Rebecca Henderson prevails through wild weather and a crash to clinch 12th consecutive Australian mountain bike elite cross-country title

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Australia’s 2025 GWM Mountain Bike Nationwide Championships might have began with sunshine and blue skies however ended with shortened races, pouring rain and wind gusts of over 100kph on Sunday, nonetheless, even the brutal climate situations and a nasty crash weren’t sufficient to blow Rebecca Henderson (Orbea Manufacturing facility) off beam.

The 33-year-old from Canberra sprinted throughout the road forward of Tasmania’s Isabella Flint (Cervélo Australia Off-Street) within the climate modified race to assert her twelfth consecutive elite cross-country title in a row. Nonetheless, it was a tricky and close-run battle, significantly with Henderson crashing on the primary lap.

“That was torture I hated each second of that,” stated Henderson within the put up race interview from a highlights package deal put out by AusCycling (see beneath). “I crashed within the first lap and I couldn’t shake Izzy and I used to be in a lot ache and by the top I couldn’t use my left arm. I’m not in a great way.”

That was clear from the pained expression on her face after she crossed the road forward of Flint, who was taking over the elite class for the primary time.

“Thanks Isabella Flint for that arduous battle and all the women that referred to as out whereas I used to be on the bottom and selecting myself up,” stated Henderson in an Instagram put up.

“I believed final yr was powerful with my ankle,” she stated wanting again on the 2024 version the place she rolled her ankle simply earlier than the occasion and needed to sit out the short-track. “This one actually takes the cake.

“On reflection I feel that was one in all my gutsiest efforts thus far and I am in just a little little bit of disbelief that I obtained it performed.”

Henderson’s win will hold her within the acquainted inexperienced and gold jersey as she strikes to new group (Orbea Manufacturing facility), with the rider additionally having claimed the short-track title on Friday. Zoe Cuthbert got here third within the elite ladies’s race on Sunday whereas Ella Menigoz claimed the U23 title.

It was additionally a well-known face on high of the boys’s elite podium as 2023 winner Sam Fox, who made his solution to the occasion by bike-packing from Melbourne, took victory.

“The primary one I labored my total life for and it was the very best type I’d ever been in life,” Fox stated in an AusCycling media launch. “This feels a bit the other. I’d form of not too long ago retired, I haven’t been coaching, and I got here into this race with no expectations.

“I used to be fortunate to have good legs on the day and probably situations that suited me. I’m grateful nonetheless. You possibly can by no means take these titles with no consideration. They don’t come round fairly often.”

Fox crossed the road over a minute forward of second-placed Jack Ward (Staff Brennan p/b TP32), who claimed the short-track title on Friday. To tackle the mountain bike championships the proficient 19-year-old sat out the second final spherical of the top-tier home street sequence, the ProVelo Tremendous League, the place he’s the general chief.

Reece Tucknott was third within the males’s elite race on Sunday whereas Harry Doye (Trek Shimano) took the boys’s U23 title.