The Australian team started their trip with the Hungarian Championships tackling the middle distance race. Pannon MTBO event held at Ròka-hegy map. Ròka-hegy provided a gently undulating terrain with patches of pine forest, bare open slopes and a pocket of residential area. The tracks were a mixture of road, dirt fire road, smooth single tracks and loose dusty rocky descents.
Being the first time in Hungary and the first race as well the team was wisely advised to take it as a warm up race to learn how Hungary maps are interpreted and mapped. The middle distance had expected winning times of 60min for the juniors and 55min for the seniors. The juniors raced the exact same course as the seniors.
Karl Withers was first Australian to start. He had trouble from the get go. Quickly getting disorientated at the start because they hadn’t put out the start triangle until after he started. They also did not brief him about where the start triangle was. After correcting his error he had a fairly clean ride adjusting himself to mapping and terrain and made it around with small errors and hesitations.
The second of the Australians to start was Tom Goddard. His race stopping abruptly as he arrived at the first control to punch to find out that his SI had dropped off this bike. Riding back along his route to the start looking for his SI stick he gave up and continued his course. Coming in with a fairly clean ride with only some small errors in the intricate hilly residential area, which tricked up almost everyone.
Next off was Heath Jamison. Unfortunately suffering a similar fate as Karl. Getting lost on the way to control number one. Heath was tricked up by the Hungarian mapping. Finding unmapped tracks with questionable track grades, Heath persisted and worked himself into the course. Only to come untangled with the tricky residential area, losing a lot of time and getting disorientated in the single track.
Four minutes behind Heath was Chris Firman. Having the fastest time out of the Australian team and placing 2nd in the junior’s class. Getting confused with how some of the junctions were mapped he had frequent hesitations and one questionable route choice.
Marc Gluskie was starting 6 minutes behind Chris and had a patchy race. His overall time was not helped by heading to his 9th control instead of his 8th, losing well over 5 minutes. Working out his mistake he corrected to get his race back on track. Making it around the middle distance course with some minor errors and adapting himself to the Hungarian terrain.
The coach of the Australian team, Ian Dalton had kitted up to keep the juniors on their toes. Cruising straight into the course his race had two big hiccups losing more then 10 minutes two controls. At one stage being lost with Heath on the questionable track grading near the 2nd control. The infamous intricate residential area creating the next 10minute error, after having a clean ride in between his errors.
Oscar Phillips just recently moving up to seniors performed well. Cruising around the course with a few hesitations and small errors. Like the rest of the Australian team he was just adapting and getting familiar with Hungary’s maps and terrain.
The very last to of the Australian team start was Ricky Thackray. Taking easy being his first international race he was struggling around the course with-out his trusty compass. Having difficulties orientating himself and getting in tune with the tracks he had some unforced errors. Finishing and requesting a compass ASAP.
Being the first time in Hungary and the first race as well the team was wisely advised to take it as a warm up race to learn how Hungary maps are interpreted and mapped. The middle distance had expected winning times of 60min for the juniors and 55min for the seniors. The juniors raced the exact same course as the seniors.
Karl Withers was first Australian to start. He had trouble from the get go. Quickly getting disorientated at the start because they hadn’t put out the start triangle until after he started. They also did not brief him about where the start triangle was. After correcting his error he had a fairly clean ride adjusting himself to mapping and terrain and made it around with small errors and hesitations.
The second of the Australians to start was Tom Goddard. His race stopping abruptly as he arrived at the first control to punch to find out that his SI had dropped off this bike. Riding back along his route to the start looking for his SI stick he gave up and continued his course. Coming in with a fairly clean ride with only some small errors in the intricate hilly residential area, which tricked up almost everyone.
Next off was Heath Jamison. Unfortunately suffering a similar fate as Karl. Getting lost on the way to control number one. Heath was tricked up by the Hungarian mapping. Finding unmapped tracks with questionable track grades, Heath persisted and worked himself into the course. Only to come untangled with the tricky residential area, losing a lot of time and getting disorientated in the single track.
Four minutes behind Heath was Chris Firman. Having the fastest time out of the Australian team and placing 2nd in the junior’s class. Getting confused with how some of the junctions were mapped he had frequent hesitations and one questionable route choice.
Marc Gluskie was starting 6 minutes behind Chris and had a patchy race. His overall time was not helped by heading to his 9th control instead of his 8th, losing well over 5 minutes. Working out his mistake he corrected to get his race back on track. Making it around the middle distance course with some minor errors and adapting himself to the Hungarian terrain.
Oscar Phillips just recently moving up to seniors performed well. Cruising around the course with a few hesitations and small errors. Like the rest of the Australian team he was just adapting and getting familiar with Hungary’s maps and terrain.
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