SIXTEEN members and friends of the Manning Great Lakes Tip Riders club made an impressive showing at The Redback four day mountain bike racing event at Alice Springs.
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The locals were in an Australia-wide field of 200 competing in six gruelling stages - a 38km opening event, a 300m hill climb to the top of Alice Springs' Anzac Hill, an individual time trial over 22km, a 22km night race, a 50km event over some of the region's best single track trails, and a concluding 43km race finishing at Alice Springs' iconic Telegraph Station.
This year was a new condensed formula for the event, which has been running for eight years. The race was co-ordinated by Rapid Ascent Adventure Event Management.
The outback mountain bike trails were challenging, scenic, and tough on both riders and machinery, with numerous punctures and falls.
Dust, boulders, heat, sharp stones, and scratchy vegetation were just some of the hazards, though the riders agreed the trails offered some spectacular scenery.
At the final presentation there was a good showing of the Tip Riders' green uniforms on the podium.
The Tip Riders had recruited one of Australia's top under 23-year-old cyclists, Holly Harris, of Armidale, for one of their two teams, and she took out the overall women's division.
Holly's dad Dave Harris came third overall in the veterans division (age 40-49).
Dave Brunner-Evans, of Wallabi Point, was rewarded for his consistent training on the club's Kiwarrak trails with a first place in the masters division (age 60 plus). Paul Mackie, of Harrington, came second in this age group.
Niko Stahl, of Possum Brush, just missed out on a podium finish, with a fourth in the vintage division (50-59).
The Tip Riders number two team of Holly Harris, Nikolai Stahl, Bruce Pain, Chad Vowles, David Cooper, and Andrew McDonell was first in the teams' division, with the other half of the Tip Riders taking second place.
The Tip Riders and local contingent comprised
o Prime division (18-39) Holly Harris of Armidale, Chad Vowles of Wallabi Point.
o Veteran (40-49) Peter Johnston of Forster, Andrew McDonell of Forster, David Cooper of Wingham, David Harris of Armidale, Mark Lukas and Sue Tripney of Gloucester.
o Vintage (50-59) Bruce Pain of Forster, Ken Oldfield of Green Point, Gary Tonkin of Taree, Nikolai Stahl of Possum Brush, Brett Riley of the Central Coast, Heather Freeman of Forster.
o Masters (60+) David Brunner-Evans of Wallabi Point, Paul Mackie of Harrington.