Following the success of Rounds 1 and 2 in Melbourne on the weekend of July 14-15, on Saturday August 12 Round 3 will take place in Victoria Park (Park 17), and Sunday will see Round 4 contested in Wirranendi Park (Park 23). Series leaders Lisa Jacobs and Adrian Jackson will look to consolidate their leads against a host of challengers. The series concludes in Sydney in September.

Rounds 1 and 2 Re-cap

ROUND 1 - SATURDAY 14 JULY

In the opening event, the Elite Womens Race of Round 1, at Melbourne International Karting Complex in Port Melbourne, Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro winner Melissa Anset and National Road Series star Lisa Jacobs went from the gun, with the first two laps a close affair. Both women rode smooth, controlled races throughout, with Anset's off-road skills keeping her in the mix until Jacobs' top end road fitness helped her pull away for the win (and become the first Leader of the Series) ahead of Anset and a fast-finishing Gemma Kernich.

The men's elite field, stacked with 69 seeded riders, was headlined by road cyclists Lachlan Norris, Allan Iacuone, Chris Luxton, and Marc Williams, 'cross specialist Lewis Rattray, Ingkerreke Commercial MTB Enduro and Cape to Cape winner Andy Blair, young gun Luke Fetch, and a host of former and current national road and MTB champions. Adrian Jackson and Luke Fetch pulled away from the field, with the unseeded Fetch breaking away to win in front of the large crowd gathered and taking the Overall Series Leader’s jersey.

ROUND 2 - SUNDAY 15 JULY

On 15 July, all eyes of the Australian CX scene turned to the picturesque Darebin Parklands in Melbourne’s inner north for Round 2. Like the opening round the day before in Port Melbourne, the weather was Melburnian to the max, with warm sunshine one minute, followed by freezing and threatening with rain the next creating a tough, muddy course.

By the time the women’s elite field was ready to race, several hundred cowbell-toting fans had gathered to watch the women contest the technical course. Despite the race being just Jacobs’ second cross race, she hit the course like a seasoned professional, taking the lead early, gracefully tapping away on the pedals and tackling barriers with ease. Jacobs and Saturday’s runner-up Melissa Anset, fought it out for much of the race, but it was Jacobs’ unbreakable rhythm on the pedals which saw her clear away for the win, consolidating her Overall lead in the Series.

The elite men’s race followed, with hoots, heckles and of course cowbells inspiring the field to start extremely fast. After his stellar win on Saturday, Luke Fetch was expected to take it to the limit again, but faced tough opposition from home-town favourites Lewis Rattray and Adrian Jackson. In the end it was Jackson who rode away from the front of the pack leaving any competitors in his mud-spattered wake.

DOWNLOAD THE NATIONAL CYCLO-CROSS SERIES OVERALL STANDINGS – ROUND 2 MENS

DOWNLOAD THE NATIONAL CYCLO-CROSS SERIES OVERALL STANDINGS – ROUND 2 WOMENS

For more information about the Champion System SRAM National Cyclo-cross Series, visit www.cycling.org.au/cyclocross.

2012 Calendar

  • Race #1 Melbourne - Specialized Cross Melburn @ Port Melbourne (14
July 2012)
  • Race #2 Melbourne - Brunswick CC / Dirty Deeds @ Darebin Parklands (15 July 2012)
  • Race #3 Adelaide - Port Adelaide CC @ Adelaide Park Lands (11 August 2012) Entries Closed
  • Race #4 Adelaide - Port Adelaide CC @ Adelaide Park Lands (12 August 2012) Entries Closed
  • Race #5 Sydney - Manly Warringah CC @ JJ Melbourne Hills Memorial
 Reserve (29 Sep 2012) Entries Close 23 Sep
  • Race #6 Sydney - Manly Warringah CC @ JJ Melbourne Hills Memorial
 Reserve (30 Sep 2012) Entries Close 23 Sep

Cycling Australia