Anaconda MTB Enduro
Stage 1 - Tough first day tests riders
Naantali Marshall - Rapid Ascent / 23.05.2008
Locals and those people who were fortunate enough to compete in the former Central Australian Bike Challenge (CABA), the race that the Anaconda NTB Enduro is a reincarnation of, were at a definite advantage as the unique Red Centre conditions proved a challenge to those who had not ridden in the NT previously.A supportive crowd gathered to witness the start, the field had a neutral start completing one lap of the track in jovial spirits before the true racing started on the outskirts of town. About 5km into the 37km Stage 1 the challenges began with several kilometers of hilly and technical single track.
Winner of the stage by only a few millimetres was Adrian Jackson from Victoria ahead of Matthew Fleming of NSW. Jackson, winner of Wildside 2008, also a mountain bike stage race proved he’s in good form by beating Fleming in a sprint to the finish in 1 hour 48 minutes and 25 seconds. Jackson and Fleming, both former CABA competitors and Fleming the 2006 winner used their local experience to take the stage ahead of third place national representative Aiden Lefmann and Peren Delacour just a minute behind.
The finish line smile on Matthew Fleming’s face was short lived as he contemplated the challenge of four more stages ahead. He said, “this is definitely one of the harder stages of the week; jumping from rocks to sand, back and forth, chasing through gears, trying to find what was comfortable, made it extremely difficult to get a rhythm.�
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