The Australian 2010 MTBO Team:

Men: Steven Cusworth, Grant Lebbink, Adrian Jackson, Alex Randall

Women: Mary Fien, Melanie Simpson

And Australia´s first ever junior MTBO team (only junior men for 2010): Chris Firman, Marc Gluskie, Luke Polland

Officials: Kay Haasma (coach),Brihony Lebbink (team assistance)

2010 Archives
Junior men finish 5th in the relay Monday, 19 July 2010
Long Final Saturday, 17 July 2010
JWOC Middle Final and WOC Long Qualification Thursday, 15 July 2010
Middle Distance Photos Thursday, 15 July 2010
Middle distance final Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Photos and maps from the sprint Tuesday, 13 July 2010 Some photos of the sprint and copies of the maps can be found via the official website...
Sprint Gold from AJ Monday, 12 July 2010
World Champion, again! Monday, 12 July 2010
WOC starts tomorrow! Sunday, 11 July 2010
Anecdotes from the team Thursday, 8 July 2010
More about the races... Wednesday, 7 July 2010 A summary of how the Aussie team did and what they thought aboud the races.
And training continues... Wednesday, 7 July 2010 More about the Aussie team training camp in stinking hot Portugal.
Training camp begins Monday, 5 July 2010 Now all the Australian team has safely arrived and got their first taste of Portuguese terrain.
Less that a fortnight to go!! Monday, 28 June 2010 With less than a fortnight to go, the Australian team has begun arriving in Europe and will be meeting up next weekend for some warm up races in Portugal.
Long and Middle distance races: Gdansk Wednesday, 9 June 2010 Melanie´s wrap up of World cup round two held in Gdansk, Poland.
Round two of the World MTBO Cup: Gdansk, Poland Friday, 4 June 2010 The second round of the 2010 MTBO world cup begins tomorrow in the forests around Gdansk, Poland.
Melanie Simpson Saturday, 29 May 2010
World ranking events in Denmark Tuesday, 25 May 2010 Melanie´s experiences at the recent WREs in Denmark.
Welcome to the blog of the 2010 Australian MTBO team Monday, 17 May 2010

And training continues...

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Yesterday was a rest day with most of the team doing a short spin on the road or on a local map that includes our camping ground.  The aim of the game was to avoid the hills or use very very low gears when they were unavoidable.  Grant, Brihony and I went for a ride around this map and came across a church that had the most elabourate melody for when the bells on the hour that I have ever heard. In the afternoon, Mary and I went with the junior boys into Chaves to look around the old part of town where the WOC sprint will be held next Sunday (the big boys went to find lunch and internet and an air-conditioned somewhere to watch the tour).  The general impression is that we will have to remain very focused and take car in the network of narrow streets and tight corners.  We have been assured that the town will be monitored so there are not many pedestrians and cars, but given people live in this town we have fears of dangerous blind corners and collisions.  We`ll be heading in again through the week to have a closer look at the stairs and walls and other main features.

Today`s training was on a map on the other side of Chaves.  The mapping left a lot to be desired, particularly in one corner where there were more tracks, incorrect tracks and general confusion.  I think many of us were just pleased to make it out without too many blackberry injuries and to find that everyone had experienced the same difficulties. 

(Marc in one of the villages with Chaves in the background) 

Portugal is a poorer nation than what I was expecting (I can not talk for the rest of the team).  Both in the races on the weekend and in the training rides since we`ve been going through quaint small villages where it is common see a horse and cart or grandma pushing her wheelbarrow of farm produce up the cobble stoned streets.  Today`s highlight was the truck playing icecream truck-like music, but he was actually selling chickens! (Maybe Oporto chicken!?!)

 

(The chicken truck.  Also demonstrating some stone wall which is mapped and a good navigation feature!)

Thanks to people leaving messages, and we`ll try to get some more event photos through the next week or so.