20 April 2010

KENNY SPRING Junior Womens Team wins their FIRST AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD MEDAL FOR 2010

The inaugural U15 & U17 Mountain Climbing Australian Championships were held over the weekend at Mt Buffalo Victoria. In glorious conditions the two day Championship started with a Mountain Time Trail. With a strong field in the U15 Women, including the recently crowned, at the B2B weekend, NSW State Hill Climb Champion Emily Nichols, along with National Track Sprint Champion Courtney Field (Vic) the scene was set for a tough weekend of climbing for 4th seeded Hollee Simons (Bathurst NSW). Simons still recovering for a crash on the final lap one week earlier at the B2B crits, the pressure was always going to be on for the Time Trial day one. With a never say die attitude Simons’ came out of the start gates and attacked the course. Nervous moments followed as the time were posted, with Simons taking the win by 36 seconds over the 6km course and collect her first Australian Title and Gold Medal. Silver, Courtney Field (vic) Bronze Emma Bilston 44 seconds further back.

The day two Mountain Climb Road Race for the U15 Women start point was 15km from the summit of Mt Buffalo with organizers, Cycling Australia, scheduling the start at 8.25am. Although the climb to the top is an unrelenting average 8% incline, the attacks started just after the first 1km, forming a select group of four of the best U15W climbers in Australia, Emily Nichols, Courtney Fields, Emma Bilston and Hollee Simons. With three of the group aware that Simons had the upper hand on General Classification with the 36 second lead from the Time Trial, the three competitors worked tirelessly to drop Simons from the group. Simons continually chases breaks and counter attacked, hanging on the fast ascending group. As the summit at 1400m elevation approached, the air was thinning but the pace was heating up, in the last 500m the four were still in a tight group, with no one giving a cm. In the final uphill sprint for the line Courtney Field got the win from Simons 1sec back in Silver with Nichols taking the Bronze.

Over all General Classification for the Australian Mountain Climb Championship went to Hollee Simons, by over 35 seconds and wining the prestigious Pockadot Jersey the from Fields and Bilston taking 3rd . “I really surprised myself over the two days, I was a bit worried about my left knee it wasn’t great after the crash last weekend” Simons said

“I’m so happy to win my first Australian Championship Title, especially in the mountains, Mt Buffalo is such a great place for this type of race”

With Simons in Victoria, the Team fielded two U15 W riders at the Junior Sydney Grand Prix Criterium at Homebush Olympic Park also held over the weekend. Cyntarah Micarelli and Jessica Marshall were out numbered by the NSWIS trio of Josie Talbot, Lara Batkin & Bridget Mulany. The more experience NSWIS group kept the pressure on around the technical course with Micarelli and Marshall forming a chase group at the half way point. The NSWIS Group filled the first three places with Marshall leading out Micarelli for 4th and 5th places. A great result given the opposition.

Next event for the Team will be the Wagga Two Day Junior Road Tour 15th & 16th May.

Mark Simons
Team Manager