Briars Highland Fling preview

The real insurance marathon series has created a bit of a race within a race, but the elite men's field at the 7th Briars Highland Fling is one of the strongest ever. I am personally quite excited about the race and stoked to be lining up with the stellar field that will assemble this weekend in Bundanoon. I thought it might be interesting to do a bit of a preview into the race and a brief profile on some of the riders. 

The race promises to be quite entertaining this year with some interesting elements that will add to the complexity. Not only will the XCM series make for interesting tactics, but the Fling has the unique feature of the Wingello transitions that can influence the dynamic of the race. There will also be several teams, particularly with the 110km event coinciding with the 50km Half Fling, that will have the numbers to influence the outcome of the race. Not only will the 50 be a great race in its own right between some of Australia's best XC racers (including Ben Henderson, Trenton Day, Josh Carlson, Cameron Ivory, Daniel McDonald and Kyle Ward) that will no doubt make the first stage very fast, but there might be an opportunity for Rockstar, Swell-Redshift or Anytime/Trek who have riders with aspirations to win the full fling to take advantage of their team mates early on. 

Normally the Fling is decided in the hills on the second stage, and the heat and accumulated fatigue at this point has cracked me every single year I have done this event. However, with a deeper field and the influence of teams and tactics, this year could be the first to break that mold. There is also a new climb in the last stage that is supposed to be very tough and may well prove decisive if the race is still together. There is also a brand new section of single track in the final 10km that no one has ridden, but if the leaders get there still together it will most likely come down to a sprint. 

Here is a quick run down of the main contenders in the Elite Men's Full Fling: 

Nick Both (Swell-Redshift): Nick is a very talented rider but has struggled for form since a big accident in 2010. When he is moving he is bloody hard to beat and having been on the receiving end of his ability I will never be surprised to see him on the podium in any race. 

Dylan Cooper (Trek): Dylan dominated the junior national series and champs in 1997 and since then has built a long and distinguished career primarily in the XCO discipline. A veteran of multiple World Championships with a lot of international experience including several seasons racing for Trek in Japan, "Cooper-san" is a tough racer with the ability to win big races. He is a very tough competitor and he knows how to hurt. Dylan is also lightening in the single track, probably the most rapid in the race.

James Downing (Lonsdale St Cyclery): James is a bit of a late bloomer but is certainly rapid. He was the first across the line at Capital Punishment this year, but when the transition was considered Cooper was named the winner. James has good skills but the main single track sections might come a bit early in this race for him to fully take advantage of. 

Matt Flemming (Rockstar): "Flatty Memming" is a tough racer that you can never discount. He is a specialist of the EB and has won just about every marathon in Australia....except the Fling. He currently leads the XCM series and will be super motivated to take the race this weekend to seal the overall. 

Troy Glennan (Rockstar): Troy Glennan has never won the Fling but he always makes a big impact. In 2008 he attacked in the first kilometre for his Rockstar team, which had Shaun Lewis and the rest of the field turning themselves inside out to close his down, a classy move that ultimately set up Gordo's win that year. Troy is a motor bike and regularly demonstrates his power by stringing the bunch out for kilometres on end; last year it was at the start of stage 2 when Lewi noticed English was day dreaming in Wingello and gave Troy the nod...he dropped a bomb on the field and in 5 kilometres he blew the race apart. I would bet money that he will go on the attack this year for Matt Flemming, but if he doesn't he will line out the main field at some stage for sure. Who knows, if Glennan goes down the road for Flatty, the contenders for the XCM series might be too busy looking at each other to chase and the big man might stay away. 

Brendan Johnston (Trek): Of all the competition, I am most concerned about "Trekky". He is a young racer with a huge future. Despite being diagnosed with cancer in 2009, Trekky raced the Junior worlds at Mt Stromlo that year and did himself and his country proud. It has been a long road back for Brendan and he has been riding for the Suzuki team on the road this year. The specific reason I rate Trekky so highly for the 2011 Fling is his recent 9th place at the Melbourne to Warrnambool classic; if he can close gaps in lead group that is attacking itself to pieces after 7 hours of racing, then he can win the highland fling. 

Shaun Lewis (Rockstar): No one knows how to win the Fling more than "the Wombat". Often referred to as "the fastest man in November", Shaun has won this race twice and certainly knows how to bring good form to the biggest marathon in NSW. Last year he was a day early struggled to find race winning form the day after destroying everyone in the Bundanoon Dash, but this year he is missing the Dash to focus on the main event. Lewi is part of the strongest team in the race and he is smart enough to use that to his advantage. 

Ronan Magaharan (Swell-Redshift): Ronan "the powerhouse" Magahran is a cross country skier with a huge engine that has recently turned to mountain biking. He is probably still a bit green for this year because his skills haven't quite caught up to his motor, but he will be up there for a while. Ronan is definitely a "puncheur" and the long race distance is not to his favour, but this makes him a real prospect for the win in the dash. 

Ben Mather: Ben is a "rouleur", and he has the ability and the ticker to make the race hard for everyone. He was the National Marathon Champion in 2010. He is just a super strong guy who is not scared to ride a whole marathon off the front on his own, and one of the few that has the engine to pull such a move off. Ben will also be motivated by the XCM series, but because of this he will be heavily mark by Rockstar and Trek. Having said that, nothing Ben does will surprise me. 

Daniel McConnell (Trek/Anytime): There isn't much that needs to be said about Macca other than....he went to the Olympics! Dan is the most rapid rider in the race, pure class; he is the only one that has ever been in the front group at the World Championships or a Racerbike Cup against the very best riders in the world. If he is on a good day, he will win. 

Brad McGee: This reminds me of when Phil Anderson raced the first ever Otway Odyssey. I was excited and scared that he would tear everyone's legs of. This man has worn the leader's jersey at all three grand tours and won the Olympics & Commy Games. It is true that he is retired, but who knows? At the very least, it will be an honour to line up next to a legend of Australian cycling....it would be classic to see him attack off the gun! 

Jarrad Moroni: A very accomplished mountain biker before concentrating on the road. Jarrad is a very wily bike rider that knows how to win. I am not sure if he has good form but if he is anywhere near the front at the end, he will be favourite to win a sprint. 

Matt Potter (Gu): A consistent performer in Aussie marathons and enduros, Matt is no stranger to the front bunch. If he is on a good day he will be a threat for the podium. 

Glenn Stojanow: The Fling is a great race for bringing back the old school. Stoj is an old school XC racer that later turned to the road. I haven't seen him for a few years, but if he has been doing a bit of training he could be dangerous. 

Paul Traynor (Berry Mountain Cycles): "Gezer-tits" is a pommy that can ride a bike. He has the ability to talk in any situation, which is normally entertaining but when you are suffering in the race it can be annoying. He probably isn't quite strong enough at the moment to go the distance but will talk the ear off whoever he is riding with and will probably be the motivation for some breakaways by people who prefer peace and quiet. 

Marc Williams: Marcy is probably the dark horse of the race. He has ridden quite a few flings and was in the lead group last year when he flatted about half way through the race. Marc is a roady that usually dusts off his carbon Trek 29er a couple of times a year for a marathon or two. This year is different though, he has been riding it more than ever. He recently finished a very impressive 3rd in the Mitta Mitta to Mt Beauty MTB classic in Victoria and he won the Honeysuckle Hammer in Canberra last weekend. He has form and might even have the skills. 

Me (Swell-Redshift): Veteran of 6 Flings and never won one. Fresh off a win at the Cape to Cape I am very keen to win my first marathon.

I am not sure what it is exactly about the Fling that I love so much. A good pun doesn't hurt I suppose: "a fling of beauty", "the best fling since sliced bread" are but some of the classics from over the years. Wildhorizons certainly have the ability to create a fun & friendly festival atmosphere that makes this event so enjoyable. Not to mention the awesome mix of fire roads and singletrack that make up this iconic and addictive marathon, which is becoming a monument of Australian mountain biking. Huw Kingston and his team have been able to build an event built on principles of sustainability that truly engages the local community, which not only benefits the local economy, but benefits all mountain bikers with the legacy of trails it leaves behind and the positive message it sends to councils and governments. I hope everyone is looking forward to the race as much as I am...see you all there!