First-timers give it a crack on new tracks

ADF cyclists braved cracking downhill tracks in perfect conditions at the Fox Superflow Mountain Biking Races at Mogo, NSW, on June 20-21.

Eight riders from the ADF Cycling Association, ranked from officer cadet to lieutenant colonel, competed at the national competition, bagging two podium finishes.

Never having raced these tracks, Capt Emma Milner took first place in the women’s Expert 19+ Superflow with a total time across three tracks of 11min 59.9sec.

“They picked some really great tracks, really fun,” Capt Milner said.

“One was a full-blown jump track, one was more of an XC style – a bit longer – and the middle one was a nice combination of both.

“I was pretty happy with my times. These Superflows are great because they’re not super competitive. They’re lots of fun.”

Capt Milner grew up riding mountain bikes and joined the ADF Cycling Association while she was at ADFA.

Another first-timer at Mogo, Fl-Lt Anita Webb, took silver in the women’s Electroflow Masters, with a total time of 9min 56.9sec across three tracks.

Flt-Lt Webb said Electroflow used eBikes in a gravity enduro race, which allowed riders to concentrate more on technique.

“You have a bit more energy to focus and hone in on your skills, navigate through the course with a fresher mind and somewhat fresher legs,” she said.

“I’ve only recently got an e-bike. Prior to that, I did a lot of normal gravity enduro racing and switched over for something different.”

Riding each of the tracks for the first time, Flt-Lt Webb took note of different track features to improve her times for subsequent runs.

“I look for rock gardens and slopes to assess my ability to navigate through them or if I’m actually able to because sometimes the courses are a bit beyond what you’re able to do,” she said.

“My best run was the track called Flying Mullet. It was a fast, flow-type track and I managed 15 seconds quicker in my second run compared to my first which is pretty good.”

She said the second-place score gave her confidence in the coaching and skills she had learned through the ADF development sessions at the ADF National Cycling Carnival.

However, sometimes helping fellow competitors is more important than finishing the race. OCdt Evan Hookway demonstrated this when he responded to a serious accident on the track, assisting the medical team through to evacuation of the casualty.

This year’s national carnival at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra will be held from September 8-17.

To find out more about ADF Cycling, contact australiandefence.forcecycling@defence.gov.au