Brisneyland

Round two of the NCXS, brought to you by warm & wonderful Queensland. While it is hardly traditional cyclocross weather, winter isn’t actually a thing up here in this Aussie hand-egg obsessed, Cane Toad-infested part of the world. Which meant a welcome return to summer for all of those travelling up from south of the border.

The racing was hosted out in the Samford Valley, at Baden Powell Park. Likely named after Robert Baden-Powell, author of ‘Scouting for Boys’ - a beloved title that might also have benefitted from a well-placed comma.

Old dogs

We were out at the track relatively early, cheering on our mates as they rolled around in the masters field, ahead of the elite womens & mens races.

This allowed us time to meet a couple of local photographers with a good eye, @cyclebro & @harry.dennis. A very big thank you, gentlemen, for contributing so enthusiastically to our NCXS round 2 & 3 coverage. We truly appreciate it.

Battle royale

An entertaining battle was waged at the front of the women’s field, between Kim Hurst & Natalie Redmond. Never far from one another, they traded places almost every lap. The win eventually went to Kim, but not without one hell of a fight. Could this be the start of a famous rivalry? It was certainly the fiercest-fought, and most-closely contested race of the weekend.

Driza-Bone

As the day progressed, the course became progressively more dusty, with the top sections of the lap loose and sandy in the corners. It made visibility a little difficult for the racers in the opening laps, but great imagery for those on the sidelines snapping away.

A dominant performance by Chris Jongewaard saw him take the win ahead of Chris Aitken and Shaun Lewis.