BMX 'ers who were the fastest on the night.
Winner was Alex Lloyd, a junior BMX 'er from Sydney who placed 8th in the BMX National Championships earlier this year in Cairns. He has obviously improved heaps since then to take out a National Men's MTX event.
2nd place went to Leigh Darrell from ACT , another BMX junior who was National Champion in both the 20 inch and cruiser classes at the BMX Nat. Champs. Rennie cruised in for third and 4th was taken out by pro BMX 'er Ryan Jedrzejczyk.
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Results: |
1. Alex Lloyd |
2. Leigh Darrell |
3. Nathan Rennie |
4. Ryan Jedrzejczyk |
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For full results click here. |
All the action from the Sydney round of the National MTX Series can be seen on SBS on Sunday November 6 from 11.30am - 12pm.
Check your local guides whether this is AEST or Daylight savings time.
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Oz 4X comes of age. 20 Oct |
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Pic: The all new Sydney 4X course located at P5 carpark at Olympic Stadium. Also the venue for Round 1 of the 05/06 National MTX Series. Courtesy: Farkin.net forums. |
Today is the day for the opening round of the 05/06 series and it appears that it will be the biggest turnout of riders for any National 4X event and possibly any 4X event in Australia.
As of a few days ago, 104 riders had entered the Sydney, breaking the record held by Eildon in February for a National event. The record for any 4X event in Australia is 120 riders, held by Trafalgar when it hosted the Rock Shox Bikercross in 2002. This looks like it might be overtaken too.
4X first appeared on the World Cup circuit in 2001 and courses and events began to appear in Australia in 2002. However, the scene was pretty sparce with very few races and low numbers attending most events, excluding Trafalgar and Bacchus Marsh.
With last year's inaugural National series averaging a mear 40-50 riders per event, it appears that numbers have jumped and that 05/06 will be the year that 4X/MTX finally comes of age in Australia.
We certainly have had the talent in the past but have lacked the numbers up until now. My prediction is that numbers will remain strong at all events throughout 05/06 and it will be seen as the season that 4X/MTX comes of age in Australia. |
Preview - 06 GT 4X'er. 12 Oct |
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GT Australia have sent through a sneak preview of the 2006 GT Ruckus DJ.
It comes in nickel silver and features everything you need for a decent 4X hardtail.
It comes with adjustable rear wheel dropouts, Manitou Stance forks, Hayes hydraulic discs, Truvativ cranks and Boxguide, and Sun Single Track rims.All this for $1,599.00. Keep your eye out for this bike at a store near you. Also, check out GT's site. |
| Pic: '06 GT Ruckus DJ. Straight out of the box 4X hardtail for $1,599.00. |
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Worlds Course impressive. 7 Oct |
SBS showed the '05 World Championships at Livigno, Italy on the Sunday that just passed.
Although only five or so minutes was devoted to the 4X events, the footage did give a good portrayal of the course.
I have to say that after watching it, I was most impressed. I've seen many 4X courses from around Australia and the world either in person, on video, or in pics and I have to say that the Livigno course was the best I have seen.
It had an excellent variety of jumps, corners, fast and slow sections, technical sections that separated the riders, and best of all, it required stamina and fitness. If you want to design and build a world class 4X course, model it after Livigno. |
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Get Your Practice Start Gates Here. 29 Sept. |
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BMXtronic now has start gates available for keen riders to practice their starts.
Any 4X rider knows the race is mostly won or lost at the start so practice is important.
Although BMXtronic is run by BMX guys, the gates can also be used for 4X.
Paul Surrey, based in Sydney, is the man behind BMXtronic and is a long time BMX racer. He has a number of models available. He can also make gates for courses too.
The top model gate, GTR costs around $800. For more details, go to BMXtronic's web site.
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Lopes laps up victory @ Worlds. 29 Sept. |
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Pic: Brian Lopes relishes the victory at the Worlds recently. On the left is Aussie Jared Graves, and right is Mickael Deldycke. Pic courtesy GT.
The guys at GT report that after two years of being plagued with injuries, Lopes was able to put it all together for the Worlds. He took a clean sweep, qualifying fastest, winning all heats, and then taking out the win in the final. Well done Brian! |
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Trafalgar cancelled. 9 Sep |
After keeping a careful eye on the Bureau of Meteorology's weather predictions for the Trafalgar area, PUSHI and 4XFEVA have decided to cancel the Open Day scheduled for this Sunday.
The weather is predicted to be showers for both Saturday and Sunday, leaving them with no choice but to cancel the event. Apologies to all who were planning on riding but we don't control the weather. God does that.
Please spread the word around to those who were planning on coming. We don't want people driving long distances only to be told by Delhuntie Park staff that they can't ride.
The next scheduled event for Trafalgar is an Open Day on Sunday November 20. With two Open Days in a row being cancelled, we hope it is a pearla of a day weather wise.
For further info on Open Days contact PUSHI Manager, Petri on 0404 023 469. |
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Graves steps up @ Worlds. 7 Sep |
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Jared Graves has stepped up a heap of notches this year with his 4X abilities.
First he took out the Aussie Champs, then he recently claimed the US Norba Series and now he has taken out 2nd place in the World Champs. Big effort Jared!
The course was much faster than the 1 min 10 sec quoted on the official race site.
Lopes qualified fastest in around 54 seconds and Graves qualified second just behind him. They both held their qualifying positions in the final with Lopes taking first and Graves taking 2nd.
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Pic: Jared Graves in action @ Livigno, Italy at the World Champs. Pic courtesy of Chris Herron.
Robbie McNaughton from CLICT said former World Dual Champ, Wade Bootes (Aus) had stomach pains but still finished a credible 10th.
In the women's 4X, Aussie Katrina Miller took out second also. That girl has been racing World Cup since I can remember. She just keeps going and going.
For full results click here.
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| Results: |
| 1. Brian Lopes (GT, USA) |
| 2. Jared Graves (YETI, Aus) |
| 3. Mickael Deldycke (France) |
| 4. Greg Minnaar (Honda, Sth Africa) |
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05 World Champs course. 2 Sep 05 |
The location for the World Champs this year is Livigno, Italy. According to their site, the course is a whopping 1 minute 10 seconds long, the longest 4X course in the world. Should provide some great action.
For more info click here. |
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Traf is on for Sept 11. 26 Aug 05 |
PUSHI is hosting another Open Day at Delhuntie Park, Trafalgar, Victoria on Sunday September 11.
Along with the usual fun day of 4X riding, there is now catering ( drinks and sandwiches) and the all-new 06 calendar will be available to buy.
You can buy the calendar at the Open Day for only $15 ( normally $21.95). Just ask the PUSHI crew for one when you register and it's all yours. You'll be one of the very first in the country to have one in your hot hands.
For more info on the Open Day, click here or call PUSHI on 0404 023 469. |
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National MTX Series update. 26 Aug 05 |
The poster for the 05/ 06 National MTX series is out now. You can view it by clicking here.
You can also get a copy of the entry form for the first round of the series at Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW by clicking here.
If you would like more info on the series, contact us here: info@4XFEVA.com |
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Blackhill MTX a hit! 19 Aug 05 |
From Blackphoenixfilms.com
Special thanks go out to all that attended the Mountain Cross round at the Black course on the 31st of July. We had a great turn out of 35 riders and perfect conditions for racing. With the track seeing its last race before modification and re-beautification we hope to see such an eager crowd for the National series Final round on the 7th of January.
Props go out to Tim Moffit for the most death defying crashes in one race not to mention the rest of the day. Get Well soon Bowen and Eddie! |
The results were as follows: |
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Elite |
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1 Thomas Hubert |
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2 Adam Smithson |
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3 Regan Arthur |
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4 Neil Gourlay |
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Women |
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1 Alice Minahan |
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For the results of the other classes, go to the Black Phoenix site |
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06 Calendar Preview! 11 Aug 05 |
We've just received some images of the 2006 Australian Mountain Biking Calendar and they look pretty sweet.
Michael Taylor, the producer of the calendars sent through an image of the front and back covers, as well as images of the free poster that comes with the calendar.
You can win a free weekend of riding at Thredbo, home of the 2006 National Championships, as well as other cool prizes.
Click here to view the images of the calendar. |
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Aussie team for Worlds announced. 10 Aug 05 |
The team of Aussies that will be heading to the World Championships shortly was recently announced. No real surprises, except that the highest placed Aussie in 04, Michael Robinson, is not there. I haven't heard anything about him all year.
ELITE MEN FOUR CROSS
1. Sam Hill (WA)
2. Nathan Rennie (Qld)
3. Chris Kovarik (Qld)
4. Jared Graves (Qld)
5. Michael Hannah (NSW)
6. Joel Panozzo (Vic)
7. Bryn Atkinson (Vic)
reserves (Darren Pokoj (Qld), Justin Havukainen (NSW), Jared Rando (ACT))
ELITE WOMEN FOUR CROSS
1. Katrina Miller (NSW)
2. Claire Whiteman (ACT) |
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Rd 2 W.A Champs wrap up. 10 Aug 05 |
Round 2 of the WA 4X Championships was held at the 3 Chillies Farm in Chittering (about 40 mins) out of Perth on Sunday July 24.
An excellent turnout, awesome weather and fast flowing track made for some quick and action packed racing.
The track was steep and fairly rough (for 4x) with ruts developing in some turns. Most corners had high and low berms and the second straight had a split section so riders didn't have to follow the leader.....It was an awesome layout with passing opportunities galore!!!
Elite men featured some big name BMX riders and top-class WA downhillers vying to make the final 4.
The Semi finals saw a few suprise eliminations with Current WA Downhill Champ, Mikael Kinnunen missing out aswell as Intense mounted Mitchell Lindschau.
The final 4 saw the crazy DH speedster Joel Bain, BMX Factory DK rider Mark Taylor, MX turned BMX and 4x rider Matt Briggs and old-school BMX Pro Daniel Sprague.
Gate popped and Sprague, Briggs and Taylor battle for the first turn with Bain on the outside. Sprague gets there first, Taylor goes down and Bain moves into the two-spot.
Bain and Sprague battle it out with Bain gaining ground through the stutters and looking for a pass in the final bends. Sprague knew he couldn't give him an inch or he'd take a mile and shut down Bain's final corner attempt to take the win.
Results 1st - Sprague, 2nd - Bain, 3rd - Briggs and 4th - Taylor
It was Sprague's first win in his first 4X event and was Stoked. In April, Sprague returned to riding push-bikes (DH) after successfully racing Sprint-Karts and MX since he retired from BMX racing in 1999. |
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Update on Olympic Park race. 10 Aug 05 |
From Bicycling Australia:
The 2005 Bicycling Australia Show will have another exciting feature this year with news that the first round of the National Mountain Cross Series will be held during Show week.
A brand new, world class Mountain Cross course has just been approved for construction at Sydney Olympic Park, not far from the site of the 2005 Bicycling Australia Show at The Dome.
Mountain Cross is the newest branch of the sport of mountain biking. Four riders go head to head in a sudden death, action packed race complete with jumps, spills and thrills. Sydney's new Mountain Cross course will be approximately 250 metres in length, with races lasting for about 25 seconds of intense pedalling.
Race Director Robbie McNaughton has been instrumental in the establishment of mountain cross racing in Australia, launching the National Series in 2004.
“This is a step forward in launching Mountain Cross as a fully-fledged part of mountain biking,” McNaughton said. “As race director, I am excited that mountain cross is moving up to the next level.
“I am excited to be part of bringing mountain cross so close to a large amount of people, especially right in the heart of Sydney.”
The first round of the National Mountain Cross Series will be held on Friday 21 October 2005 at the new course in Sydney Olympic Park, located between the P5 car park and Haslam's Creek.
Entries are open to riders of all ages and grades. Qualifying heats will be held during the day from 10am with Finals to follow under lights at 7pm on Friday night. A minimum of $5,000 in prize money is on offer, thanks to Bicycling Australia.
For riders considering giving mountain cross a go, Robbie McNaughton had this to say:
“Mountain cross gives you the chance to put yourself up against the best riders in Australia. But just by participating and having a go, whether you win or lose, I guarantee you will have fun.”
Spectator admission is free.
The Mountain Cross event and 2005 Bicycling Australia Show will be part of the Festival of Cycling weekend, taking place at Sydney Olympic Park on 22 and 23 October 2005.
FACTFILE
WHAT: Round 1, National Mountain Cross Series & Bicycling Australia Show
WHERE: Sydney Olympic Park WHEN: Friday 21 October 2005 (2005 Bicycling Australia Show runs 22-23 October)
HOW MUCH: Spectator admission to mountain cross race is free. Show entry $15/$10.
MORE INFORMATION: Contact Bicycling Australia
Phone: 02 4274 4884 or email show@bicyclingaustralia.com |
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Pre-order your 06 calendar NOW! 5 Aug 05 |
The 2006 Australian MTB Calendar will be loaded with heaps of MTB action, just like the samples of the 2005calendar above. Pre-order your 2006 MTB Calendar from 4XFEVA now! Email: info@4XFEVA.com |
The 2006 Australian MTB Calendar is almost ready for sale.
It contains super cool pics of riders in action, dates for MTB events, contacts for clubs, websites, and other MTB bodies, and other goodies from across Australia.
The '05 calendar featured 4X racing, dirt jumping, DH racing, and general MTB riding. The '06 calendar is set to be just as good.
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The calendar costs $21.95 and is set to be available for distribution in around four weeks.
Pre-order your copy from 4XFEVA by sending us an email: info@4XFEVA.com.
The first person to pre-order their copy of the 2006 Australian MTB Calendar will receive it FREE! |
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World Cup racing vid. 4 Aug 05 |
Click on the image above to view the World Cup race at Austria recently. |
Thanks again to Farkin.net for the info, here is a vid of the final of the World Cup round 3 at Schladming, Austria.
Nice long track. Race time: 45 seconds. I love the three drops on the finish straight as well as the variety of jumps. Good course design ideas.
Brain Lopes (GT) wins the race.
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Banshee sponsorship? 29 July 2005 |
Banshee Australia (Dirtworks) are offering sponsorship to up and coming riders.
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Banshee Bikes and Dirt Works are looking for riders to join their grass roots program.
We're not necessarily looking for the "best" riders out there.
But we are looking for the most committed!
Grass roots riders get their choice of any Banshee frame (and a Fox fork if you wish) at a screamin' deal.
Grass roots riders will also be popping up in Banshee advertising.
Banshee has always had this down to earth kind of image. Our new Grass Roots program lets us help out some of Australia's up and coming riders.
Contact your local Dirt Works dealer for more information. |
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Cool World Cup pic. 29 July 2005 |
Thanks to Farkin.net, check out this super cool sequence of pics taken from Angelfire, Mexico Wolrd Cup 4X race.
Michael Prokop, former World Champ is leading the race, closely followed by Kyle Strait and Aussie Nathan Rennie. Prokop rolls the doubles while Strait and Rennie boost it. Result...
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Newcastle race this weekend. 29 July 2005 |
According to Farkin.net, there is a race @ Black Hill, Newcastle this weekend. There are no web links available that can confirm this, however there is a fair bit of chat on the 4X chat section of Farkin about it, so I assume it is going ahead.
If you want more info on the Newcastle course, contact Robbie McNaughton on drift@bigpond.net.au
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Eildon race didn't happen. 29 July 2005 |
The Fat Tyre Flyers Club Race at Eildon on Sunday July 10 was a no-goer. According to the Fatties, something more important came up so it got put on the back burner - a real pity.
4X in Victoria has been going strong since it first began in 2002. Vic has been the strongest state in Aus for 4X with more tracks and more riders turning out to events than anywhere else. Looks like Vics may be overtaken by NSW.
If people want to get involved and keep things happening in Vic, send us an email and we'll forward it on to the appropriate club/s.
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National Series news. 28 July 05 |
Tony Scott, President of Mountain Bike Australia has been in touch with me and explained the reasoning for the locations of the 05/ 06 series.
He tells me that as MTN X/ 4X is such an infant sport, there is need to establish a benchmark in quality of venues for the national series. For the 05/06 series, it has been decided that courses influenced by Glen Jacobs are to be chosen as venues. Glen Jacobs, of course, is the Aussie who, amongst other things, designed the '96 World DH course and was course designer for World Cup Dual Compressors for a while.
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05/06 National series. 29 June 05 |
MTBA have announced the 05/06 MTX series, which includes six rounds plus the Championships. Cairns has been dropped from the series but the all-new Hobart course takes it's spot.
One round of the series and also the venue for the Championships will be held at Thredbo, although the course isn't constructed as yet.
One look at the series will tell you that it is more like a NSW series rather than a national series - five of the seven events are held there. Hopefully next year the series will be more geographically balanced.
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| Round 1: October 21 - Sydney, NSW |
| Round 2: October 30 - Hobart, TAS |
| Round 3: November 27 - Perth, WA |
| Round 4: December 4 - Armidale, NSW |
| Round 5: December 18 - Thredbo, NSW |
| Round 6: January 8 - Newcastle, NSW |
| National Championships: January 19 - 22 - Thredbo, NSW |
| For more info go to www.mtba.asn.au |
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CLICT is here. 21 June 05 |
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The latest CLICT mag is out now at a newsagent near you. I spent my hard earned cash on a copy this week and I must say I was quite impressed.
CLICT wins the award for "best magazine coverage of 4X/MTX events in Australia". Most mags struggle to get one race in their pages. This edition of CLICT has like six 4X/MTX race reports.
Well done to Editor Robbie McNaughton and the team at CLICT for supporting 4X/MTX, the up and coming discipline of MTB. |
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| Trafalgar rained out. 20 June 05 |
Rain bucketed down on Saturday night and Sunday morning prior to the Open Day at Delhuntie Park, Trafalgar on the weekend, forcing the day to be postponed.
After track inspections an hour before the scheduled start time, the Pushi crew along with park manager, Elwyn Scale deemed the track to be way too soft, slippery and muddy for any good riding to be had. Riding would have been as slow as a wet weak.
Despite the downpour of rain, riders still turned out ready to ride. Unfortunelately they had to be turned away. Some weren't real happy, considering they had travelled some distance for the event. But at the end of the day, humans don't control the weather.
In future, we will promote Pushi's hotline mobile number more for people to check in latest movements with weather leading up to events at Trafalgar.
The next event scheduled for Trafalgar is an Open Day on September 11. |
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| Trafalgar Open Day June 19. May 11 |
The next 4X Open Day hosted by Pushi at Delhuntie Park, Trafalgar, Victoria will be Sunday June 19. Almost 50 riders turned out to the last Open Day and if weather is sweet, there is a chance the "50" barrier can be broken.
On top of a fun day of riding the Trafalgar course at your own pace, Pushi has promised another "Chinese 4X" , which involves up to thirty or more riders racing down the course together.
The only rule is "no pedalling allowed". Petri, owner of Pushi said that with the success of this event at the last Open Day, it will remain part of the tradition of Traf Open Days. He promises a decent prize for the winner too.
The Dirt Jump will be open too, if people want to pull a few moves in the air.
Petri has asked if there is any one who may be interested in making a buck by providing refreshments - food and drinks on the day. If this is you, contact Petri: info@pushi.com.au or call him on 0404 023 469.
More info: Event Info page |
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| New Hobart 4X course lifts the bar. May 9 |
Hobart, Tasmania has joined other states around Australia in setting up a fully decent 4X course.
According to the 4X forum on Farkin.net, the most prominent 4X designer in Australia, Glen Jacobs made the journey over to the apple isle and oversaw the construction of the course.
From the pics I've seen, it certainly lifts the bar as far as the standard for 4X courses in Australia. Well done to the Tassie crew. Let me know of any more developments. |
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| Newcastle National round pic. May 9 |
Pros flying through the air at the National round at Newcastle earlier this year. Photo: Andrew Novak. |
Here's a pic of Madill, Inabinet, and Kiltner going for it over the doubles at Newcastle in the 4th and final round of the National MTX series.
Thanks to Andrew Novak for sending in the pics to us. Cheers. |
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| Aussies rock @ Sea Otter. 27 April |
Jill Kiltner going hard at the Mountain Cross at the Sea Otter Classic last week. |
Three of the four riders in the Pro Mountain Cross final held at the Sea Otter Classic last week were Aussies.
Wade Bootes was back from suspension, taking out 2nd, Jarrod Graves continued his big year with a 3rd, and Bryn Atkinson launched forward with a 4th for GT.
Here's how the final went: "Bootes alongside Brian Lopes, Jared Graves and Bryn Atkinson in the final run.
True to form Lopes was first out of the gate, with Bootes hard on his wheel.
Graves rode on the outside looking for a way in, but with Lopes and Bootes engaged in a high speed duel his best hope was that they would collide. Atkinson rode a tenacious race at the rear, but like Graves his best hope lay in a collision at the front.
Lopes kept Bootes at bay until the line to claim a deserved win at his return to the Sea Otter Classic, after missing the 2004 edition because of an injury.
“Me and Bootes have battled our whole career, so was a good group for the final. But my strategy is always the same: get to the first turn first, then go as hard as I can down the straight. There was so much going on along that straight, Bootes was coming up beside me and it was really tight,” smiled Lopes at the finish." - Media Release ,Sea Otter Classic. |
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| Results: |
| 1. Brian Lopes (GT) |
| 2. Wade Bootes (WBR) |
| 3. Jared Graves (YETI) |
| 4. Bryn Atkinson (GT) |
Jared Graves also took out the Gravity Omnium award, after taking out the DH earlier.
Rennie took the win in the Dual Slalom, giving the Aussies a full domination of the Gravity events. |
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| C ya @ the Norco Battle. 21 Jan |
This will be the last update on 4XFEVA till after the Norco Battle of Trafalgar next weekend as I am heading to Delhuntie Park to get the venue ready for the event.
The latest report on the course is that there has been consistant rain falling over the past couple of weeks making it good to work on. The locals have been spending some time grooming the new section and will be putting the final touches to the coursejust before the Practice/ Fun Day on Wednesday.
I am planning to do a couple more mods to the course either before the practice day or between the practice day and race day. The section from the stutters to the Big Berm is looking like it will be changed and I am contemplating changing the section between the first jump and the tabletop. We'll see how much time I have available.
I will also be recruiting some Dirt Jump pros to help construct a dirt jump for the Expression Session.
If you have any questions about the Norco Battle of Trafalgar I can be contacted on 0419 538 956.
NOTE: The Trafalgar 4X course is closed at all times except for official event days. That means it will be closed to all riders from the close of practice on Wednesday till practice begins on Sunday morning at 9am. |
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| Media to draw crowds to Norco Battle. 18 Jan |
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With the local media getting behind the Norco Battle of Trafalgar and plugging it across the Gippsland region, a decent size crowd should be expected. |
Today WIN News is filming local young gun and 4XFEVA sponsored rider Tom Mulligan in a promo story for the race. He will be doing some riding and an interview that will air tonight throughout Gippsland on WIN News.
LaTrobe Valley Express, the local rag, also did an article just before Christmas on the Battle and 3GG, the local radio station is plugging the event in their community service announcements.
Hopefully several hundred spectators will turn out to the Norco Battle as a result of the media plugs. The more spectators, the greater atmosphere of the event. |
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| Norco Battle only 2 1/2 weeks away. 10 Jan |
Pro Polaris quad rider, Rodney Scale tests the finish jump at the Trafalgar 4X track. He will be featured in the Battle of the Brothers @ the Norco Battle of Trafalgar, Sun Jan 30. |
I'm back from holidays with only a couple of weeks till the Norco Battle of Trafalgar.
It is looking to be one full on day of fun and entertainment.
My older brother Rodney sussed out the track over the Christmas period and tried out the finish jump. As you can see from the pic on the left, he got some serious air.
Imagine what he's going to do when he's got all his gear on and gets used to the track! I think I'd better start doing some serious practice if I plan to get anywhere near him in the Battle of the Brothers feature. - Brendan. |
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