Jared Graves Wins The 09 Oceania Championships
Jared Graves (Yeti/Fox Shox), a Nema rider, won the 2009 Oceania MTB Championships in Thredbo. He took a double win in the 4X as well as the downhill disciplines.
Graves performed well in the 4X on a fast, flowing track that offered a variety line options and gaps. However, it was a little too short. Graves raced very smoothly, qualifying 1st by one second and then winning every lap with ease throughout the day. Graves said that he was there with three other BMX riders who were all riding well. It was great fun.
Photo courtesy: Damian Breach
The downhill competition saw riders have a lot of fun due to the warm and sunny weather. The weather changed quickly after qualifying first in sunny conditions. It became windy, cold and overcast quickly. The track was drenched in rain as the last practice session began. The rain stopped in the men’s finals and Graves managed to run a fantastic race to win the title by 5 seconds.
It was an amazing weekend. I was thrilled to be 1st in both of the events and then win when it mattered.
Graves is currently preparing for an exciting UCI World Cup season that starts in just a few weeks in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa).
Elite Men Downhill
1. Jared Graves 2. Wyn Masters 3. Joshua Button 4. Benjamin Cory 5. Nathan Rennie
Elite Men 4X
1 Jared Graves
2 Ryan Henderson
3 Leigh Darrell
4 Alex Lloyd
