October 20, 2010 (Australia) – The Crocodile Trophy MTB Stage Race is underway in Australia and Canada’s Cory Wallace (Kona), who recently finished second at the 24 Hour Solo MTB World Championships is in contention for the Open Men’s podium. After the first two stages of the 10-stage event, Wallace is ranked third overall.

Stage 1

Ready to croc!
Turbulent start of the ten-day MTB stage race in Australia: a mudslide caused by heavy rain forced the riders to divert from the original track. Last year’s winner Urs Huber (SUI) coped well with the restart and additional kilometres and got the stage win today ahead of his strongest opponent, Bart Brentjens (NL).

More than 75 athletes from 16 different countries, including the complete podium of last year’s event, kicked off the Crocodile Trophy in Cairns today at 9.30am. The 16th edition of the hardest mountain bike adventure race in the world, leads racers across proven trails. Organisers however, were challenged today by the torrential rain that fell over the past few days: due to a mudslide the first stage, which was scheduled to run from Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands through a rainforest, had to be diverted after 25km and restarted.

The Swiss rider Urs Huber, Crocodile Trophy Overall Winner in 2009, dealt with the sudden changes on the day, completing the remaining 65km after the restart in 2:35.11 hours and won by 4.32 minutes ahead of last year’s second, Bart Brentjens.

“It was extremely difficult. The terrain was very slippery and muddy and was constantly slightly uphill. It always felt like getting stuck“, says Huber. “I’m very glad and happy about the time gap that I was able to gain today“, admitted the obviously relieved titleholder. After leading the race together with Bart Brentjens already before the restart, he was able to shake off his fiercest competitor only during the long final climb. “I didn’t eat enough during the race pause. My brother did give me a bar and there was fruit at the depot, but towards the end I became extremely hungry and ran out of energy“, explained the Dutch rider from the Trek Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team.

The Canadian Cory Wallance used the involuntary break after 15 race and 10 neutralised kilomentres for a power nap – and was successful with this tactic: third place for the 26-year old Canadian, who was still affected by strains of riding the 24H-Solo World Championships in Canberra nine days ago.

Australians finishing strong
Fastest woman of the day was Australian Abby McLennan. “It seems so much longer and harder than last year’s race“, said Abby. “The climbs never seemed to end. It was just up up up.”

This year to get Abby onto the podium again for the second year running she and husband Scott (51) have teamed up with local ‘cop’ Brendan Skerke to race the croc as Team ‘Rattle N Hum’. Brendon had a tough stage this stage but this was planned. He says “I knew this stage would be my Achilles heel of the race, but I’m learning from it and looking forward to the next 9 days, but tough day”. Second-fastest woman was Cairns-local Lesley Sutton (96). This year the first ever all female team are challenging the race in its 16year history- Team She Spoke Cycle Wear – Sharman Parr, Lauretta Howarth and Maree Roberts.

The fastest Australian male rider to cross the finish line today was Hans Dielacher (M3) from the Gold Coast, ahead of Roger Cull (M3) from Sydney, who were both happy about the day’s cloud cover and moderate temperatures out on the track.

The fastest Team was Rietmu-Delfin from Estonia with places 5 to 7 for Allan Oras, Indrek Kelk and Jaan Kirsipuu, who was thrilled about riding through the beautiful scenery of the rainforest stage. The latter secured a stage win in the master category 2 (M2). M1 winner was Raf De Bakker crossed the finish line overall in 11th place.

Austrians facing tough luck
Fastest Austrian was Philipp Ludescher (Team Mc Sabotage). The elite road rider arrived at Lake Tinaroo in 8th place half an hour behind the stage winner. Despite two chain failures the rider from Vorarlberg was enthusiastic about his first ever MTB race, “I took the detour and the restart on the chin. That’s part of the adventure of a Croc Trophy. And I’m a pro in fixing chains now. Without the malfunctions I would have been fifth. I’ll be able to build on that tomorrow.“

Team rider Rene Haselbacher was also persecuted by mechanical failures and lost more than an hour. “Apparently that’s part of mountain biking“, the rider from Burgenland reacted calmly and was enjoying the impressive scenery of Northern Queensland instead of a top position. Also the ride of the third elite road racer in the group, Christoph Sokoll, was riddled with mechanical troubles, “About 25km before the finish a screw on my pedal broke and I didn’t have any foothold on the steep downhill sections“, told us the Volksbank Corratec-athlete. “The ‘Oesterreich-Rundfahrt’ (race around the borders of Austria) is like a kids party compared to this“, he summed up his day’s ride at the finish.

The stage finish at Lake Tinaroo, however, makes up for all the trouble and strains. It’s called the jewel in the crown of the Atherton Tablelands for a reason: the lake and its surroundings are home to more than 300 bird species, including rainbow lorikeets, kingfishers and kookabarras. And the good old “Croc-Tradition“ to sleep in tents lets you get right up close to those animals…

Stage 2

Sir Bart repeats last year’s win

Looks like the Granite Gorge stage was to Bart Brentjens liking. Like last year, the previous Olympic Winner and World Champion picked up his first Croc-stage win on the track through the Atherton Tablelands. And just like in 2009 the race was decided with a final sprint.

It was the Austrians Rene Haselbacher and Philipp Ludescher who attacked first on today’s short stage from Lake Tinaroo to Granite Gorge. But on the ten kilometre long climb onto Mount Edith the field caught up to the elite road racers. Shortly after the lead group formed with today’s (and yesterday’s) stage winners: Bart Brentjens (NED), Urs Huber (SUI) and Cory Wallace (CAN).

Again the track lead riders through dense rainforest, open bush land and finally fertile banana plantations and the trio picked up a six-minute lead onto the pursuing group. “The uphill was very tough again because of the wet and muddy terrain, but overall it was a very fast stage”, stage winner Bart Brentjens said of the day’s ride. The Dutch rider won the final sprint in 2:24.32, followed by Urs Huber and Cory Wallace who crossed the finish line with three seconds each behind him.

“Today it was definitely an easier stage than yesterday. I had some trouble finding my pace, however, we worked together well and I’m happy with my second place today”, the Swiss rider summed up his day. Cory Wallace, who is used to climbing steep ascents, was thought to have some disadvantages on today’s flat last third of the stage, however, was able to stay on the two favourites wheels throughout the entire day.

After the winning trio a pursuing group of seven riders formed with Allan Oras (EST), Mike Mulkens (BEL) and four Austrians: Philipp Ludescher, Christoph Tschellnig, Christoph Sokoll und René Haselbacher. The flat terrain after the food and drinks depot was ideal for the road racers, allowing them to attack fiercely and – with a friendly and windy support from behind – keep the tempo high.

Aussies sticking together
Abby McLennan, the Cairns-local, liked the first steep ascents and then flat 71 kilometre stage with 1,250 metres of elevation through the Atherton Tablelands. The Australian secured her second stage win with a strong 28 minute lead ahead of her fellow-Aussie riders Nancy Caceres and Lauretta Howarth. “I trained way more than in 2009. To win the Crocodile Trophy would be fantastic. But a lot can still happen”, says the Rattle N Hum-athelete cautiously despite her respectable lead in the overall classification.

Today’s stage finish for the 75 riders, 55 supporters and 30 personal assistants, who are part of the Croc-circus this year, was a beautifully romantic swimming pond, twelve kilometres West of Mareeba. At the campground of Granite Gorge wallabies and dingos vie for the attention of the many visitors. Before the Crocodile Trophy heads into the wild Outback of Northern Queensland, the elite and adventure racers can enjoy the unusual landscape of volcanic origins: rocks and boulders look like randomly dropped next to creeks and rivers and a large billabong invites you to jump into its cool water.

For more information and daily race updates and photo coverage, please visit
www.crocodile-trophy.com

Stage 1 full results here.
Stage 2 full results here.
GC after Stage 2 here.

Results

Stage 1 – Cairns to Lake Tinaroo – 98km

Elite Men
1. Urs Huber (Sui) 2:35:11
2. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 4:32
3. Cory Wallace (Can) Kona 16:25
4. Mike Mulkens (Bel) 22:20
5. Allan Oras (Est) Rietumu-Delfin Team 9 25:22:00
6. Philipp Ludescher (Aut) 31:27:00
7. Peter Van Mill (Ned) Jef Abels Bikes Gulpen 35:11:00
8. Christoph Sokoll (Aut) 36:35:00
9. Taigh Banson (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 47:50:00
10. Paul Ensink (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 50:17:00
11. Matthijs Pot (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 s.t.
12. Christoph Tschellnig (Aut) morethanbike 54:28:00
13. James Lamb (Aus) SVC Imports / Rocky Trail 54:29:00
14. Marc Locherer (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 56:47:00
15. Vinne Los (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 1:10:12
16. Réne Haselbacher (Aut) 1:13:55
17. Bart Verberckmoes (Bel) RESIBIKE Cycling Team 2:10:20
18. Hamish Taylor (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 2:44:35

Women
1. Abby McLennan (Aus) Rattle N Hum Team 10 3:44:15
2. Lesley Sutton (Aus) 0:52:20
3. Lauretta Howarth (Aus) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 0:53:45
4. Maree Roberts (Aus) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 0:58:52
5. Nancy Caceres (Aus) 1:25:48
6. Sharman Parr (NZl) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 1:34:20

Stage 2 – Lake Tinaroo to Granite Gorge – 71km

Elite Men
1. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 2:24:32
2. Urs Huber (Sui) 0:03
3. Cory Wallace (Can) Kona 0:07
4. Philipp Ludescher (Aut) 6:17
5. Allan Oras (Est) Rietumu-Delfin Team 9 6:18
6. Mike Mulkens (Bel) 6:20
7. Christoph Tschellnig (Aut) morethanbike 6:24
8. Taigh Banson (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 6:26
9. Christoph Sokoll (Aut) 6:28
10. Réne Haselbacher (Aut) 8:09
11. Peter Van Mill (Ned) Jef Abels Bikes Gulpen 10:52
12. Matthijs Pot (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 12:58
13. Paul Ensink (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 27:53:00
14. James Lamb (Aus) SVC Imports / Rocky Trail 27:55:00
15. Vinne Los (Ned) BIKE ONE TEAM LAPIERRE Team 1 31:23:00
16. Marc Locherer (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 31:23:00
17. Bart Verberckmoes (Bel) RESIBIKE Cycling Team 54:49:00
18. Hamish Taylor (Aus) Fraser and Mountain Team 6 1:39:40

Women
1. Abby McLennan (Aus) Rattle N Hum Team 10 3:06:42
2. Nancy Caceres (Aus) 3:34:39
3. Lauretta Howarth (Aus) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 3:40:25
4. Lesley Sutton (Aus) 4:05:31
5. Sharman Parr (Nzl) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 4:18:32
6. Maree Roberts (Aus) SheSpoke Cycle Wear Team 2 4:18:32

GC after Stage 2 (brief)

Elite Men
1. Urs Huber (Sui) 4;59:21
2. Bart Brentjens (Ned) 5:03:50
3. Cory Wallace (Can) Kona 5:16:06