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Surfs Up for Final Day

Media Release / 05.03.2010

Recent rains in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shires saw the Ground Effect Surf Safari become a contest of wills – rider versus nature. The rains, while welcome to all locals, meant that every lake crossing on the 49km stage from Bermagui to Narooma was a wet one. This combined with a high tide, saw many competitors wading chest deep with bikes held aloft. One or two $7000 bikes endured a full dunking in the salt.

The crossings combined with soft sand beaches and lush grass paddocks made it a real challenge for some of the remaining 135 competitors. A stiff NE headwind slowed progress too. No such trouble for the lead riders though, with Jason English finishing in 2:07:01 with Andy Blair again coming in second, two minutes and seven seconds behind on 2:09:08. Nick Both was third, just a second behind Andy on 2:09:09

The win provides Jason with his second Mountains To Beach title. His total time for the 385km event was 11:42:21, eleven and half minutes ahead of Andy Blair, second overall in 11:53:49. Third place went to Andrew Fellows on 12:04:32, ten minutes further back.

Andy Blair said after the race that although disappointed he didn’t win, he’d be back next year to try again. “The DT Swiss Mountains To Beach provides so much variety of mountain biking and scenery; it truly is the most challenging of journeys and after 2 years and 2 second places I want to be capture top spot!�

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