AUSTRALIAN MTBO TEAM

Australian Team for MTB WOC 2008

compiled by Kay Haarsma

Paul Darvodelsky

Club: Big Foot (NSW) Age: Old, not quite a pensioner O Background: Foot – over 1000 events; MTBO - 100 Riding background: 7 years - ride 10-15 hours per week, started MTB riding in 2001 and road racing in 2004. Other sports: rock climbing

Best World Champs

performance: 18th Middle Distance, Czech Republic 2007

Best other sporting performance:

2nd M21E Australian 3 Days foot orienteering 1989 Profession: Engineer

Looking forward to in Poland:

riding fast in technical terrain and nice forests; catching up with orienteering friends

MTBO main strength and

weakness: I have very good orienteering rhythm and am smooth; not enough speed and I think slowly

Something else that we don’t

know about you? I don’t like pineapple Other hobbies: no time

Alex Randall

Club: Yarra Valley (VIC) Age: 36 years O Background: Raced Foot-O until 2000, reserve for World Cup 2000; Member of every world champs team for MTBO since its inception in 2002 – 6th team. Riding background: Mt Bike - have competed in MTB XC since 1996. Now race pro-elite class. Road - I race A-Grade for both criteriums and open stage races. Other sports: occasional golf.

Best World Champs

performance: Relay Bronze 2004

Best sporting performance

other than MTBO: 5th in Central Australian Bike Challenge (Alice Springs) 2006. Profession: Horticulturalist

What most looking forward to

in Poland: catching up with our Polish MTBO friends (believe me!) MTBO main strength: Can do high pace Time Trial style efforts - perfect for MTBO Weakness: concentration/panic issues if the pressure is on

Adrian Jackson

Club: Melbourne Forest Racers (VIC) Age: 25 years O Background: orienteered all my life including: 2 x foot JWOC, 3 x MTBO WOC Riding background: Mt Bike: Been riding for a long time, but started getting more serious around 2004. Road: Have been doing quite a lot of training and racing on the road in the past few years. Other sports: Apart from riding? Don’t be silly! Did do athletics and cross-country as a junior.

Best World Champs

performances: 2004 -Gold (Middle Distance), bronzes (Long & Relay); 2005 - Bronze (Long Distance). 2006 - 6th 2006 (Long Distance); 7th (Middle Distance)

Best other sporting

performances: 2008 – 1st Wildside MTB stage race; 5th Otway Odyssey MTB marathon; 10th Oceania MTB XC Champs (elite) Profession: Aerospace engineer, currently working towards PhD

Looking forward to in Poland:

Having at least one or two awesome races. Meeting up with all the MTBO crew from around the world again.

MTBO strength and weakness:

Strengths: Riding speed, quick descision making, keeping race momentum through tricky sections. Weaknesses: Concentration lapses, not recognizing danger signs

David Simpfendorfer

Club: Red Roos (ACT) O Background: Started MTBO in 2004. Haven’t done any foot-o before, but intend doing some this year to help my navigation. Riding background: Started doing both mt bike and road riding in 2003. I race in A grade in ACT crosscountry races and also do the 100 km enduro races. I do lots of road kilometres and race either A / B grade regularly. Other sports: I’ve recently started doing adventure races and have had some top 3 places in the AROC series this year.

Best World Champs

performance: 25th, Middle Distance, 2007

Best sporting performance other

than MTBO: My team of 3 won

the Canberra “Rat Race” adventure event this year. Profession: Business analyst Looking forward to in Poland: I can’t wait to race in the nice Polish terrain, after attending the training camp there last year. Hope not to have to eat blueberry pasta this time though. MTBO main strength: speed on major tracks due to roadie background. Weakness: speed of decision making and navigation in complex terrain, especially short legs.

Something else that we don’t

know about you? Born in Whyalla, South Australia.

Other hobbies: playing the stockmarket.

Jen Graham-Taylor

Club: OW (WA) Age: 31 years O Background: Orienteered as a small child then not again until I started MTBO in 2005. Have done about 10 MTBO events, including first place in WA State Champs in 2007. Started foot-O again last year, have only done 3 or 4 bush events since then and a lot of metro/sprint events. Organised the WA Sprint Series in 2008 with some success (has been a steep learning curve, with my first attempts at mapping, setting, event management, website maintenance and sponsor-chasing all combined into one!). Riding background: Started riding mt bike in 2001. Didn’t start racing until after I got into multisport in 2005. Have done two solo 12hrs, a few XC races, 2 or 3 100km races and a 6hr.

Mainly commute and race on the road. Other sports: Did some paddling and multisport in 2005/6, then did some triathlon (including two halfironmen). First real AR was a 24hr in 2007, came 2nd. Then a couple of Anaconda races and the 5 day Keen race in the Victorian Alps in April.

Best World Champs

performance: will happen soon.

Best other sporting performance:

Probably the 10th place (4th mixed) at Keen. Profession: Doctor. Currently working in emergency medicine but training in sports medicine next year.

Looking forward to in Poland?

Can’t wait to have some fun, race on some different terrain, eat some different food, meet some new people, race hard and have a holiday…

MTBO main strength and weakness:

Strength: Probably technical riding. Weakness: Navigation - especially on the first control. Tend to get nervous and it takes me a while to settle in.

Other hobbies: Music - used to teach classical flute in my spare time. Love cooking. Lots of pets at home. The dog is called Hagaby.

Cath Chalmers

Club: LOST (WA) Age: 39 years O Background: Foot orienteering since 1996, competing in NOL since ‘98. Riding background: Road and track racing 1992-1994, Had to give it up due to injury. Then took up foot orienteering.

Best World Champs

performance: World Masters Orienteering Championships - 2006 18th in W35.

Best other sporting performance:

6th Aus Orienteering Champs 2005 Profession: Electrical Engineer

Looking forward to in Poland:

New terrain, challenging courses.

MTBO main strength and

weakness: Can navigate well when I concentrate. Tendency to rush stops me thinking about navigating properly. Need to get stronger at riding, especially hills. Other hobbies: 9 month son Aoife

Melanie Simpson

Club: Newcastle (NSW) Age: 23 years O Background: I started foot oing at 14 and did heaps of events. Started mtb-ing a few years ago. It was not until last year that I combined these two sports. Riding background: Mt Bike – since 2004 when I was invited onto a MONT 24hr team and offered an mtb to borrow and practice on. I’ve done several cross country and endurance events since. Use road bike for commuting and training. Other sports: rogaining and the odd triathlon.

Best World Champs

performance: watch this space.

Best other sporting performance:

2007 - 1st in women’s open in Dirt Works 100km, 1st team of 4 females in Scott 24hr

Profession: MedicalStudent

Looking forward to in Poland:

a new country with a new experience; the international competition.

MTBO main strength and

weakness: going up hills and going down hills, respectively. Navigation errors also lose me a lot of time.

(bridge) partner and I were the Australian under-16 Pairs Bridge Champions. Other hobbies: Bobbin lacing, cycle touring, sewing, bushwalking, latin american dancing.

Thorlene Egerton

Club: Ugly Gully (QLD) Age: 43 years O Background: Foot O for 12 years, and MTBO for 2 years. Other sports: Adventure racing and rogaining.

Best World Champs

performance: 2007 (Long Distance race) placed 33rd.

Best other sporting performance:

Won Rogaining World Champs in veteran class (with Wendy Read) in 2006. Won 2008 women’s class in Keen Alps to Ocean 5 day adventure race (with Kath Copland). 9th in 2007 XPD Whitsundays expedition length adventure race. Profession: Physiotherapist and PhD student.

Looking forward to Poland:

because the racing is so much fun in Europe, Jon (partner) will be there and the beer is cheap. Other fact about me? My parents still can’t remember what sport I represent Australia in.